.jpg)
It's 2025, and people are trying to rank better and faster online, now more than ever.
Here’s a stat that might surprise you: 86% of customers use Google Maps to find local businesses, and over half of those customers will choose one of the top 5 businesses they see.
This means online presence is no longer optional but essential for businesses that want to grow and thrive in the modern marketplace.
But here’s the kicker: simply being online isn’t enough. You need to rank higher. Research shows businesses ranked in the top 1-3 spots on Google Maps consistently get more customers, website visits, and, ultimately, more sales.
If you can move your business from your current position to #4, you could 10X your sales.
In this blog post, we’re sharing the 5 steps to ranking higher in 2025 — no fluff, no filler, just actionable strategies that work.
How do we know they work? Well at our company Merchynt, we’ve helped over 15,000 businesses climb the rankings on Google Maps, turning visibility into growth and profit.
So, I guess the proof is in the pudding, and we’re here to share the recipe. Let’s get started! 💡
1. Optimize Your Google Business Profile (GBP)
Your Google Business Profile is the cornerstone of your presence on Google Maps. It isn’t just a listing; it’s your digital storefront. It’s often the first interaction potential customers have with your business, making it crucial to leave a lasting and positive impression.
When your profile is complete and optimized, it doesn’t just look professional—it improves your visibility, builds credibility, and drives more traffic to your business.
- Claim and Verify Your Profile: Ensure your business is verified on Google.
- Accurate NAP (Name, Address, Phone): Keep these details consistent across your website, directories, and Google Maps.
- Category Selection: Choose the primary category that best matches your business and add secondary categories if applicable.
- Business Description: Write a compelling, keyword-rich description of your services/products.
- Photos and Videos: Add high-quality, geotagged images and videos to make your profile more engaging.
If you need help optimizing your GBP, check out our tool Paige. Paige can optimize a Google Business Profile in just two minutes, saving you countless hours trying to rank higher on Google Maps. This optimization covers your description, services, review replies and more!
2. Focus on Local Keywords
Search engines are all about relevance, and when it comes to getting noticed, using local keywords is your secret weapon. This is especially important for niche businesses like vape shops or specialty stores.
- Use tools like Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush to find trending search terms in your niche.
Pro tip: When you set up your GBP on Paige, Paige automatically provides you with keywords based on your business. These keywords are guaranteed to help you rank higher and they generate a map pack. Paige also sprinkles these keywords in your posts, and content.
3. Collect and Respond to Reviews
Customer reviews can make or break your online reputation, and they’re a major factor in how Google ranks businesses on Maps. Encouraging customers to leave positive reviews not only improves your credibility but also helps attract new clients. Moreover, responding to reviews—both positive and negative—shows engagement and builds trust.
- Ask satisfied customers to leave genuine reviews with keywords and specific feedback.
- Respond to all reviews (positive and negative) professionally and promptly to show engagement.
Pro Tip: Paige sends out an alert to you when you haven’t received a review in a while. It also provides actionable tips to help you get more reviews. Paige additionally offers a QR code, link, and suggested reviews that contain important keywords. This allows your customers to copy the suggested reviews, which helps you rank higher since they include your targeted keywords.
4. Post Regular Updates
Staying active on your Google Business Profile signals to Google that your business is active and engaged with customers. Regular posts about promotions, events, or news keep your audience informed and boost your rankings. These posts, combined with strategic keyword usage, can also help your profile show up for more searches.
- Use Google Posts to share updates, promotions, events, or news. Posts with images and clear calls-to-action perform better.
- Include relevant keywords to improve visibility.
Pro Tip: Paige can automatically write, schedule, and publish posts onto your GBP. She can even create custom graphics if you don’t have any and turn your 5-star reviews into posts. Paige can also post your Google Business posts to your Facebook and Instagram pages so you can build your online presence everywhere that matters.
5. Build Local Citations
Local citations are mentions of your business on other websites, and they’re essential for strengthening your online presence. Think of them as backlinks for local SEO. The more consistent and accurate your citations are across directories, the more trust Google places in your business, which improves your Maps ranking.
- Get your business listed in local directories (e.g., Yelp, TripAdvisor) with consistent NAP details.
- Look for industry-specific directories to boost credibility.
Pro Tip: Use Paige's 1-click citation management add-on to effortlessly manage your business citations across 40+ directories, syncing directly with Google without any data entry.
6. Leverage Geotagging
Geotagging is a simple yet effective way to give Google more location-based signals about your business. When uploading images, tagging them with specific location data makes it easier for search engines to understand where your business operates and enhances your Maps visibility.
- Geotag images before uploading them to your GBP profile to improve visibility in specific locations.
Pro Tip: When you upload images to Paige, she optimizes them for keywords, including file names and meta descriptions, adds geotags, and uploads them to your Google Business Profile's photos section at the optimal times.
7. Maintain Consistent Operating Hours
Nothing frustrates customers more than arriving at a business only to find it closed. Keeping your operating hours up-to-date, especially during holidays, avoids confusion and ensures customers trust the information on your profile.
Update holiday and seasonal hours to avoid confusion and penalties.
To sum it up, no fluff—just practical tips. Expect fluctuations in your Google Map Pack rankings, with significant improvements usually seen around months 3-4, as Google often takes 60-120 days to reward good practices. To boost your rankings:
- Get more recent reviews (focus on the past 3 months).
- Upload more images, especially raw job site photos.
- Be patient, as Google may be A/B testing your profile.
Remember, slight fluctuations are normal during this process.
If you're concerned:
- Regularly review the “Insights” section in your Google Business Profile to understand how customers find your business.
- Use this data to tweak your strategy.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks, and I’ll see you at the next one🎇
