How to Improve Your Local Ranking on Google

Local visibility is important for businesses trying to catch the attention of customers in their vicinity. Potential customers generally look for local businesses by searching terms like “near me” or something similar. Oftentimes, audiences use Google Maps as their primary tool for discovering businesses near them. A better ranking on Google Maps increases your chance as a business of being contacted by potential customers.

We know from personal experience that top search results are the only ones we click on when looking for services or products. To show up higher in search results, businesses need to focus on strategies that improve their visibility. As a by-product, this establishes their credibility and improves user experience.

In this post we'll be covering:

Google Business Profile
consistent business information across platforms,
encouraging positive customer reviews.

This guide by Ocreateo will walk you through steps that will help your business increase its local ranking. You'll be attracting nearby customers actively seeking your services in no time!

Why Local Rankings on Google Matter

Man looking at a map application on his phone, likely searching for directions or a nearby location.

Local rankings help businesses connect with nearby customers actively searching for similar products or services. Whether someone is looking for a coffee shop, mechanic, or catering, Google Maps makes it easy to find top-rated local options. Appearing in Google’s local pack, which is the prominent section that shows three businesses on Google Maps will significantly boost your visibility.

Showing up in local search can genuinely lead customers directly to action. According to Google’s survey, 76% of people who search for things nearby end up visiting a business within the same day. Improving your local ranking ensures you’re one of the first businesses potential customers see when they’re ready to make a purchase or decision.

1. Optimize Your Google Business Profile

Google Business Profile is an exceptional tool and doesn’t cost anything! It is the basis of any business’s online identity and presence. It also reports back to Google important details about your company, like who you are, what you’re selling, and what your location is. Future customers will trust you more if your GBP (Google Business Profile) is complete and you have it optimized with correct information. This includes professional photos, and regular updates. Try the following things to make things better:

Claim and Verify Your Business:
- Visit Google Business Profile and claim your listing.
- Complete the verification process by mail, phone, or email to confirm your ownership.
Complete Your Profile:
- Add accurate and up-to-date information about your business:
  - Business name (consistent with your branding).
  - Physical address and service areas.
  - Phone number.
  - Business hours.
- Select the most relevant category for your business and include secondary categories if applicable.
Upload High-Quality Images
- Include professional photos of your storefront, interior, products, and team. Listings with visuals get more clicks and engagement.
Regularly Update Your Profile
- Use Google Posts to share updates, events, promotions, or new services. Frequent activity signals to Google that your business is active and relevant.

2. Encourage and Manage Customer Reviews

Person responding to social media engagement happily.

Reviews from past customers are very important for building trust with potential customers and improving your local SEO. Google sees that you can be trusted when you have good reviews, which makes your business rank higher in local search results. You should ask happy customers to leave reviews by following up with emails, giving them direct links to your review page, or asking them in person after an exchange goes well.

Encourage Reviews

Politely ask satisfied customers to leave a review on your Google profile.
Include links to your review page in follow-up emails, receipts, or on your website.

Respond to Reviews

Acknowledge positive reviews to show appreciation.
Address negative feedback professionally and offer solutions. Responding demonstrates that you care about customer satisfaction.

Monitor Your Ratings

Aim to maintain a high average rating. Higher ratings and more reviews have a better chance of showing up in the local pack.

Businesses should focus on responding to reviews as quickly and professionally to the best of your abilities. Don’t leave any of them behind. If someone for instance gives you negative feedback, respond with solutions to show that you're listening and build trust with your audience. Don’t get put off by them either. The reviews, no matter how rude they might be, are constructive criticisms for your business. They exist to give you perspective.

3. Focus on NAP Consistency Across Platforms

NAP is short for ‘Name, Address, and Phone number’. It is a key element of your business's online and offline identity. Google cross-references this information across your website, directories, and social media platforms to verify your credibility. Any discrepancies can confuse search engines and potential customers, harming your local ranking. Keeping your NAP consistent ensures that Google and your audience trust the information about your business.

Why NAP Consistency Matters

Inconsistent details can confuse search engines and potential customers. It also gets you bad rep with Google itself. Make sure your business information is consistent across your website, directories, and social media profiles.

How to Maintain Consistency

Audit your business listings regularly using tools like Moz Local or BrightLocal.
Correct inaccuracies in directories like Yelp, Facebook, and TripAdvisor.

