How to Rank Well in the Map Section of Google | Online Citations
For a small to medium-size business trying to maximize its influence online, you will need to find ways to get into top search engine rankings. When you create a new marketing piece or ad, your biggest concern is how to achieve a fast and high response rate. Google is the top-notch search engine and like all others, it relies on a complicated algorithm to index sites.
To rank well in the Google map section, there is nothing better than to have an informative website with a reliable online citation. Citations include your business’s name, address and phone number (NAP) which helps in improving your SEO strategy. A local citation helps potential clients to local search your business name, references and location. It also includes where your business is mentioned, spoken about and cited in other websites. Online citations increase your rankings on Google place listings due to the fact that they provide credible info on your business. They present the business’s legitimacy and corroborate what is said about it as being accurate and true when potential clients turn to local searches. So here is how they work.
- Published reliable citations
References and mentions of your business from a trusted web source are citations and they must include NAP. Google uses this information to validate the location of your business. Ensure that the information you provide on your business’s citation is accurate and consistent for it to be authoritative and relevant. You can use your NAP to boost your online citations by going granular with the business citation. It’s appropriate that you provide information specific to your local area on websites and directories. The information should also be specific to your business expertise in order to improve your location authority. Including all the relevant factors accurately boosts your ranking on Google Maps search results. The more authoritative the directory source is, the more power you garner from the citation.
Google spiders through the internet in search of matching business listings and when your citation is consistent across websites, it’s counted as a citation and so ranks your site higher. When you need a fast, highly responsive and a consistent citation, consult simplemachinedesigns.com. They fill out online citations and post your local business info, eventually increasing traffic leads to your business site. A reliable SEO and Content marketing company will ensure that your NAP is consistent in all listings and it’s not stuffed with extra keywords resulting in hurting your search results. It’s good to note that Google penalizes you for spam if you add extra keywords to your business name.
- Wrapping your NAP with Schema language
Consider wrapping the NAP included on your website with Schema language. Schema language is the structural protocol adapted by search engines-including Google-to determine datasets in web pages easily. Wrapping your NAP with schema language enhances this information as a key data set within your web pages, and as a result, the high-quality signal gets sent to Google. Providing relevant and authoritative information about the location of your business is a long-term, high-quality approach that keeps you ranking high indefinitely.
- Competitive Keyword Phrases
Competing for business in a big city especially when your business location is outside the major metro area can be challenging. Businesses found at the centroid of the city tend to rank high in Google Maps search results. However, having a business outside a populated area shouldn’t be a setback. simplemachinedesigns.com/blog
By using a competitive keyword phrase that includes the name of your city in the online citation boosts your SEO strategy. Local searches in your niche of business are more accurate and lead to more traffic to your site, hence improve your rankings in the Google map section.
- Citation Consistency
Removing volatility by ensuring your NAP citation does not have variations boosts your online citations. When different directories and websites publish your NAP, the volatility that results from this suppresses your ranking on Google Maps search results. Even the slightest variations can lead to many variations on a large scale. Analyze all the sites where your NAP appear to ensure volatility is removed. You can do this by reverse engineering your NAP in Google.
- Social Signals and Reviews
Social signals are important in helping you rank high on organic search results, as well as, Google Maps search results. Social signals are likes, shares, and your overall social media presence. You can either purchase social signals service or hold a social media promotion using a link to your company’s website.
Aside from increasing your click-through rate, this strategy also boosts your online citations. Reviews also help boost your Google Maps ranking. You can include your Google Maps review link on invoices, business cards, and email signatures so that customers get a chance to leave their reviews. Ensure your business is appealing so that you get many positive reviews that Google will use to determine how to rank your business.
- Optimizing Website Homepage
When you create a Google Maps listing for your business, ensure all the information you add is verified. Add your website URL to the listing, so it acts as a landing page for Google. Including website homepage optimization to your overall local SEO strategy influences your ranking, as well as, authority in local search results.
The website associated with your Google Maps listing boosts your online citations based on business category relevance and domain authority. Google will make key associations between your website and your Google Maps Listing. Some of the factors you need to consider when optimizing your website’s home page include; title tag, description tag, on-site citation, and NAP.
- Citation and Backlinks
There are numerous ways you can use backlinks to associate your website to Google maps listings, using your NAP as the base. The sample template used on Google Maps listing should be duplicated for external citations. Your citation portfolio should match the NAP in your online citations. Remember to remove volatility to maintain citation consistency. Your distributed data should build authority and help you rank high in Google Maps search results.
Before you associate backlinks, ensure to build your brand as a valuable website that attracts backlinks. Volume and authority set an unmatched precedence that will add value to backlinks. There is a correlation between a high-quality website and authoritative backlinks. Also, remember to update your site with great content on a regular basis.
In conclusion, to improve your rankings on Google Maps search results, you should provide consistent information about your business on all platforms. The authority of your online citations and the consistency in your backlink portfolio ensures you rank high indefinitely. To maximize your SEO strategy, and help drive traffic to your website, employ the services of Simplemachine, a web design, SEO & Content marketing company located in Bentonville, AR. simplemachinedesigns.com
