Your presence on Google Maps is crucial in determining whether your location is at the top of a potential visitor’s search results. This is make-or-break in deciding whether you receive new visitors or customers.

Google Maps is ubiquitous. It’s the most used navigation app in the United States, and it’s listings are provided to anyone using a search engine. For a few reasons, it’s generally more powerful than advertising.

1) when someone sees your Google Maps listing, it’s because they’re directly seeking out whatever product or experience you provide;

2) potential visitors consider Google Maps listings and their reviews a trustworthy public source; and,

3) optimizing your Google Maps listing is free.

While you may already have a Google Maps listings, you need to take the time to optimize it so you appear higher in search results — so more people see your listing — and so that your listing is compelling once people see it.

If you represent a community, I would encourage you to take these same steps with public locations like parks. You may also want to consider sharing these tips with local businesses or organizations that might benefit from an improved presence on Google Maps.

1) Claim and Verify Your Google Maps Listing.

If your location is already listed in Google Maps, the first step to optimizing your listing is to claim and verify it. You’ll need to set up a Google account for your organization first if you don’t have one already. Verifying your listing confirms your location and adds credibility to your listing. If you’re location isn’t listed on Google Maps, go ahead and add it.

You can find Google’s guide to adding or claiming your profile here.

2) Add Accurate and Complete Information.

Once you’ve been verified, make sure that your listing has accurate and complete information about your location, such as the name, address, phone number, website URL, hours of operation, and business category. In particular, you need to ensure that your name, address, and phone number is consistent across all of your online listings, including Google Maps, your website, and your social media profiles. Incomplete, inconsistent, or inaccurate information can give you less visibility and make you seem less reputable.

3) Optimize Your Business Description and Categories.

Your business description should be concise, informative, and keyword-rich. At the same time, it should be written naturally and for human consumption. It should accurately describe you, what you offer, and your unique selling proposition (what sets you apart).

Also, while you can select more than one business category, only select those that accurately describe you.

4) Encourage Customer Reviews.

Reviews are an essential factor in how Google ranks businesses in local search results. It's much more important to have more reviews than it is to have a perfect 5-start rating. For instance, if I’m in a small town, I would choose a restaurant with 23 reviews and an average rating of 4.4 stars over a restaurant with 3 reviews and a perfect 5 stars. Having more reviews helps customers trust that you’re a place worth visiting.

5) Add Photos.

You should add high-quality photos in your Google Maps listing to engage with more potential visitors. High-quality doesn’t necessarily mean professional, though that can help. You’ll likely want to include exterior photos of your location (this makes you easier to find), interior photos of what you have to offer, and photos that include people — like your team and customers — having a great time doing whatever you do.

6) Use Google Posts.

Google Posts allow you to publish short messages, offers, and events on your Google Maps listing. A few examples of posts you might want to make would be about changing hours, new renovations, or a seasonal deal. In addition to appearing prominently on your listing, making posts an effective way to communicate with potential customers, you should make posts from time to time because it makes you more likely to appear as a higher search engine result.

Just make sure your posts are actually relevant to your business. Google will remove irrelevant posts.

7) Monitor and Respond to Customer Feedback.

Monitor your Google Maps listing for customer feedback in the form of reviews and questions. Whether it’s positive or negative, respond to it promptly and courteously. Answering all questions and sometimes responding to reviews shows that your location is still active, that you care about your customers or visitors, and can help build trust and loyalty.

8) Take Reservations

If you’ve already maximized your Google Maps listing in all of these ways and you want to go even further, you might want to consider taking reservations or bookings through your Google Maps listing. Here’s Google’s guide on how to do that.

In short, take the time to make the most of your Google Maps listing(s). It may be the single most important way people find you. At every step of this process, think about what a potential visitor or customer might type into a search engine. Then, make sure your listing fits that search. To see if you’ve been successful, you can use this tool to see where you would show up in a potential visitor’s Google Search or Google Maps results.

If you’re a member and would like us to help you in this process or review your online presence, please reach out to us! If you’re not a member, take a look at what the Ohio River Way has to offer.