Google Local SEO
Rank Your Long Island business #1 in the Google Map Pack. Invest in Free Local SEO.
We specialize in Google My Business SEO for companies in New York and around the U.S.
Small businesses often get the most calls and inquiries right from their Google My Business Listing, also known as your Google Map. Google My Business is FREE from Google and it’s vital to your SEO success to rank in the map pack. But how do you do it? In fact, ranking your GMB is a special skill and requires tactics and strategies related to but different than optimizing your website itself.
A local SEO company like Upside understands the SEO signals that drive rankings in the Google Map Pack and works monthly to improve your rankings.
We are the only maps SEO company on Long Island, NY who provides upfront a clear 20+ point strategy document to you and also writes out a Location/Service Area strategy/plan for your business so that you can rank in nearby Cities/Towns, Counties, and of course States!
Call (516) 610-0922 to discuss your needs or fill out our form. You can also book a consultation online here at this link: https://upsidebusiness.com/book-a-consultation-online/
GMB SEO is Trackable and Measurable!
You can see it working because rankings reports and metrics like what queries users used to trigger your listing, the # of calls made from your GMB listing, # of website visitors, # of driving requests and your search/map impressions are provided to you directly by Google. Here is an example of results got for one client: Over 24K views organically with no paid ads ever! Over 117 calls and almost 300 actions!
Why Hire Upside for Local Maps SEO:
- Dedicated Local GMB SEO expert assigned to your account
- We set everything up in your name, so you own your listing
- No long term contracts
- No outsourcing (all work done in house locally on Long Island)
- GMB SEO strategy & Location/Service Area strategy provided to every Client
- We track your local SEO maps rankings & results
What is Upside’s GMB SEO program?
In fact, Upside’s program includes approximately 20+ specific tactics. Among the most well know are ensuring that your Citations (mentions of your business name, address, and phone) have the same NAP (Name, Address, Phone), that you are building Citations, and that your GMB listing is set up properly. This requires doing Citation audits followed by cleaning up and updating your Citations, as well as adding new Citations and reaching out to local business directories to get your business listed. This gets your name out there but shows Google you are in fact a credible entity and you should be higher ranked.
The work does not stop on your GMB listing. It extends to your website: sending local SEO signals from your website by embedding your Google map into your site, linking to your GMB, having clear and well-structured Location or Service area pages with unique content, and integrating known Entities into your GMBs are some other tactics taken by Local SEOs. Using Local SEO schema as needed is considered too. What is not included? Black hat tactics or keyword stuffing your Google Business Name is not recommended and it’s important to not try to game the system much because that can lead to a Suspension.
Upside’s Local GMB Optimization Package Includes [pricing ranges from $625-$1K/month]:
- 20+ point GMB Tactics strategy document for your business
- Location Page strategy document to help your webpages rank better for local search
- Citation Audit
- Citation Cleanup / NAP [name, address, phone #] cleanup
- Citation Building
- Submit to Local geo-based Directories near you
- Proper GMB listing set up, Categories, Descriptions/Business Details, Products/Services etc.
- Business Name, Hours, Phone, Website, Address, Payment Methods
- Adding up to 10 Optimized Images per month (Cover, profile, other) *client provided
- Add 1-2 :30 second Videos *client provided
- Create 1 Google Post Per Week (tip, promo, event, etc.)
- Reporting on Citations & GMB Performance
- Custom Review Link to send to your customers to ask for Reviews
- Add positive review to your website
- Adding Aggregate rating schema to website
- On-Page SEO for your Location Page (destination URL) and Meta Data
- Add Address & Local Signals to Website
- Assistance procuring backlinks to your website to help your GMB rankings
- Backlink from Website Location page to GMB listing
- Add Local Signals to website e.g. GMB data, Directions, Map Embeds, Geo-Tagged Photos
FAQs about Google Maps SEO:
What does GMB stand for?
GMB = Google My Business. It’s a free tool from Google. Here is a link to the site: https://business.google.com
Do I need to Verify my listing?
Your listing can be live even if it is not Verified but you will have limited features available. We highly advise making sure you Verify the listing. While some people are able to bypass postcard verifications, the vast majority of Verifications are still done via a Google Postcard sent to your address of record.
If I don’t have a storefront, can I still have a GMB?
Yes, you can set your business up as a Service area business. Don’t input your address as a bricks and mortar location to avoid suspensions.
Can I hide my home address if I work out of my home as a Service area business?
Mostly, yes. You do not have to show your home address on your GMB listing publicly.
How to rank a Google My Business listing in Google?
While proximity to the User is a significant signal, so is your actual website’s SEO, trust and authority signals like Links to your website, and of course, the content and SEO optimization of your Google My Business (GMB) listing itself. Making sure your listing is verified, adding optimized photos, customer photos, gaining new reviews, and engagement on your actual GMB listing are all important MAPS SEO actions to take to improve rankings, to name a few. When you work with us, we flesh out a strategy for your specific business.
What does GMB Optimization Cost per Month?
Monthly costs to manage your GMB listing and actively work on your rankings range anywhere from $625 to $1000 per location, depending on your needs and the level of competition. Understand what your SEO company is actually going to be doing every month and avoid “rank and rent” schemes where your SEO company sets up your map listing but it is not set up in your own name. You can find GMB pricing for less than $625 but it’s doubtful that it will include the necessary work on your website or doing any real monthly execution on your account.
Should I set up my GMB by myself? Why should I pay?
If you are savvy you can certainly try to set up your listing but you may not know how to get the listing to rank. Having a map listing that ranks is your goal and it’s an investment not an expense to make that happen. So, you can set up the basic listing and then hire a pro to optimize your GMB.
What GMB metrics can I see that are of value to me?
Some common GMB metrics to measure success include:
Calls = # of calls made from your actual listing / clicks on your call button
Website visitors = the # of click thrus to your website from you GMB listing
Direction Requests = # of requests for directions
Messages = text messages (if you have set this feature up)
Queries Used to Find Your Business = the actual search queries people have types into Google to trigger your map listing to show up
Photo Views = how many times your GMB map photos were viewed online
Other: how customers found your business, where customers view your business on Google (Search vs Maps) i.e. how many customers found you via Google Search or Google Maps.
Contact us today to discuss your needs! Call (516) 610-0922 or click here to book a consultation online.
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