Ranking high on Google Maps offers free exposure for your business that can help you reach new customers, generate more revenue, and stand apart from the competition.
Reviewed September 2026 for Google Maps / local pack ranking tips. For tooling, see best local SEO software and service-area tactics in local SEO tips for SABs.
Tips to Rank Higher on Google Maps
If you’re wondering how to rank on Google Maps, check out the 7 tips below.
1. Set Up Your Google My Business Account
Having an optimized Google Business Profile is vital to ranking on Google Maps.
Once you add your business to Google Maps by claiming or creating a free Google Business Profile, be sure to:
- Choose the correct business categories. These should be as accurate and as few as possible.
- Provide correct, updated information (business name, address, and phone number). This should be consistent across all your online platforms and directories.
- Publish Google Posts and add high-quality photos of your business, products, and staff. You can also include photos of customers in action if they agree to it.
2. Claim Your Business’s Listing on Google Maps
Ensure your Google Maps listing is claimed and verified to add more details about your business. With more information available about your business in its listing, the more likely that your local business will rank higher in Google Maps.
Once again, remember to be consistent with the added information and to keep the information up-to-date, such as business hours, offerings, and contact information.
3. Encourage Customers to Write Google Reviews
Google listens to what customers have to say, so getting Google reviews can significantly boost your ranking on Google Maps.
Make sure most of these reviews are generally positive to help with your brand's visibility and try to reply to as many reviews as you can, no matter positive or negative. This shows Google that your business is active and engaged with customers.
Also, try to get your customers to mention relevant service and location keywords in their reviews. This can potentially signal to Google that your business is trusted locally.
4. Resolve Any Duplicate Listings
Your business may have duplicate listings existing online, so be sure to weed those out whether you’re the one who created them or someone else did.
This is crucial because businesses with multiple inconsistent locations or numbers listed for a single actual business (not multiple branches) often get discredited by Google.
5. Publish Posts on Google Business Profile
On your Google Business Profile, you can post just like you would on Facebook.
Publishing such posts may trigger Google’s algorithms to recognize that you’re actively managing your Google Maps listing, which can factor into the local ranking process.
6. Include a Google Map on Your Website
Having a Google map of your business location embedded on your website (typically on the contact page or location-specific pages) is a great way to help your business rank higher on Google Maps.
This action sends a signal to Google that the location of your business is the same as you say on your Google My Business listing, so consistency is an important factor.
7. Improve Your Webpage Usability
If your website is frustrating to browse, it won’t rank high; it's as simple as that. The easier users can navigate your website, the more likely you’ll rank on Google Maps.
So, make sure users can:
- Properly view your content on different devices (smartphones, laptops, tablets, PCs).
- Properly view your content on different browsers.
- Quickly load the page, even with slow internet.
A weekly Google Business Profile checklist
Beyond the one-time setup steps above, Maps rankings reward listings that stay accurate and active. Use a short weekly checklist so the profile does not drift:
- Primary category + services: confirm the primary category still matches how customers search; add or trim secondary categories and Services attributes when offers change.
- NAP consistency: name, address, phone, and hours on the profile must match the website footer/contact page and major directories. Fix mismatches before chasing new citations.
- Photos and Q&A: upload a few fresh photos (exterior, interior, team, work) and answer open Questions so the listing looks managed.
- Review replies: respond to new Google reviews within a few days; short, specific replies beat generic thank-you templates.
Track local pack movement with local SEO software, and if you run multiple branches use local SEO for multiple locations. Broader ranking context: local ranking factors for small businesses.
Ranking in Local Search Results
If you’re curious about how to rank on Google Maps and improve your local SEO, sticking to the tips provided above can surely help. Keep the weekly profile checklist habit – categories, NAP, photos, and review replies compound faster than one-off claim-and-forget setup.
This practice is very important for location-dependent businesses as it helps them reach new customers and generate repeat business.
Related Content: