Why Dominating Google Maps & the Local Pack is Crucial for Local Businesses
If your business relies on local customers, appearing in Google’s Local Pack and on Google Maps is crucial for bringing in new faces. After all, ranking high in local search results can mean the difference between getting the call and getting overlooked.
Key Takeaways
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Ranking on Google Maps and in the Local Pack helps local businesses attract high-intent, ready-to-buy customers searching for services nearby.
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Google ranks businesses based on relevance (profile accuracy), distance (proximity to searcher), and prominence (online reputation and engagement).
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Optimising your Google Business Profile is key – complete every section, add photos, include local keywords, post regularly, and enable messaging.
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Build local citations and get consistent 5-star reviews on Google to improve trust and visibility.
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Boost rankings further with advanced tactics like geo-tagging images, creating local landing pages, using LocalBusiness schema, and earning local backlinks.
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Combine local SEO with broader strategies like organic SEO, paid ads, social media, and email marketing to drive long-term growth.
At Online Marketing Gurus, we know how competitive local search has become. The good news? With the right approach to Google Maps SEO and local pack optimisation, you can boost your visibility and start attracting more local leads.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know to create and rank your business higher on Google Maps and in the Local Pack, covering the latest optimisation tactics, local SEO strategies and practical tips to get found faster.
Why Ranking in Google Maps and the Local Pack Matters
When someone searches for “café near me,” “plumber in Sydney” or “dentist open now,” the first thing they’ll see is Google’s Local Pack, a box at the top of search results showing a map and the top three local businesses. Just below that is the full Google Maps listing.
These placements drive huge visibility for local intent searches. According to Google:
- 76% of people who search for something nearby on their phone visit a business within a day
- 28% of those searches result in a purchase
If you’re not showing up here, you’re missing out on high-intent, ready-to-buy customers. This is where Google Maps SEO and Local SEO ranking strategies become a must, ensuring you show up when it matters most.
How Google Ranks Local Businesses — Three Factors Businesses Must Be Aware Of
To win the local game, it helps to understand how Google decides which businesses appear in the Local Pack and Maps results. While Google doesn’t share all the details, here are the three primary ranking factors:
- Relevance: How well your business profile match what someone is searching for. This includes your categories, services and keywords used in your profile.
- Distance: How close your business is to the person conducting the search. While you can’t control your location, optimising for nearby search intent can help you stay competitive.
- Prominence: This refers to your online reputation, which is made up of reviews, local citations, backlinks, website authority and how well-known your business is overall (both offline and online).
Google uses all of this data, along with behavioural signals (clicks, direction requests and call buttons), to determine which businesses deserve to rank highest in local search results.
6 Steps For Optimising your Google Business Profile
Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is at the centre of your local visibility and SEO strategy. It feeds the information that appears in Google Maps and the Local Pack, so getting it right is essential.
Here’s how to optimise your GBP for Local Pack optimisation:
1. Claim and verify your listing
If you haven’t claimed your listing, do it via Google Business Profile Manager. Verification is required before you can make updates.
2. Fill out every section
Leave no field blank. Add:
- Accurate business name
- Business categories (choose the most relevant primary category)
- Address and service areas
- Phone number and website
- Business hours
- Business description (include keywords naturally)
- Services and products
- Photos and videos
3. Add high-quality photos
Businesses with photos get 42% more requests for directions and 35% more click-throughs to their websites. If you’re stumped on what kind of images to include, we recommend posting images of your storefront, staff, workspace and products.
4. Use keywords in your description and posts
Don’t keyword-stuff, but include location-specific terms like “Sydney florist” or “emergency plumber in Melbourne” in your description and updates.
5. Regularly post updates
Treat your GBP like social media. Post updates, offers, events and news. It helps with relevance and engagement, both of which influence local SEO ranking.
6. Enable messaging
Let users message you directly from your listing to increase conversion opportunities.
Building Local Citations and Reviews — Where To Start
Google relies heavily on trust signals to evaluate prominence, which is why local citations and reviews play such a critical role in Google Maps SEO.
