Learn how to get found and rank higher on Google Maps.
Google Maps SEO helps people find your business when they search for a nearby product or service. Start with a business profile that accurately explains what you do and where customers can find you.
This guide explains the basics and gives you a practical order to follow. Each section links to a detailed guide when you need help completing a task.
Google Maps SEO means improving your business’s presence in Google’s local search results. SEO stands for search engine optimization: making information easier for a search engine to understand and show for a relevant search.
For example, someone might search for “bike repair near me.” Your goal is to help Google understand that you repair bikes and help the customer decide whether to contact or visit you.
Your Google Business Profile is the listing with your business details, such as your name, hours, photos, and reviews. Local listings can appear inside Google Maps and in a map section of Google Search called the map pack.
Local SEO is the broader work of helping nearby customers find you online. It also includes your website and business information on other sites.
A customer checking local results can compare nearby options before making a call or travelling. Clear business details help them answer simple questions: do you offer what they need, are you open, and how can they reach you?
In BrightLocal’s 2026 study of 1,227 US consumers who had recently searched online for a local business, 52% started their most recent local business search on Google Search, and 9% started on Google Maps.
That finding helps explain why Google deserves attention. It describes that survey group, rather than the share of visits your own business will receive.
Appearing in search is only part of the job. The customer still needs accurate information and a useful reason to choose you.
Google identifies three main factors: relevance, distance, and prominence.
| Factor | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Relevance | How well a business matches the search | A bike repair shop matches a search for bike repairs |
| Distance | How far the business is from the searcher’s location | A customer may see different options across town |
| Prominence | How well known the business is | Reviews and links to the business can contribute |
You can make your information more useful and accurate. You cannot choose where a customer is standing when they search.
For example, two customers searching for the same service from different neighbourhoods may see different businesses. Neither result gives you one permanent ranking for the whole town.
Search for your business name and town before creating a profile. If the correct listing already exists, claim or request access to it.
For example, a shop may already have a Maps listing even if its current owner has never managed it. Creating another listing can leave customers unsure which one to use.
Use a Google account the business controls. Keep ownership with the business and give individual team members access through their own accounts.
Follow our guide to adding your business to Google for the setup steps.
Verification is Google’s process for checking that you are authorised to represent the business. Follow the method offered in your profile rather than assuming you can choose any method.
A place can already appear on Maps before you claim it. Verification and creating a new listing are different tasks.
Our business verification guide explains the available methods and how to prepare.
Check your category, hours, contact details, and the services or products you actually offer. Use the business name customers recognise.
For example, a shop specialising in bicycle repairs should choose an accurate category from Google’s list and describe its repair services clearly. Adding unrelated categories does not help customers understand the business.
If customers visit your premises, give them the correct address and arrival details. If you only travel to customers, use the appropriate service-area setup. The setup guide explains the difference.
Add current photos that show the entrance and what people can expect inside. Use updates to communicate useful information, such as an event or changed hours. Avoid treating a photo count or posting schedule as a guaranteed ranking formula.
If you need help describing your business, our Business Profile description generator can help you draft a starting point. Check that the final wording matches what you offer.
Reviews let customers share their experience. Create a simple way for real customers to leave feedback about the correct branch.
For example, you could include that branch’s review link in a normal follow-up message. Ask for an honest review without requesting a particular star rating.
Google prohibits incentives in exchange for reviews. Do not offer a discount, gift, or payment for posting, changing, or removing one.
Read how to leave and request Google reviews. If a review appears to break a policy, use the separate review reporting guide.
A customer who opens your website needs to find the same business they saw on Google. Show the correct location, hours, contact details, and services.
For several branches, create useful pages with the details for each location. Link a branch’s profile to the relevant page so customers do not have to start their search again.
Check important directory listings for old addresses or phone numbers. A citation is a mention of your business details on another website. A backlink is a link from another website to yours. Focus on accurate listings and genuine relationships rather than buying large numbers of mentions.
A store locator helps website visitors compare branches and find a nearby location. It supports that customer journey; it does not guarantee a Maps ranking.
Keep a record of the searches that matter to your business and the locations you use to check them. Repeat the checks using the same approach.
Review your profile’s performance data alongside customer enquiries and store visits. A directions request shows interest, but it does not confirm an arrival.
For example, more website clicks may be encouraging. Check whether people can find your branch details and whether enquiries or visits also change.
Our guide to ranking on Google Maps gives you a checklist for investigating low visibility. The map pack guide explains the results customers see in Search.
Find your existing profile and check who manages it. Then check the details a customer needs today: your category, hours, phone number, and location information.
Choose one missing or inaccurate detail to fix. Record the change and keep a simple routine for checking your profile. To understand what happens after someone finds you, read our foot traffic guide.
Help customers plan their visit
Show customers your locations, opening hours, and directions in one searchable store locator. Build it from your location list in a Google Sheet.
Create a MapIf you have more questions, feel free to contact us
Help customers find your locations easily