How to Rank Higher on Google Maps
- KaeRae Marketing
- Apr 8
- 3 min read
Want to show up in the Google Maps 3-pack instead of your competitors? Here are the exact things that actually move the needle.
I'm Kelsey with KaeRae Marketing. Ranking on Google Maps isn't magic — it's a combination of specific factors that Google uses to decide who shows up first.
I'm going to break down what those factors are and what you can actually control.
Google has said publicly that Maps rankings come down to three things:
Relevance — how well your profile matches what someone is searching for.
Distance — how close you are to the person searching.
Prominence — how well-known and trusted your business is.
You can't control distance. But you can control relevance and prominence. Let me show you how.
The first thing — and this sounds basic but most people don't do it — complete your profile 100%.
Every field Google gives you should be filled out:
Business name (your real name, no keyword stuffing)
Address or service area
Phone number
Hours (including special hours for holidays)
Website
Services (list every service you offer with descriptions)
Business description (use your main keywords naturally)
Photos (lots of them — your team, your trucks, your work)
Google ranks complete profiles higher than incomplete ones. It's that simple.
Reviews are one of the biggest ranking factors for Google Maps.
More reviews = higher rankings. Higher ratings help too, but quantity matters a lot.
Ask every customer for a review. I have a whole video on how to do this without being pushy.
And respond to every review — positive and negative. Google sees that you're active and engaged. Use keywords naturally in your responses when it makes sense.
'Thanks for choosing us for your emergency plumbing repair, John!' is better than 'Thanks, John!'
Your primary category is one of the most important ranking factors.
Pick the category that best describes your main service. If you're a plumber, your primary category should be 'Plumber' — not 'Contractor' or 'Home Improvement.'
Then add secondary categories for your other services. Things like 'Drain Cleaning Service,' 'Water Heater Installation,' 'Septic System Service.'
Google uses these categories to decide which searches you show up for.
Businesses with photos get more clicks and more engagement — and Google notices.
Add photos of:
Your team
Your vehicles
Your office or shop
Before and after shots of your work
Happy customers (with permission)
And keep adding them. Don't just upload 10 photos when you set up your profile and never touch it again. Add new photos every month. This signals to Google that your business is active.
Google Business Profile has a feature called Posts. It's basically a mini social media feed on your profile.
Use it. Post updates about:
Special offers
New services
Tips for homeowners
Company news
Posts expire after 7 days, so keep them fresh. This shows Google (and customers) that you're active.
Citations are mentions of your business name, address, and phone number on other websites.
Make sure you're listed on:
Yelp
Angi (formerly Angie's List)
HomeAdvisor
BBB
Your local Chamber of Commerce
Industry directories
And make sure your NAP (name, address, phone) is EXACTLY the same everywhere. Inconsistencies confuse Google.
Your website authority affects your Maps ranking too.
If other reputable websites link to your site — local news sites, industry associations, partner businesses — that helps your prominence.
This takes time, but look for opportunities to get featured locally or to partner with complementary businesses.
To rank higher on Google Maps:
Complete your profile 100%. Get more reviews and respond to all of them. Choose the right categories. Add photos regularly. Post updates weekly. Build citations on other directories. Get links to your website.
Do all of this consistently and you'll climb the rankings.
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