I OUTRANKED 97.5% of Local Businesses on Google Maps in 10 Minutes!

Discover the easiest step-by-step method to rank your local business on Google Maps and outrank the majority of your competition! Learn the critical elements your website needs to communicate what you do and where you do it to Google. This video analyzes real-world examples of websites, highlighting what works and what doesn’t for local SEO in the Google 3-pack. You’ll also learn about the power of images, branding, reviews, and off-site optimization to boost your local visibility and grow your business.

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Episode Transcript

Chapters:

  • 0:00 – Intro: The easiest way to rank in Google Maps, broken down step by step for simplicity.
  • 0:19 – Personal Tribute: A brief personal message and tribute.
  • 1:20 – Goal of the Video: Learn how to rank in Google Maps yourself to get more leads and calls to grow your local business and take care of your family.
  • 2:08 – Focusing on Local Businesses: This strategy is for businesses that serve a local area, where customers drive to them or they drive to the customer (e.g., electricians, plumbers, dentists), not for nationwide or worldwide product sales or remote services.
  • 2:50 – The Importance of Your Website: Your website needs to clearly tell Google where you’re located and what you do.
  • 3:29 – Analyzing a Poorly Ranking Website (All Circuit Electric LLC): Examining a beautifully designed electrician website in Florida that isn’t ranking well.
    • 3:52 – Lack of Clarity: The website doesn’t clearly state what services they offer or where they offer them. Generic phrases and vague images don’t help Google understand their business.
    • 6:50 – Wrong Map Embedded: The website has a driving directions map instead of the embedded Google Business Profile (GMB) map.
    • 7:24 – Poor Navigation for Local SEO: A navigation focused on general pages like “Home,” “Services,” and “About Us” is not optimized for local ranking compared to keyword-focused navigation.
  • 8:11 – Analyzing a Well-Ranking Website (Marata, Georgia Electrician): Examining a website that ranks well due to its proper design for Google.
    • 8:41 – Clear Identification: The website clearly states “Certified Electrician,” “Electrician” (GMB category), and their location “Marata Georgia”.
    • 8:57 – Keyword Integration: The site strategically uses keywords like “electrical contractor Marota Georgia,” “electricians,” and mentions their county “Cobb County.”
    • 9:51 – Service and Area Pages: Dedicated pages for services and “Areas We Serve” (e.g., Smyrna) are crucial for ranking in specific locations within a 10-15 mile radius of the GMB location.
    • 10:44 – Prominent Contact Information: Tap-to-call buttons throughout the website make it easy for mobile users to contact the business.
    • 11:12 – Consistent Hours and Correct Map: Listing hours the same as the GMB profile and embedding the GMB map with reviews is essential.
    • 12:50 – Optimized Navigation Links: The first set of navigation links are keyword pages focusing on their services, followed by areas served and contact us. General pages like “About Us” and “Terms of Service” are placed in the footer.
  • 14:35 – The Power of Pictures and Branding: Consistent imagery helps Google recognize your brand.
    • 15:11 – Researching Competitor Images: Search for “[your town] [your GMB category]” in Google Images to see what types of pictures are commonly used by competitors. Use similar relevant images on your website.
    • 16:57 – Social Media and Image Distribution: Post your business photos consistently across Google Posts, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, and Tumblr.
    • 18:06 – Utilizing Fiverr for Image Popularity (A Trick): Use Fiverr to have your images posted on other websites like Tumblr, Bloggers, and Wix to show Google the images are popular and build brand recognition.
    • 19:00 – Brand Recognition through Images: Consistent image use is a key way to show Google your brand.
  • 19:23 – The Importance of Reviews and Grid Reports:
    • 19:30 – Running a Grid Report: Use a grid reporting tool (like Local Falcon) to see your current ranking across different areas. A new business will likely start with an “all red” report. The goal is to turn those red dots green.
    • 20:06 – Fixing Your Website and GMB Categories: These are the first steps to improve your ranking.
    • 20:10 – Correct GMB Categories: Ensure you have the correct primary GMB category (e.g., “electrician” for an electrician). Check your competitors’ categories.
    • 20:50 – Getting Localized Reviews: To rank in a specific area (where you see a red dot on the grid report), get reviews from customers in that location using relevant keywords like your business name, services (e.g., “affordable electrician”), and location details in the review (100-200 words). The reviewer ideally should be physically located in that area when leaving the review.
    • 22:06 – Three Things Needed to Rank Locally:
      • Mention the service area on your website.
      • Mention the service area in your Google Business Profile.
      • Get a review from someone in that area.
  • 22:46 – Off-Site Optimization Tips:
    • 22:52 – Press Releases: When doing a press release, mention your business but also sprinkle in local streets, monuments, points of interest, etc., in the areas where you want to rank.
    • 23:41 – Backlinks and Articles: When writing content off-site (e.g., guest posts), mention the areas you serve, focusing on areas where you are not currently ranking (use your grid report to identify these areas).
  • 25:11 – Avoiding Overthinking: While these strategies are important, avoid getting overwhelmed. Focus on implementing the core steps.
  • 25:22 – Showing Google You’re the Local Expert: The overall goal is to demonstrate to Google that you are the expert in your service area and that you do business there.
  • 25:57 – Google Business Profile Basics: While not covered in detail in this video, the speaker advises going through each section of your Google Business Profile and filling out all the information completely (Edit profile, Reviews, Messages, Photos, Products, etc.).
  • 27:03 – Final Encouragement: Take care of your family.

What is the most important takeaway for you on how to outrank local businesses on Google Maps after watching this video? What changes will you be making to your website or Google Business Profile first?