As we enter 2025, local search results continue to dominate the way customers find businesses. Whether you own a brick-and-mortar store or offer services in a specific geographic area, having a strong presence in local search results is essential. One of the most powerful tools for improving your local SEO is Google My Business (GMB) – a free, easy-to-use platform that helps businesses manage their online presence across Google, including Google Search and Google Maps.
In this blog, we’ll discuss how to optimize your Google My Business (GMB) listing to improve visibility and rankings in local search results and Google Maps. By following these strategies, you can increase your chances of appearing in the coveted “local pack” and attract more potential customers in 2025.
1. Complete Your Google My Business Profile
One of the first steps in optimizing your GMB listing is ensuring that it is completely filled out. Incomplete profiles are not only a missed opportunity, but they also fail to convey important information to both customers and search engines.
Key elements to complete:
Business Name: Ensure your business name is consistent across all platforms. Use the exact name you would like customers to search for.
Address: Enter your physical location correctly (if applicable). Make sure it matches the one you use on your website and other online directories.
Phone Number: Use a local phone number that is traceable to your business.
Website URL: Include a link to your official website, as this drives traffic and strengthens your online presence.
Business Hours: Keep your hours accurate, especially during holidays or special events.
Categories: Choose the right primary and secondary categories for your business. Make sure they accurately describe the products or services you offer.
In 2025, Google is looking for businesses that make it easy for users to find all the information they need at a glance. A complete and accurate GMB profile is a must for improving your local rankings.
2. Add High-Quality Photos and Videos
Photos and videos play a significant role in local SEO in 2025. Listings with images are 42% more likely to receive requests for directions and 35% more likely to receive click-throughs to their website. Therefore, uploading high-quality, relevant photos is one of the most effective strategies for optimizing your GMB listing.
Tips for adding photos:
Cover photo: Choose an image that represents your business. It could be your storefront, a service in action, or a product.
Profile picture: This should be your logo or another recognizable image that represents your brand.
Interior and exterior photos: If you have a physical location, show both the inside and outside of your business. This builds trust and offers transparency to potential customers.
Team photos: Include pictures of your team or staff to humanize your business and create a connection with potential customers.
Videos can further enhance your listing by providing a dynamic way to showcase your services, products, or happy customers. It could be a walkthrough of your store, a tutorial of your services, or a behind-the-scenes video. Keep videos short, engaging, and informative.
3. Optimize for Keywords with Local Intent
One of the key factors in improving your local search visibility is the strategic use of keywords with local intent. These keywords are designed to target people searching for services or products near them.
Steps to optimize for local intent keywords:
Use local keywords in your business description: Include relevant local keywords, such as the name of your city or neighborhood, in your business description. Keep it natural and avoid keyword stuffing.
Add services and products: If relevant, list the products or services you offer within the GMB platform, using local keywords where possible.
Posts: Google My Business allows you to post updates directly to your profile. Use this feature to include local keywords and promote special offers, events, or new products or services in your area.
Remember, search engines are becoming increasingly sophisticated, so focus on user intent when selecting keywords. For instance, instead of simply targeting “plumber,” you might target “best plumber in [city].”
4. Encourage Customer Reviews
Customer reviews are one of the strongest ranking factors for local SEO in 2025. Positive reviews not only improve your credibility but also increase your visibility in local search results. A business with consistent, high-quality reviews is much more likely to rank well in the local pack and Google Maps.
Best practices for gathering reviews:
Ask for reviews: After a completed transaction, reach out to satisfied customers and kindly ask for feedback on Google.
Respond to reviews: Responding to both positive and negative reviews shows that you care about customer feedback and helps build trust.
Avoid fake reviews: Google can penalize businesses for engaging in review manipulation, so always seek genuine feedback.
When customers leave reviews, they also contribute keywords related to your business, helping you rank for terms associated with your services. Encourage reviews that include specifics about the products or services that make you stand out.
5. Use Google My Business Posts to Engage Customers
Google My Business posts are an excellent way to keep your audience engaged and encourage them to interact with your business. These posts appear in your GMB listing and can include promotions, events, or new product updates.
Types of posts you can create:
What’s New: Announce company updates, changes in business hours, or new services.
Event: Promote events that you’re hosting or attending, like sales or webinars.
Offer: Share special discounts or promotions to entice customers.
Product: Showcase your best-selling products or services.
Regularly updating your GMB posts signals to Google that your business is active, which can positively impact your rankings. Additionally, these posts provide another opportunity to include keywords related to your location or industry.
6. Optimize for Mobile Devices
With mobile search now dominating local searches, having a mobile-optimized GMB listing is crucial. Google increasingly prioritizes mobile-first experiences, and businesses that provide a seamless mobile experience will be rewarded with higher rankings in local search.
Mobile optimization tips:
Ensure your website is mobile-friendly: Since many users will click through from your GMB listing, make sure your website is mobile-responsive.
Check your GMB listing on mobile: Regularly review your GMB listing on a mobile device to ensure that everything looks good and is easy to navigate.
Use Click-to-Call buttons: Ensure that your GMB listing includes a click-to-call button, as it provides an easy way for mobile users to contact your business directly.
7. Leverage Local Link Building
Building local backlinks from authoritative sites in your area is an effective way to improve your Google Maps rankings. Google considers backlinks as a vote of confidence for your website, and local links add even more weight to your local authority.
How to build local links:
Partner with local businesses: Sponsor events or collaborate with nearby businesses to get mentions and backlinks.
Get listed in local directories: Submit your website to trusted local directories to help improve your online presence.
Engage with local influencers: If applicable, work with local influencers to create content that links back to your website or GMB listing.
8. Track and Measure Your GMB Performance
Optimizing your Google My Business listing is an ongoing process, and measuring its performance is crucial for understanding what’s working and where you can improve. Google My Business provides useful insights about how customers are finding your listing and interacting with it.
What to track:
Search queries: See the types of searches that are driving traffic to your listing.
Customer actions: Track how customers interact with your GMB listing, such as clicks to your website, calls, or requests for directions.
Performance metrics: Monitor the views of your photos and posts and use this data to refine your content strategy.
By regularly tracking your GMB insights, you can make data-driven decisions to enhance your local SEO efforts and continuously improve your online presence.
Conclusion
In 2025, optimizing your Google My Business listing remains one of the most effective ways to improve local SEO and visibility in search results. By completing your profile, adding high-quality photos and videos, using local keywords, collecting reviews, and staying active with posts, you can increase your chances of ranking higher in Google Maps and the local search pack. Local SEO is a continual process, and businesses that put in the effort to maintain and optimize their GMB profiles will reap the benefits of increased visibility and more customers.