It’s not uncommon to see users search for terms like “best food near me,” “best restaurants near me,” “best schools near me,” “best plumbers near me,” etc. when looking for a local service or product. Here, we provide tricks and strategies for ranking for “near me” searches on Google.
Why “Near Me” Searches Matter
According to Think with Google, “near me” searches like “local SEO near me,” “Chinese restaurant near me,” etc., have grown by 150 percent over the years. Another report indicates that searches for “open now near me” have grown by over 400 percent year over year.
With such statistics, you may want to optimize your business for “near me” searches to rank higher locally. However, some SEOs and marketers argue that Google uses location data to show the closest results to a searcher, so adding the term “near me” when optimizing for local searches isn’t necessary. Despite that, many businesses have seen an increase in local traffic by adding “near me” in their URLs, titles, meta descriptions, etc.
How to Optimize for “Near Me” Searches
A simple way to optimize for local rankings is to add “near me” in your titles and URLs. Think of something like “local SEO near me,” instead of “local SEO,” “China food near me,” instead of “China food,” or “dental clinic near me,” instead of “dental clinic, etc. You can see a boost in local ranking results using this simple strategy.
For example, I am in Los Angeles right now. These are the results of my search for “schools near me.”
As you can see, The Oaks School, which is my top organic result, has “near me” in the title.
Similarly, these are the results when I search for “restaurants near me”.
As shown in this screenshot, top ranking restaurants like Bob Evans and Dominos have “near me” in their titles. This means that although Google is smart enough to know where a user is searching from, adding “near me” when optimizing your business can help increase your local rankings.
However, it’s important to understand that a business can only rank for “near me” searches if it is physically located in the searcher’s location because distance is one of Google’s local ranking factors.
Will I Get the Same Results if I Optimize for “Near You?”
Even if you use “near you” in your content, you’ll still appear in “near me” searches because to Google, “near me” and “near you” mean the same thing:
- Closest
- Nearby
- Open now
I searched for “surgeons near you,” and I received results that were a mix of “near you” and “near me.”
Ideally, consumers do “near me” searches when they want something right here, right now. So, when Google provides results to “near me” queries, it considers businesses closest to the searcher. Searchers can also use terms like “dental clinic open now” if they urgently need the service.
Doesn’t this Mean I am Optimizing for Google, not Users?
Most SEOs and business owners are concerned that “near me” optimizations are spammy, arguing that they involve optimizing for Google instead of users. However, there’s no evidence that this tactic leads to a bad user experience. When done better, it can lead to better rankings, which translates to high-quality traffic and better conversions.
“Near Me” Optimization Only Impacts Organic Rankings
It is important to remember that “near me” optimizations only impact organic rankings, not local pack rankings or Google Maps. I searched for a plumber “near me,” and these are the local and organic results.
Local results
Organic results
The organic search results show that Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup, which includes ‘near me’ in its title, ranks among the top three organic results. However, the business doesn’t appear among the top results in the local pack.
What Impacts Google Maps Rankings?
Now that we know that “near me” optimization won’t impact Google Maps rankings, let’s look at the factors that do.
Local SEO
Optimize your business for local SEO and organize data in a consistent format that allows Google to analyze your business and show it in relevant local searches. For example, a school might target “best preschools near me,” “private schools near me,” or other common local queries.
Categories
Use a category that accurately describes your business’s primary activity and then add a secondary category. For example, if your primary category is “restaurant,” you can add a secondary category like “Italian restaurant,” “Chinese restaurant,” “Mexican restaurant,” etc., to help Google further understand your business.
NAP Details
Your NAP (name, address, and phone number) details should be the same in all your online local citations. For example, don’t use one name on your Facebook page while using another on a business directory. Even a simple difference in your address, like “25 Broadway, Suite 1000, New York, NY 10004” vs. “25 Broadway, Floor 10, New York, NY 10004” can negatively impact your Google Map Rankings.
Local Citations
Including your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) in local directories can help validate your business and improve your local visibility. Consider listing your business on high-quality websites like Google My Business, Yelp, Yellow Pages, and other industry-specific local directories.
Engagement
Post regular updates about your business, product, or location to encourage people to click on your listing and call your business. You can also post updates or promotions on your Google My Business profile and high-quality photos to make your listing more visually appealing.
For example, Eats Sunset regularly shares updates about its sushi rolls, bakery treats, and onigiri. It also promotes limited-time offers like “Lunch Specials” or “Freshly Baked Desserts” to keep its audience engaged. The more people engage with their listing, the more Google will see their business as relevant and likely show it in relevant “near me” searches.
Reviews
Positive reviews on Yelp, Google, Trustpilot, and similar websites can help boost your local rankings. Getting positive reviews can be as simple as asking customers for reviews, following up with buyers, asking the right questions, connecting with your customers on social media, rewarding those who review, etc.
Also, be sure to respond to both positive and negative reviews to show customers that you genuinely care about their concerns. For example, Tequila Joe’s Tacos and Margaritas has many positive reviews on Yelp, making it one of the top Taco spots in Los Angeles.
