Once you have your Google Business Profile set up and you are appearing on Google Maps, the next step is to increase your rank in the search results on Google Maps by optimizing for the following list items. Remember to optimize, is to use the correct keywords and metrics preferred by Google search. 

Google Business (GMB) Finder Factors as of 2021

1. Primary GMB Category
2. Keywords in GMB Business Title
3. Proximity of Address to the Point of Search
4. Physical Address in City of Search
5. Additional GMB Categories
6. High Numerical Google Ratings (e.g. 4-5)
7. Completeness of GMB Listing
8. Quality/Authority of Inbound Links to Domain
9. Keywords in Native Google Reviews
10. Removal of Spam Listings Through Spam Fighting
11. Keywords in GMB Landing Page Title
12. Quantity of Native Google Reviews (w/ text
13. Verified GMB Listing
14. Internal Linking Across Entire Website
15. Geographic Keyword Relevance of Domain Content
16. Quality/Authority of Inbound Links to GMB Landing Page URL
17. Proper Placement of Map Pin
18. Page Authority of GMB Landing Page URL
19. Internal Links to GMB landing Page From Other Pages of Website
20. Keywords on GMB Landing Page H1/H2 Tags

Primary & Secondary category—Keywords in Business Name (1,2,5)

The primary category you select in your Google Business Profile needs to be the core service that your business provides. It is critical it matches for multiple reasons because it impacts several other optimizations that you will need to make. That means if you are earning a majority of your revenue from plumbing services, you need to pick that as your primary category or it will be very hard to outrank other plumbing companies since this is the number 1 weighted factor. 

As you may notice the primary category can overlap with the keyword in your business’s name, which is the second-rated factor. This means your plumbing company should really include the word plumbing in its name to help you rank much better on Google Maps.

Let’s think about additional categories and keep with a plumbing company. If you are also providing flood restoration services, list that as a part of your additional categories, and anything else you offer. If you find that most of your revenue is coming from an additional category, it is time to rename your business to reflect its core service.

Google Rating & Keywords in Reviews (6&9) 

To get good Google reviews you will likely need to provide exceptional service 99% of the time and treat all client interactions with the highest level of integrity. Take a moment and read through our write-up on how to generate 5-Star Reviews. 

Industry keywords used within your reviews are not something you can directly control, but you can influence clients by using industry keywords during your sales process. Since the reviews are being filled out by clients, the hope is by using the keyword-filled language, it influences them to also use it in their reviews. 

For example, if you are an HVAC Contractor, you may want to use the more popular keywords like the heating system, furnace, or heat pump rather than the term HVAC which ranks much poorer in search volume. At its core, all keyword optimization is based on the higher search volume, which refers to the number of people searching for things using the same words. That means far more people use the words furnace than forced-air furnace in their search terms.

Another way to think of this is in terms of expert vs layman, what are your customer-facing descriptions and how do they differ from the technical language used in your trades industry? Turns out that very few clients even know what the HVAC stands for, so avoid using underused keywords. 

Let’s keep thinking about keywords and how you can use them on your website to boost your rank on Google Maps. 

Keywords on Your Website, Linking, and Page Score (11, 14, 16, 18, 19, 20)

Optimization is about boosting your rank by small edges, and the factors mentioned here all deal with how things are written on your website. For an in-depth look at everything keywords, check out our write-up and also go over how to write compelling headlines that use keywords to get a full picture of how to optimize your website. 

The titles, headings, and content on your website should also match the industry keywords you are using to advertise your business on Google Maps. As a rule of thumb, you want to use the most search-for keywords everywhere which is why we highly recommend you do keyword research by looking online and looking at your competitors. 

Linking refers to connecting two sites via a hyperlink. There are two kinds of links, internal and external links that lead both from one page to another page on a site. Internal links are connected pages on your website so if you are discussing heating furnaces and mention ‘greener heat pumps alternatives’, the phrase if clicked takes a client to another page on your site explaining what heat pumps you offer. This internal linking makes your site easier to navigate and boosts your rank on Google maps. A good rule of thumb is to have at least three links on any given page, spread them out, and use them when a clear connection can be made. 

Finally, we come to external links, this is when you connect your page to another website, preferably one with a high authority score. For example, if you ever discuss legality or regulations, proving a link to a government page, or a wiki that acts as a primary source helps boosts your site’s trust score. 

Trust Scores, are Google’s way to determine how authoritative and trustful your website is. There are a ton of things that go into trust scores, and frankly, they are a bit too technical to explore in this article. If you are truly concerned about your site’s trust score, contact us, and will walk you through the finer details, in fact, we can help you with your entire site and Google suite.