- Web page mobile-friendly – Yes / No
- SSL installed – Yes / No
- Technologies up to date for the security hole
- A business that doesn’t have a website at all
- An incomplete Google My Business profile (you might see ‘Own this business?‘ in the listing meaning it’s unclaimed)
- Businesses not ranking high (top 3) in the map area
- Websites missing a Facebook pixel for running ads
- Businesses with a poor reputation such as zero reviews or really bad ones
- Your Google Maps listing is a crucial marketing tool for your business. It can help you get discovered by new customers, stand out above competitors, and generate more business—all for free. But these benefits are really only attainable if your listing has strong visibility, and just because your business is listed in an area does not mean Google will automatically rank it for searches in that area.
Why rank higher on Google Maps?
Research shows that Google Maps is the preferred navigation app for 67% of consumers. And with consumers rarely looking past the first few results when looking for a place to go, it’s crucial to make sure your Google Maps listing is optimized to show up first for relevant searches.
Research also shows that these consumers end up on Google Maps business listings from a keyword (aka “discovery”) search far more often (84% of the time) than from business name (aka “direct”) search. That being said, it’s important that your listing ranks high on Google Maps for these terms your potential customers are searching.
Another reason to rank on Google Maps is that the top three Google Maps listings will also display in regular Google Search results if applicable. And with 46% of searches on Google having local intent, showing up in that “Local 3-Pack” can greatly increase the visibility of your business.
The third reason to rank higher on Google Maps is that the things you do to rank higher will improve the quality of your listing and add multiple ways for consumers to engage with your business. With 86% of consumers using Google maps to look up a business, this opens up a lot of opportunities to boost engagement.
