Ranking on Google Maps Fast - Google Maps Explained (2025) 🚀 #LocalSEO #googlebusinessprofile

Getting your business found on Google Maps isn’t just about showing up where your Google Business Profile is registered; you want to be found 5, 10, maybe even 20 miles around that point. This video from the Mindsaw channel provides easy-to-follow instructions for brand new people (and offers reminders for others) on how to master Google Maps and expand your ranking radius. Learn how to assess your current position, choose the right domain name, optimize your Google Business Profile categories, leverage the power of reviews, and fine-tune your website to rank faster and more widely.

Video Chapters:

  • 0:00 – 0:38 Introduction: Mastering Google Maps for Newbies
  • 0:38 – 2:29 Step 1: Using an SEO Grid Program to Assess Ranking
  • 2:29 – 3:07 Example: Grid Improvement from Red to Green
  • 3:07 – 4:25 Domain Name Strategy: City + GMB Category & Paperwork
  • 4:25 – 5:22 Checking Domain History with archive.org Wayback Machine
  • 5:22 – 6:04 Selecting the Correct GMB Categories
  • 6:04 – 7:17 The Power of Reviews and Why You Need More
  • 7:17 – 11:43 Optimizing Reviews (Keywords, Location, Name) & Getting More
  • 11:43 – 12:41 Getting Additional Categories (GMB Everywhere, GMB Crush)
  • 12:41 – 14:38 Setting GMB Categories in Your Profile
  • 14:38 – 15:11 Website Optimization: Title, Phone Number, Navigation
  • 15:11 – 18:04 Website Optimization: Homepage H-Tags, Imagery, FAQs, Location Signals, Footer Details (Hours, Map)
  • 18:04 – 19:56 Website Optimization: Service Pages, Areas We Serve Pages
  • 19:56 – 20:08 Avoiding Spammy Domain History (Recap)
  • 20:08 – 20:32 GMB Categories (Recap)
  • 20:32 – 20:51 GMB Everywhere & Edit Profile (Recap)
  • 20:51 – 21:23 Website H-Tags (Recap)
  • 21:23 – 21:56 Reviews (Recap & Checking Competitors)
  • 21:56 – 22:12 Concluding Remarks: Value Provided & Offer for Help
  • 22:12 – 22:17 Outro

Explore more on my website: https://mindsaw.com/

Check out my channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Mindsaw

Episode Transcript

Key Strategies for Google Maps Ranking:

  1. Assess Your Starting Point with an SEO Grid Program

    • Before you do anything, you need an SEO grid program. This program uses dots on a map to show where you are ranking for specific keywords.
    • A green dot means you’re in the Google 3-pack (Google Maps).
    • A yellow or orange dot means you’re just outside the 3-pack.
    • A red dot means you can’t be found at all in the maps results.
    • To start a ranking program, you need to know your starting point.
    • You put your website and keywords into the program, and it monitors your ranking for each keyword.
    • Examples of SEO grid programs include Local Viking, Local Falcon, and Local Dominator.co.
  2. Choose the Right Domain Name Strategy

    • If you’re starting a brand new or second business, consider using a domain name that includes the city name and your number one Google Business Profile (GMB) category. For example, “Tampa Bay Water Damage Restoration Service”.
    • Using the city name and GMB category in your domain name is going to rank a lot faster.
    • Be prepared for potential suspension, like with any other name. To prove it’s a real business to Google, get all your paperwork done, like registering an LLC (e.g., via Legal Zoom), getting business cards, shirts, phone bills, and electric bills in that name. Google may require video verification.
  3. Check Your Domain History with the Wayback Machine

    • Before buying a domain name, make sure nobody else has used it in a spammy way.
    • Go to archive.org and use the Wayback Machine. Enter the domain name to see if it has been archived before and what websites were on it.
    • If the domain has a history of spam (like Viagra or gambling), you won’t be able to rank that website because Google sees it as spam.
    • Ensure the domain is either clean (never used) or clean if it’s been used before.
  4. Select the Correct Google Business Profile (GMB) Categories

    • When setting up your GMB profile, you need to set up categories. This is probably the biggest ranking signal.
    • To know what category to use, type in your main keyword (e.g., mold remediation) in Google. The categories are located next to the reviews for the top-ranking businesses.
    • Identify the GMB category that the top competitors are using most frequently (e.g., Water Damage Restoration Service for mold remediation). This is your primary category.
    • Tools like GMB Everywhere (a Chrome plugin) and GMB Crush can help you see your competition’s GMB categories.
    • Edit your GMB profile categories.
    • Do not add too many categories; keep it around three or four (maybe a little more for lawyers). Adding too many can water down your focus.
    • You need to make sure you select the correct GMB category to rank for your keywords.
  5. Leverage the Power of Reviews

    • Reviews are extremely important, especially in the Google 3-pack. The business with the most reviews in the 3-pack is likely taking the majority of the calls.
    • You need to get your reviews up.
    • Anytime you interact with a customer, send them the review link.
    • Optimize your reviews by encouraging customers to mention:
      • Your business name.
      • The service provided (keyword).
      • The area they are located in or a nearby landmark (e.g., next to the 122 precinct). This helps Google know exactly where you are.
      • The technician or person they worked with (e.g., “Colt”).
      • Positive descriptive words like “affordable,” “professional,” or “reliable”.
    • Not all reviews need to be optimized.
    • Look at the reviews of successful competitors (even in other states) to see what people are writing, but don’t copy them word-for-word. Focus on the important things they mention.
    • If you don’t have 100 reviews, you are way behind.
  6. Optimize Your Website to Support GMB Ranking

    • Website Title: Your website title (seen in the browser tab) should be “City name + GMB category + Your brand name”. You can change this in WordPress.
    • Navigation:
      • If your logo links back to the homepage, you don’t need a separate “Home” button in the navigation.
      • Change generic “Services” links to your specific GMB categories or service types.
      • Add “Areas We Serve” with drop-down links to specific location pages.
    • Homepage Content: Your homepage should be about your primary GMB category and brand name.
    • H-Tags (Headlines): Use H-tags (big letters) to tell Google what you do (GMB category) and where you do it (registered GMB location/city). Avoid generic phrases like “experienced” or “deliver on time” in your main H-tags. Google looks for “what you do and where you do it”.
    • Imagery: Use relevant pictures related to your category (e.g., mold, vans, not dogs). Look at Google Image results for your keyword to see relevant images.
    • FAQs: FAQs are a great way to include keywords related to your city and GMB category.
    • Service Pages: You need a dedicated page on your website for every GMB category you want to rank for. These are your “keyword pages”. Every page should focus on one subject.
    • Areas We Serve Pages: Create pages for specific areas that are 5, 10, or 15 miles away from your GMB center point. Start with 5 miles. Do not create too many (e.g., 40 pages for a 10-page site) as it can confuse Google as to what you do. Create maybe five to eight in the beginning.
    • Location Signals (Footer): Put information about the area where your GMB is located on the bottom of your page.
    • Footer Details:
      • Display your business hours in the footer exactly as they are in your GMB profile. List every day.
      • Embed your Google Business Profile map, not a generic maps.google.com map.

Remember: The goal is to win and be able to take care of your family, be good to them, make some extra money, and be happy. The presenter is laying everything out, showing how to rank, hoping it helps you achieve this.