How to optimalize a company on Google Maps?

Visitors in Google Maps are one of the many types of company presentations within the search engine. They appear both in Google Maps and in organic search results and in several possible places—on the right side of the page, among other results, or at the very bottom of the page. Depending on what we asked Google, one or more business cards may appear for a single query. 

How do we make our business cards appear in Google Maps at all?

First, we need to set up an account on Google My Business for our business and then, following the directions, add our business to Google Maps. The next step is to verify its ownership so that you can manage the data published in the results. There are several options for verifying a business card—from an SMS code to a phone number to a card with a code sent by mail. So it can take a while to verify our business card, but it just takes a few weeks. 

If we have happily created our business card, we move on to the stage of filling in the data, and here, Google My Company gives us really a lot of options. How we complete our business card will have the greatest impact on the positions it will appear in the organic results. 

How we complete our business card will have the greatest impact on the positions it appears in the organic results.

When does one, and when do multiple business cards of companies appear in the results?

One company’s business card appears only for a fairly limited number of variants of user queries. First, when they inquire about a specific company, type in phrases like „company name,” „company name + address,” „company name + directions,” and so on. Then, the algorithm recognizes that the user is only interested in this one company and other results will not be of value to him.

The second variant, when a single business card appears, is when the query is about a business that is the only one in its category in the area. For example, if we have only one glassblowing company in Pcim Dolny, after typing the phrase „glassblower Pcim Dolny,” we will get only this one result. 

In other cases, we will get more than one result for the query we typed in. As we know, that attracts the most users at most. So, how can we make our business card appear as high as possible? The answer, of course, is positioning.

How to position a company’s business card in Google Maps?

Positioning a business card is basically optimizing it thoroughly. Of course, the most important thing to start with will be the name of the business card, as it forms its headline. It’s a good idea to include the company’s name in its entirety, and if our company has multiple branches, each should have a separate business card that will have the city distinguished in the name—e.g., „Warsaw branch,” „Warsaw office,” etc. 

Then, we move on to filling in the contact information, such as addresses, phone numbers, email, www, or opening hours. Keeping an eye on the validity of the data is extremely important, and we should not forget to update it if any information changes. It is very easy to verify, and outdated data can affect our image in the eyes of potential customers. 

The business card should also be visually appealing, so it is worth publishing high-quality photos within it. These will include the logo, photographs of the inside and outside of the headquarters, and product photos or realizations. Particularly important are photos of the headquarters, as they can be quite an aid in reaching the indicated address. 

Another important element is customer reviews and ratings. If we have a new business card with a small number of ratings, it will not appear high in the results. So, it’s worth encouraging our customers to leave a mark in the form of a rating and, preferably, a comment. In the feedback section, we can download a dedicated link and send it to people who have used our products or services so they can describe their impressions of working with us. 

How to make our Google business card more attractive?

The attractiveness of our business card, both in the eyes of the search engine robot and potential customers, will certainly be helped by its constant development by posting entries/updates, which the Google My Business panel allows us to do. In such entries we can tell more broadly about our business,  present what exactly we do and what’s new in our company.

An interesting addition is also the „products” section, where we can present what we have on sale. Thanks to this, everyone will be able to see what we have to offer and will be able to go directly to more information and then purchase. 

Should-we-post-important-for-us-key-words within a business card?”

The answer to this question is somewhat complex. Placing keywords in obvious places, such as the name of your business card, can be counterproductive and even lead to a ban on your business card by Google. However, there are places where keywords should appear. These include a description of our company, its history, posts added on a regular basis, and, of course, user reviews. The last element is the most important – if real customers write about our services for the Google robot, the company realistically operates in the area it declares. 

Summary

Gaining high rankings in Google Maps depends on whether the business card we build is valuable to users and the reviews they leave. So, in order to become number one, we should take advantage of every element that Google offers us under „My Business” and supplement it with real information. We must also remember to constantly update the posted data and encourage customers to leave comments. If we meet the above conditions, we will certainly be on our way to overtaking the competition in Maps.