How is Google Maps relevant to Online Marketing?

Every business owner knows the importance of having an online presence and makes every effort to see that it is maintained well and has all the right SEO elements. However, what a number of people fail to focus on are external Web properties. This may sound a little complex, so let us break it down for you. 

​By Alain Houle, Alco Web Design LLC

​Changing Algorithms
For any strong local business, it is very important to invest in local reviews, maps and directories. If you only spend all your optimization efforts on your site, chances are that you are going to miss out on some fantastic opportunities. Google keeps changing its algorithms on a regular basis and in July 2014, the Pigeon update added more importance to local maps as well as directory websites such as Yelp. 

About Local Searches
It’s important to understand how local searches are relevant. For instance, when you look for “hardware store Greenville” you will have to actually scroll past 3 map listings as well as 3 organic ones before a local website listing shows up on the page. Typically, that means the first local business listing is in 7th position on the page. It’s not likely that many people will scroll down that far and reach your website result. This is why it’s crucial to optimize your online presence with Google Maps and Directory Sites. 

Things to Do
When people are in a particular area and are looking for a business, it’s very important that they be able to find your company quickly and easily or else they will simply take their business to your competitor. These are the things you should focus on:

• The first thing to do is to ensure that your business is listed and that all the displayed information is accurate
• This can be done for Google Maps through Google My Business
• The Google My Business application provides a simple way for any local business owner to claim an existing listing or create a new one
• It’s vital that you optimize your listing by adding information such as hours of operation, photos, your URL as well as contact information 
• It’s important that you create deals & reviews on Yelp as this adds to the credibility of your business
• Engage with your customers via Google Maps and Yelp regardless of whether the reviews are positive or negative ones

Get the help of a professional Web Design and Online Marketing company like Alco Web Design to manage your ongoing SEO strategy on Google Maps and Yelp. You can contact us or visit our website at www.alcowebdesign.com.