How To Rank on Google Business Listing in Just 5 Steps

If you own a local business or a company with multiple offices, it is crucial nowadays that it is present on the internet so that your potential customers can easily navigate through your offerings. But, how to list your business on Google? 

Not only must it be there in the Google Search just randomly, but you should aim it to be on the top of the SERP. Because, when someone searches for a local business like yours in an area, Google ranks you based on location and relevance. 

At this point, you have your business information on Google Maps and a Google My Business (GMB) account linked, so you are ready to optimize it for higher rankings in local search results. The integrity of your Google Business Profile, not only helps rank higher in local search results in Google but also increases the number of actions customers take when they find your profile. 

Keep in mind that 75% of people don’t scroll through all the Google 1 pages when searching, and only consider the initial 2-3 links or searches. So, businesses must rank high in searches.

If you are creating your Google Business Profile, and are unaware of what your profile will look like, then I must tell you that when you search for your business on Google, your profile appears in a dashboard or box on the right side of the search results page. 

When you use your Google My Business account to manage how your business appears on Google Maps and in search results, you can optimize your listing to improve your search rankings by attracting more customers to find you naturally. 

Now, what do you need to know to get on the top? How You can put your business on Google for free? To answer your questions, here are the top 5 tips to get your venture online and to rank on Google’s first page:

1. Complete Your Business Profile

A detailed list of business profiles allows your business to appear in Google search results and can boost your SEO rankings on its own. Ultimately, completing your business profile helps Google not only improve your local search rankings but also increase the number of actions customers can take when they stumble upon your profile.

When you add details to your profile, you provide additional information to Google to match your business to search terms that may apply.  

2. Provide Maximum Information 

The more information your Google Maps business information provides on Google Maps, the higher your ranking in search results. Your profile is also the source of the information displayed for your business in the map package, the 3 listings at the top of organic search results, and the information you display on Google Maps.  

Google’s business profile ranking algorithm takes into account not only the proximity and relevance but it will also monitor your activity on your Google My Business profile and the quality of the information provided, which are ranking factors for local search results. 

GMB Profile will help you manage how local consumers see you in Google search and Maps, including information like your business name, location and hours of operation. Google uses the data you provide in your profile in a variety of ways, from populating high-visibility info boxes that appear to the right of search results, populating local packs & Google Maps, providing voice search results, and helping get results.

In general, there's a good chance that you have a Google My Business profile created on behalf of your business because Google is constantly looking for information, addresses, phone numbers, etc. to provide information when people do research.

3. Optimize Your Business Profile

To compete in the so-called ‘zero-click search’ you must, guess what, you must have an optimized GMB profile that allows for more interaction with your profile (sometimes, even more than your website) and ultimately gets more conversions.

Also, optimizing your business profile can help your business rank higher on the first page of Google Maps and such Google search results. This means that optimizing your business on Google Maps ensures that you end up at the top of local search results. 

If you don’t have an optimized Google My Business Profile, your potential customers will see your location on Google Maps and possibly read your customer reviews (we will talk about reviews later because that is another great factor to rank on top). So, starting with these three steps on how to list your business on Google is a good start to maximize your online visibility and attract more customers, in the meantime.

4. Use the Right Keywords

By choosing your keywords carefully, placing them in the right places on your website, and creating high-quality content around them, you can succeed by ranking higher on Google. Since your business is already listed on Google My Business, if you optimize it with primary and secondary keywords, the results will be incredible. 

With an optimized GMB listing, people can find you through keyword searches, call you, visit your website, view your products and services, view/contribute to FAQs, request quotes, make appointments, make reservations and more. 

5. Post Regularly

Placing your business in the top 3 on Google Maps listings will ultimately increase customer flow to your business store and increase your conversion rate. While you can not necessarily optimize keywords by posting to your business profile, posting regular updates can send the same positive ranking signals to Google as uploading photos. Constantly adding photos tells Google that your business profile is active and up-to-date, which can improve your rankings.

Any opportunity to make your local business stand out in search results is worth a shot, and photos and videos are a clear way to optimize your massive Google search engine profile for the best results. 

Bonus: Always Respond to Google Reviews on Your Profile

When your GMB profile starts getting reviews, you should remember the PPR method i.e. being Proactive, Prompt and Responsive. This will build your customer’s or a visitor’s trust in you and he/she will get a sense of reliability from your profile. So, always be there to answer any question or respond to any review you get to satisfy your visitor or a potential client.

Not only this, but you need to pay special attention to the negative reviews. For, I believe that "Positives inspire you, but negatives make you do even better". So, do not feel disheartened upon getting a negative review but improve yourself by taking that negativity as positivity.

Why Optimize Your GMB Profile?

As discussed earlier, putting your business on Google for free and optimizing your profile can help your business rank higher in local searches, make it easier for people to discover, and help generate leads. When you use your Google My Business account to manage how your business appears on Google Maps and search results, you can optimize your listing and improve your search ranking by attracting more customers to find you organically as more and more customers use Google Search to find local businesses, your Business Profile needs to stay one step ahead of the competition.

Now that you understand the benefits of an optimized GMB profile (sometimes called Google Maps Listing Optimization), these simple steps will make your business stand out in local search listings. 

While having a GMB listing is an important first step to gaining some local exposure, Google My Business optimization will take your profile to the next level. For, it lets potential customers connect with you instantly, and you can track your ads to see what previous customers think about your brand, schedule their visors, transfer them to you and more.

Therefore, do not forget to follow these simple strategies, including how to list your business on Google, to rank higher and see the difference. Do share your experience in the comment section below about how these tips helped you in getting the desired results.