1. What are local citations?
Citations are mentions of your business name, address and phone number (NAP) on third-party sites, even if there’s no backlink. Some common examples include:
- Online directories (Yelp, Yellow Pages, True Local)
- Industry-specific directories (Oneflare, HotDoc, Houzz)
- Local chambers of commerce or community sites
2. How to build and optimise citations
- Ensure NAP consistency across all listings
- Submit to reputable, local directories
- Avoid duplicates and incorrect listings
- Use a tool like BrightLocal or Yext to manage citations at scale
3. The power of glowing reviews
Positive 5 star reviews on sites like Google, will boost click-through rates as well as trust, and can directly impact your local rankings. To get more Google reviews, you can implement the following:
- Ask happy customers in person after service
- Send follow-up emails or SMS with a review link
- Add a “Review Us on Google” button on your website
- Respond to all reviews — both good and bad — to show active engagement
Pro tip: Reviews with keywords and locations in them (e.g. “great dentist in Sydney CBD”) can help reinforce your relevance for local search queries, so don’t be afraid to show off what your business does best.
Advanced Local SEO Tips and Tactics
Once you’ve nailed the basics, here’s how to take your Local Pack optimisation and Google Maps SEO to the next level:
- Geo-tag your images: Before optimising and uploading images to your website or Google MY Business / GMB Profile, embed geographic metadata (latitude and longitude) into the file. This reinforces your location relevance. You can use tools like GeoImgr or GeoTag for this process.
- Create dedicated location and local landing pages pages: If you serve multiple areas, don’t rely on a single “Contact” page. Create custom individual landing pages for each location you service, optimised with localised headings and content, location-specific keywords, an embedded Google Map, customer testimonials from that area and location schema markup. This not only helps with local SEO ranking but also increases your chances of appearing in Maps and organic results for multiple suburbs or cities.
- Use structured data (LocalBusiness Schema): Schema markup helps search engines like Google better understand your business. Add Local Business schema to your website to provide details like NAP, opening hours, services offered and reviews. You can use Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper or a plugin like Schema Pro to implement it.
- Build local backlinks: Backlinks are a huge signal for local SEO, which means your business should consider partnering with nearby businesses for co-promotions, sponsoring local events or charities (with a link back to your site) or guest posting on local blogs or news outlets. These links send geo-relevance and authority signals that help your business stand out.
- Encourage engagement on mobile: Most local searches tend to happen on mobile. Make sure your site is responsive, and your CTA buttons (call, get directions, book now) are front and centre. This improves behavioural signals like clicks and dwell time, which Google uses to rank businesses in the Local Pack.
Other Digital Marketing Options Local Businesses Should Consider
While Google Maps SEO and Local Pack optimisation are essential for driving foot traffic and phone calls, they’re just one piece of a successful digital marketing strategy. To amplify your visibility and grow faster, consider combining local SEO with other digital tactics:
- Organic Search Engine Optimisation (SEO): Beyond local near me SEO and searches, organic SEO helps you rank for broader terms, ideal for businesses offering services beyond a single suburb or city. It includes optimising your website content, improving load times and site speed and building strong backlinks to increase your domain authority.
- Social Media Marketing and Advertising: Platforms and Social advertising sites like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok allow local businesses to connect with their community, run geo-targeted campaign promotions and showcase products or services through engaging content.
- Email Marketing: Building an email marketing campaign and a strong list, then regularly engaging your audience with offers, updates and helpful content keeps your brand top of mind to drive repeat business.
- Google Ads and Local Service Ads: Paid search can help you appear at the very top of search results instantly, especially while your local SEO ranking efforts gain traction.
Combining these strategies with your local SEO efforts creates a full-funnel approach to attracting and converting local customers.
Ready to rank higher in Google Maps? Speak to an SEO expert at Online Marketing Gurus today.
Google Maps SEO and Local Pack optimisation aren’t your standard business listing. They require strategic effort, technical precision and ongoing optimisation. From improving your Google Business Profile to earning reviews, building citations and implementing advanced local SEO tactics, each step helps your business stand out in a crowded local market.
At Online Marketing Gurus, the very best Australian online digital marketing firm, we’ve helped thousands of businesses, from brick-and-mortar stores to service-based brands, dominate local search and grow their customer base through powerful, tailored local SEO strategies.
Our expert SEO agency service gurus take the guesswork out of search optimisation, doing all the heavy lifting while keeping you informed at every step of the way. We’re also here to answer your questions and explain the ins and outs of digital marketing, so you can be confident with our recommendations.
Get in touch with Online Marketing Gurus for a free strategy session and let our team of experts supercharge your local visibility.
About the Author
Danny Andrawes
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