How to Grow Your Local Business with Google Maps Marketing
Create Your Business Profile on Google Maps
Go to Google Maps and add your business information, including the category, location, and open hours. Once you submit your details, Google will review your application and send an email notification once approved.
Claim Your Business Profile on Google
Your Google Business Profile impacts your local rankings. As such, consider claiming and optimizing your Google Business Profile to improve your Google Maps rankings.
You can create your Google Business listing by first signing in to Google Maps and adding your business details. Also, you can go to google.com/business and log in with your account. After that, enter your business name and address, select whether you’re a service provider or storefront, and choose your business category.
To optimize your Google Business Profile, carefully fill out every section, ensuring no additional keywords or phrases are in your business name. More specifically, this is what you should avoid in your business name:
- Fully capitalized words (except for acronyms)
- Store codes
- Business hours’ information
- Special characters like @, $, %, etc.
- Location and address information
- Phone numbers or website URLs
- Trademark/registered signs
Use high-quality Visuals
Adding high-quality images can help boost clicks and calls. Consider uploading team photos, interior and exterior pictures, and short videos showcasing your location and products/services.
Add Posts
In addition to photos and short videos, you can use Google posts to make important updates on events and sales to engage users.
Optimize Your Business Website
Although we stated that “near me” optimization doesn’t impact local pack rankings, there is a connection between organic traffic and success in Google Map marketing. By optimizing your website, you can enhance your organic visibility, which, in turn, can improve your position in the local pack.
Optimize for Local Keywords
Users looking for a local product or service use local keywords. Perform keyword research to determine keywords that make your Google Map relevant to specific location searches. It can involve adding the name of your business location to your landing pages. For example, optimizing for “heart surgeon in New York” instead of just “heart surgeon” can help your business likely to appear in local searches.
If your business serves several locations, find relevant local keywords for each location to use in your landing pages.
Add Google Maps to Your Website
You can boost your local rankings by embedding a Google Map on your website. Ideally, adding Google Maps to your website lets you connect your business location with the most popular nearby places. Think of popular schools, airports, hotels, local attractions, roads, etc. The best part is that you can use Google Maps API for free if your monthly usage doesn’t exceed $200.
Optimize Your Website for Mobile
Approximately 4.69 billion people own a smartphone, with other statistics showing that 28 percent of local searches conducted on mobile result in a purchase. A responsive website design will render your web pages well on any device or screen size. Whether a user uses a tablet, smartphone, or computer, making your website responsive will ensure a good user experience and satisfaction, hence reducing bounce rate.
Add Structured Data to Your Website
Adding a schema makeup to your website will help Google understand your website. Consider adding schemas to your business address, opening hours, social media profiles, etc., to make Google trust you and rank your business higher in Google Maps SEO results.
Build High-Quality Backlinks
Getting local backlinks is a sure way to improve your rankings and drive “near me” traffic. Earning relevant local backlinks follows the same strategies for local SEO as with other types of SEO, but in this case, your goal is to place your links in local listings and blogs.
Techniques to acquire high-quality local backlinks include:
- Publishing high-quality content relevant to your audience
- Guest posting on relevant local blogs
- Partnering with local influencers
- Partnering with other local businesses
- Sponsoring local events
- Getting links on relevant local listings, etc.
Consider Google Maps Ads
You can run ads on Google Maps to boot traffic for your local business. Like PPC ads, Google Maps ads will appear above the organic search results on Google. You need to create a Google ads account on your Google Business Profile to run ads on Google Maps. Users who click on your Google Maps Ads will be directed to your Google Business Profile listing. Types of Google Maps Ads include:
Local search ads
Search results ads will return to the nearest businesses when users look for businesses like yours nearby. For example, if someone searches for a relevant keyword like “plumber near me,” your ad can appear with important details like your business name, address, and a CTA. The ad will make your business more visible to users searching for your services or products.
Promoted Pins
This is another type of Google Maps ad businesses can use to increase brand awareness and drive more local traffic to their business. The ads place a special pin on the map that attracts users’ attention, allowing them to locate your business easily.
In-Store Promotions
Businesses can use these ads to tell users about special offers and promotions to encourage more physical store visits.
Track Your Google Maps SEO Results
Finally, track your Google Maps positions as you would your SEO results. Tools like Map RANK Tracker from SEMrush can help you track your local SEO performance. The best part is that you can specify the location you want to track, including custom tracking for specific addresses.
Other Strategies to Rank Higher on Google Maps
Local Justifications
These refer to little snippets on Google search results explaining why a business appears in local finders, local packs, and Google Maps. They justify why your business is showing up for that search or why it matches the searcher’s intent.
Multi-Category Optimization
This technique is ideal if your business deals with multiple products or services. For example, a local SEO agency that offers SEO services and web design might list “local SEO” as primary and “web design” and “user experience” as secondary.
Consumer-Generated content
User-generated content (UGC) refers to original content users create about their experience with a product or service. It can be in images, short videos, reviews, testimonials, etc. UGC can be a great form of word-of-mouth marketing and an effective way to build brand awareness and authenticity.
Fresh Content
Update your photos regularly and respond to negative and positive reviews to keep your profile active. When Google sees that you are engaging your users, it will trust your business and show it more in relevant searches.