4. Improve Your Website for Local SEO

Your website is a vital asset for enhancing your local presence. It acts as a central hub for potential customers and search engines to understand your business. A well-optimized website builds trust by showcasing accurate, localized content while signaling relevance to search engines. Features like clear contact details, fast load times, and responsive design strengthen your credibility and improve your visibility in local search results.

Create Location-Specific Pages

If your business serves multiple areas, create separate pages for each location.
Include local keywords, unique descriptions, and contact information for each area.

Embed a Google Map

Add an interactive Google Map to your website’s contact page. This helps visitors find you easily and sends location signals to Google.

Use Schema Markup

Implement local business schema on your website to highlight essential information like your address, hours, and reviews. This helps Google understand your content better.

Optimize for Mobile

Make sure your site is mobile-friendly. Most local searches take place on mobile devices. Which is why responsive design is necessary.

5. Build Local Backlinks

Backlinks are an important measure for local SEO. Google cross checks backlinks. If they find your business backed up by trustworthy and relevant websites, it takes it as a sign of authority and trustworthiness of your brand. This can help your business stand out in search results. Moreover, they bring targeted visitors to your website, which makes it more likely that people will buy something.

How to Get Local Backlinks

Partner with local organizations, charities, or events and request mentions on their websites.
Write guest posts for local blogs or news outlets.
Join local business directories and ensure your profile includes a link to your website.

6. Leverage Google Maps SEO Services

Running into trouble managing your local SEO? Make things easier for you to get better results. The main goal of Google Maps SEO services is to make your business more visible in local searches so your profile shows up higher on Google Maps. The professionals look over your Google Business Profile, make sure it has all the right information, and that your business shows up in the right local directories. Some of the more complex things they do are build high-quality local backlinks, manage customer reviews, and use technical SEO techniques like schema markup. This way, you can focus on running your business while experts improve your online presence when you work with specialists.

Benefits of Professional Services

Experts audit your Google Business Profile for completeness and accuracy.
Advanced tools are used to analyze your competition and identify opportunities.
They manage reviews, citations, and backlinks, ensuring consistency and growth.

7. Monitor and Analyze Your Performance

Woman wearing an apron, smiling, holding up an ipad in her hands with the screen showing.

Backlinks are an important part of local SEO. Backlinks let Google know your site is authoritative, relevant, and trustworthy. Not only does getting links from trustworthy local websites help your search engine rankings, it also brings targeted visitors directly to your website. You can work with local groups like schools or charities by sponsoring events or offering services, and then ask them to put a link to your website on the pages of their events. Another good way is to write guest posts for local blogs or news outlets. This lets you show off your expertise and get useful links at the same time. Putting your business in local directories makes it visible and gives you more credibility.

Key Metrics to Monitor

Profile Views: How often your GMB listing appears in searches.
Customer Actions: How many people visit your website, call your business, or request directions.
Search Queries: Identify keywords customers use to find your business.

Use this data to refine your strategy and focus on areas that drive the most results.

Tips for Sustained Growth

Improving your local ranking is an ongoing process. Here are additional tips to maintain momentum:

Regularly update your GMB profile with new content and promotions.
Monitor competitor listings to identify trends and opportunities.
Stay active on social media to drive engagement and traffic to your GMB listing.

Conclusion

Getting a better local ranking on Google takes planning and attention to a few important areas we mentioned in this post. First, improve your Google Business Profile by adding correct and up-to-date information, good photos, and regular changes. Get people to review your business and keep track of them to show Google that people can trust you. To keep things clear and make sure people can reach you, make sure your NAP (Name, Address, and Phone Number) information is the same everywhere.

Location-specific pages, embedded Google Maps, and schema markup should all be on your website to help with your local SEO. Getting high-quality backlinks from blogs, organizations, and directories that people trust will add to your authority and authenticity. Professional SEO services offered by companies like Ocreateo can make it easier to do all these tasks if there's too much on your plate. They'll handle difficult tasks like backlink strategies, technical SEO, and citation management.

With consistent work and the right plans, you can make your business more visible, bring in customers from nearby, and see steady growth. If you’re a little lost, feel free to reach out to Ocreateo to learn more about how we help businesses just like yours!