Google Maps listings hold plenty of benefits for businesses. It helps customers easily locate your business, earns you trust from customers, and keeps you a step ahead of your competitors, just to mention a few. For the icing, the tool is free to use!
However, the fact that the tool is free attracts so many business owners. Therefore, listing your business on Google Maps does not automatically guarantee that Google will rank it for searches related to your area. At least, not in the first page.
To gain favor with Google search engine, you must optimize your listing. Incorporating keywords in your listing is one of the essential ways to go about it.
How to Use Keywords in Google Maps Listings
There are several steps involved:
Step 1: List Your Business
If you have not yet listed your business, visit Google Maps to do so. If you have, go straight to the second step.
Step 2: Select Relevant Keywords
Google Maps Listings provide you with the option to key in several relevant keywords you would like to rank for. Ensure to establish your target market’s geographical location, then come up with ideal location-based keywords. They should, specify your location, be industry-related and relevant to your business.
It is important to remember that helping you boost your sales or conversions is not Google’s Maps priority. It is more concerned about finding customers exactly what they need. Therefore, your keywords should correspond to common user queries.
You may list up to 5 categories.
Alternatively, Google Maps will provide pre selected categories that you can choose from.
Coming up with your list is recommendable as you will have better controls of the terms you rank under.
Step 3: Complete Your Listing
Once you have selected suitable categories, you ought to fill in other sections such as your operational hours, business description, user photo, and the like. Be sure to include some of your location-based keywords in your business’ description.
Step 4: Verify Your Listing
After providing all the necessary details, you need to verify your listing. This can be either via mail or telephone
Google Maps will then take it from there.
It is noteworthy that the update may not reflect immediately. It may take several seconds to several days for it to reflect. The same applies to obtaining results.
But, the bottom line is, if you target relevant keywords you are guaranteed to get results – it’s only a matter of time.
To further help your business rank higher in Google searches, it is advisable that, if you have a website, you should make use of the keywords you have used in your listing.
The keywords ought to be incorporated on your site homepage’s Meta tag and description tag. Also, on all the other pages including the about us page, services and products page etcetera. If you blog, you should include these keywords in all your posts. This can be done in your titles, captions, URLs, image tags, and body text.
In as much as you do not need to own a website to list your business on Google Maps, having one will do you good.
Expected Benefits of Using Keywords in Your Google Maps Listing
- It helps convince Google that you are prominent in your area of operation.
- Whenever Google’s algorithm chooses to display map listings at the top, your site will be among the top priorities.
- Your Listing will be one of your prime online drivers of new customers and conversions in your location.
- Your business will appear more relevant and credible to potential customers.
In Conclusion, keywords play an important role in getting your business noticed on Google Maps. You only need to ensure that they are relevant and capture the user’s interests. Consequently, your business will remain in Google’s good books!