Google Places is basically the information that the search engine receives and relies on when listing businesses based on their geographical location. In most cases, the engine already has your business listed in the search engine result pages, but your Google Places page gives you control over what information is presented to people looking for your business.
A high ranking on Google places will give your company a greater cutting edge. Here are five actionable ways to improve Google places page ranking without actually spending a fortune or breaking a sweat. Note that these tips have been tested and proven to be effective in achieving this objective.
1# Business Listings
The first thing that Google needs is to verify is that your business exists and is real to protect users from fraud and other related inconveniences. It achieves this aim by tracking how many times your business address, name, phone number (NAP) is listed on the web. Remember backlinks, the more the backlinks the higher your chances of getting the top spots on SERPs. The same case applies, to your business details, the more they are cited, the better your chances of getting a high ranking.
One of the guaranteed ways of getting listed is by submitting details of your business to local, national, and international business directories. Make sure that the information is accurate to get the best results.
2# Consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number)
Google is continuously updating its algorithm to improve the user experience. To get a high Google Places page ranking, make sure that the NAP (Business name, address, and phone number) that is listed on your website contact us page, directories, and Google Places page is consistent and up to date. If you happen to relocate to new business premises, it is imperative that you make the necessary changes across these three platforms. Otherwise, varying NAP will end up confusing Google crawlers and hurting your ranking.
You can quickly know if your business information is consistent by doing a search for your business online. Click on each of the results to know if the details in each of the listings are accurate. If any of them is incorrect, contact the directory and request them to rectify it.
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3# NAP on Website
It is imperative to provide the business name, address, and phone number on your site. I have come across some SEO websites who recommend providing this information at the header of the footer of your site so that it is displayed to the web visitors on every page. However, I have realized that it is OK to have these details on the contact page or to use the Schema markup.
4# Embedded Google Map
Numerous studies have proven that embedding your business Google Places listing on the contact page is useful in helping Google to know that your company actually exists and the address that you provided is accurate. Embedding is easy; you just need to search for your business name while in Google maps. In the top left corner of the search bar, you will find three lines alongside the company name, click on them then click on “share or embed map.”
Once selected, click the embed map option found at the top of the pop-up box then copy-paste the iframe code into your website’s contact page.
5# Reviews
Reviews will cement the fact that your business is legit and fully functional. A page with 20 or more honest reviews stands a better chance of ranked high on Google Places than a page that does not include any reviews. Therefore, encourage your clients to review your business to accrue as many reviews as possible.
Analyze Rankings
If you have done all the above steps and still haven’t achieved the desired rankings, then you need to have your business cited more. There are two ways of doing this:
- Take advantage of a professional citation building service
- Do an extensive research to find out the places where the competitors who rank above you are cited. List down all the directories that they are mentioned and check if your business is listed there and if not, add it.
Get ahead of the competition by using the above tips and guidelines. There is absolutely no limit to the success that you will get once you get a commendable ranking on Google Places.
