Google Maps is a tool we often overlook, but it’s essential for discovering local businesses.

Looking for a new restaurant? Google Maps can instantly recommend great nearby options for you.
Need a reliable plumber? Google Maps will suggest top-rated professionals in your area.
Google Maps not only provides convenience for users searching for services, but also brings huge advantages to businesses looking to attract new customers.
That’s why Google Maps Business Profile is valuable digital space for any business aiming to boost its visibility.

What is a Google Local Pack?

In this guide, we’ll explore what a Google Maps Business Profile is, why it matters, and how to use it to generate leads for your business.

What is a Google Maps Business Profile?

The ‘Google Maps Business Profile’ (also known as Google Local Pack) is a prominent section in Google’s local search results. It displays the top-ranking local business listings relevant to a user’s location or a specific search area.

In the Google Maps Business Profile, businesses display key information such as their physical location, contact information, business hours, and more. Users can click on any listing to see more business information, call the business, or even get directions via Google Maps.

How it Works

Whenever a user searches for a local business, the Google Maps Business Profile appears as a set of three or more Google Maps results. Google’s algorithm identifies the most relevant results based on the search query.

These map results often appear above the regular organic search listings because Google recognizes the user’s likely intent to find a physical location.

The map pack helps users quickly find the specific business they need or browse businesses in a specific category, such as restaurants or retail stores. It includes basic business information such as contact details, address, hours, website link, customer reviews, pricing, and photos.

Key Local Map Pack Statistics to Know

Approximately one-third of mobile searches are location-based, and Google is the primary search engine for finding local businesses.

According to Brightlocal, 99% of consumers have used the internet to search for a local business in the past year.

Therefore, optimizing for the Google Maps Business Profile is a crucial SEO strategy for businesses to increase local traffic.

Start by creating a business profile on your Google Maps Business Profile, optimizing your website, and targeting keywords that your audience uses to find services similar to yours.

Additionally, the Google Maps Business Profile highlights customer reviews. With 94% of consumers reporting that positive reviews influence their decisions, this is a valuable feature for businesses.

Why Google Maps Business Profile is Important for SEO

The Google Maps Business Profile occupies a prominent position in Google’s local search results, making it extremely valuable for SEO. Appearing in this section means your business is more likely to reach local customers and drive more foot traffic.

Google Map Packs are essential for businesses, as achieving the top position can dramatically improve click-through rates compared to other listings.

To achieve prominent visibility within the Map Pack, businesses typically need to implement local SEO strategies. Achieving a high ranking within the Map Pack is crucial for SEO success, and effective optimization can generate significant organic traffic.

Optimizing for the Google Map Pack has numerous advantages, such as:

• Increased Organic Traffic: Higher rankings in the Map Pack often result in better click-through rates, driving more visitors to your business website.
• Increased Local Foot Traffic: Ranking at the top of the Map Pack ensures your business is prioritized when users search for nearby businesses. This greatly increases the likelihood of users navigating to your physical store via Google Maps.
• Increased Phone Calls: Prominent visibility in the Google Map Pack encourages more users to call your business directly, thereby improving conversion rates.
• Competitive Advantage: Outranking competitors in the Map Pack can attract more customers, garner more positive reviews, and significantly enhance business visibility. This can be game-changing in highly competitive markets.
• Improved Mobile Traffic: The Map Pack occupies a significant portion of the screen space on mobile devices, making users more likely to click and browse your business information in mobile scenarios.
• Enterprise SEO: For large enterprises, optimizing business listings for specific geographic locations is crucial. Properly optimizing physical stores can significantly increase foot traffic and enhance brand awareness across multiple regions.

Key Features of the Google Map Pack

Google Maps provides a range of features designed to enhance the user experience. These tools are specifically designed to help users easily find and interact with businesses in local searches.

As a business owner or marketer, it’s important to understand the following Google Map Pack features:

• Business Name: A clickable business name that links to the full Google Business Profile page.
• Rating: Displays the average rating based on customer reviews, shown as a number (out of 5) and star rating.
• Price: Indicates the price range of the business’s services or products, typically displayed with dollar signs (e.g., $$$).
• Address: The physical address of the business location.
• Business Status: Indicates whether the business is currently open or temporarily closed, based on its set hours.
• Business Hours: Specific opening and closing times, including days of the week.
• Business Description: A concise summary of the products or services offered by the business (e.g., ‘Authentic Italian cuisine and wine pairings’).
• Service Options: Highlights whether the business offers in-store pickup, delivery, online ordering, etc.
• Tags: Indicates the type of business (e.g., “Italian Restaurant” or “Clothing Store”).

In addition, Google Business Profile listings may include website links, phone numbers, photos, popular times, directions, and customer reviews.

Users can also contribute by updating listings and adding extra information to Google Maps.

How to Improve Your Ranking in the Google Map Pack

While there’s no guaranteed formula for ranking in the Google Map Pack, optimizing your Google Business Profile, implementing local SEO strategies, and consistently engaging with your audience are important steps to improve your visibility.

Using Local SEO Strategies to Improve Your Google Maps Ranking

Improving your Google Maps ranking isn’t a quick fix, and it doesn’t rely on a single trick or shortcut. It requires implementing a range of local SEO strategies to enhance your visibility in local search results. The following guide will help you improve your Google Maps ranking.

Set Up Your Google My Business Profile

The first step is to create or claim your Google My Business (GMB) profile. You can claim an existing business listing, or create a new one if your business isn’t already listed. This free tool provided by Google can be used to showcase business details and improve map rankings.

Keep in mind that your ranking depends on a variety of factors, including the optimization of your business information and website, the number and quality of reviews, and other local SEO elements.

Optimize Your Business Listing and Get Reviews

To improve your GMB ranking, it’s important to accurately fill out all your business details! This includes your business address, phone number, hours of operation, website, description, categories, and photos.

In particular, reviews are a major ranking factor. The more high-quality, positive reviews you collect, the higher your chances of ranking higher in the map pack. Be sure to regularly monitor and respond to reviews to keep your business profile active and engaging.

For detailed tips, refer to the Google My Business SEO guide for business listing optimization tips.

Add Google Maps to Your Website

After setting up your GMB, embed Google Maps on your website’s “Contact Us” page (or a similar page). Embedding a map helps customers find your specific location easily and improves the user experience.

Additionally, local SEO on your website is crucial for improving your map pack ranking and organic search results. Optimizing for local SEO can increase your visibility in both areas, making it easier for customers to find you before your competitors.

Enhance Your Visibility in Google’s Local Pack

The Google Maps pack is designed to help people discover nearby businesses. As a business owner, optimizing for the map pack is a great way to generate more local traffic.

Local SEO is at the heart of map pack optimization, and it includes a variety of strategies. Optimizing your Google My Business profile is a core step, but you also need to focus on keyword optimization, building a strong reputation, and outranking your competitors locally.

To improve your position in the map pack, stay up-to-date with the latest local SEO practices and apply them to your business. The right strategies can not only help you achieve a higher ranking in Google Maps, but also increase traffic from other local search channels.

Related Resources:

• How Google Reviews Impact Map Pack and Organic Rankings
• How to Learn Local SEO: Recommended Skills and Courses
• Local SEO: The Definitive Guide