7 Website Fixes That Help Your Google Business Profile Rank in the Map Pack
By Clay Lawrence, Review Harvest · · 13 min video
The short version
Every change you make to your website should help your Google Business Profile rank higher in the local pack. The seven with the highest impact for the least effort are: a title tag and meta description that match your profile, one keyword-rich H1 per page, persuasive copy, a page for each service area, internal links to the page your profile points to, a Google Map embed in the footer, and the same name, address and phone number everywhere.
Do this, in order
- 1
Match your title tag and meta description to your Google Business Profile
Keep the title tag between 50 and 70 characters so Google does not cut it off, and make it agree with your profile's main category. Use the meta description for your services, their benefits and a call to action or offer. In Wix: Pages, Manage Pages, the three dots next to your homepage, then SEO Basics.
- 2
Use one H1 per page, with your main service and service area in it
Install the free Detailed SEO Chrome extension and click Headings to see your structure. Keep a single H1, then nest H3s under H2s down the page, and work your other services into those headings. Set the heading level first and change the font and styling second.
- 3
Write copy that persuades, then add your own stories
Let AI draft the bulk of each page, then add customer stories and a personal touch so it does not read as robotic. A prompt that works: write an SEO optimized paragraph for my homepage where I would like to rank for plumbers in your city, written as a local expert, in a fun but professional brand voice.
- 4
Build a page for each service area
Keep the homepage on your umbrella service and main service area. Give each service page its own title tag and meta description, one H1 with the service and the area, and content written for that area. Duplicate your homepage's structure, then replace the words with area-specific content.
- 5
Link your other pages back to your Google Business Profile landing page
Your landing page is the page the Website button on your profile opens. Wherever another page mentions content, reviews or a call to action that belongs there, link to it. Most internal links should point to it, but not all of them.
- 6
Embed your Google Business Profile map in the footer
Search your business on Google Maps, click Share, click Embed a map, and copy the HTML. In your website builder, scroll to the footer, add a code block and paste it in.
- 7
Make your name, address and phone number match everywhere
The business name, phone number and address on your Google Business Profile should exactly match the footer of your website, your Yelp listing, your social media accounts and anywhere else your business is listed.
Why does your website affect your map pack ranking?
Your website tells Google what to rank your Google Business Profile for. There are 8 billion searches on Google every day and 4 billion of them have local intent, so everything you do on your website should be aimed at ranking your profile as high as possible in the local pack.
The idea behind all seven fixes is consistency. When your title tag says plumbing service in Tallahassee, your profile’s main category is plumber, and the services in your meta description are the same ones listed on your profile, Google sees the same story in every place it looks.
How do you change your title tag and meta description?
Open the SEO settings for your homepage in your website builder. On Wix:
- Click Edit Site.
- Click Pages, then Manage Pages.
- Click the three dots next to your homepage and choose SEO Basics.
- Edit the title tag and the meta description, then publish.
Keep the title tag between 50 and 70 characters. Write the meta description as short, compelling copy that names some of your services, the benefits, and a call to action that gives people a reason to click.
Every builder is a little different. Search “how to edit meta description in” followed by the name of your website builder to get the exact clicks.
How should the headings on a page be structured?
Use one H1, then H2s, with H3s nested under the H2 they belong to. Headers work like the chapters of a book: they help Google’s crawlers understand what to rank the page for.
The free Detailed SEO Chrome extension shows the structure of any page. Open your site, click the extension, and click Headings.
Write for the customer first and Google second, but you can serve both. One dog waste removal company uses “Never pick up poop again” as the large headline customers read. The H1, in smaller letters above it, is “dog poop removal service in Northwest Indiana”. The customer gets a clear call to action and Google gets the service and the area.
To do the same in your builder, add a small text block above your headline, type your main service and service area, set it to H1, then restyle the font. Do this on every page: about, services, reviews. A reviews page can have “top rated dog waste removal company” plus the service area as its H1 and still show “Our reviews” as the headline.
Use your H2s and H3s for the other services and categories you have added to your Google Business Profile. Keep the wording natural, not jargon.
What should go on a service area page?
Each service area page needs its own title tag and meta description, one H1 with your main service and that area, and content written for that area. A good page for Georgetown, Texas has Georgetown in the headers, a section on the services offered in Georgetown, a short note on what the company loves about the area, and Google reviews from Georgetown customers.
The more service area pages you make, the better. Keep the structure of your homepage and change the words so each page is specific to its area, not a copy.
Do not crowd the homepage with every service and every town. Build it around your umbrella service, such as plumbing, and your main service area.
How do internal links and a map embed help?
They point Google back to the page your profile links to. Google looks for other pages on the web linking to your Google Business Profile landing page, and the easiest links to get are from your own site.
Go through your other pages. Wherever a button or a mention should lead to content on your landing page, such as a fuller portfolio section, change the link to go there. Keep some variety, with most links pointing to the landing page.
Then add your map. On Google Maps, search your business, click Share, click Embed a map, and copy the HTML. Paste it into a code block in the footer of your site.
Why does your name, address and phone number have to match?
A consistent name, address and phone number may be the most important fix of the seven. If your business name on Google is “The Best Plumbing Services Tallahassee”, the name on your website should match it exactly. The same goes for the phone number and address in your website footer, your Yelp listing, your social media accounts, and anywhere else your business is listed.
Common questions
How long should a title tag be?
Aim for 50 to 70 characters. If it runs longer, Google will most likely cut it off in the search results. For a local business, make it agree with the main category on your Google Business Profile, for example a plumbing service in your city.
How many H1 tags should a page have?
One. Think of the H1 as the title of a book and the H2s and H3s as chapters nested beneath it. The H1 should hold your main service and your main service area, and every page on the site should follow the same clean structure.
What is a Google Business Profile landing page?
It is the page on your website that your Google Business Profile links to. When someone clicks Website on your profile, that is where they land. Google looks for other pages linking to it, so internal links from the rest of your site give it authority.
How do I embed a Google Map on my website?
Search for your business on Google Maps, click the Share button, choose Embed a map and copy the HTML code. Then add a code or HTML block to the footer of your site in your website builder and paste the code in. The exact clicks vary by builder.
What does NAP mean in local SEO?
NAP stands for name, address and phone number. All three should match exactly between your Google Business Profile, your website, your Yelp listing, your social media accounts and anywhere else your business appears.
Can I use AI to write my website content?
Yes, for the first draft. AI can write keyword-optimized paragraphs for your service and service area that get you 80 to 90 percent of the way there. Add your own stories and customer examples afterward so the page persuades people instead of reading like filler.
