Google Maps Rankings Explained: What Really Moves You Up | Local SEO for Clinics

Discover how Google Maps rankings work, including AI-driven changes, and what your clinic can do to improve visibility and get found more often. If you’ve ever searched for your clinic on Google and wondered why other businesses are showing up ahead of you in the map results, you’re not alone.

A lot of clinic owners assume rankings are random or that the business with the most reviews automatically wins. But that’s not how Google Maps works.

Google is actually using a very specific set of factors to decide who shows up first.

Once you understand those factors, you can start making strategic changes that improve your visibility.

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Transcript

Why Clinics Lose Map Spots

Speaker 0:00

If you have ever searched for your clinic on Google and thought, why is it that other businesses are showing up ahead of me in the map section, you're not alone. A lot of clinics assume rankings are random, or that whoever has the most reviews win. But Google Maps rankings are actually based on a very specific set of factors that we're gonna go over today. And once you understand how Google is making these decisions, then you can start to influence them. Hi, I'm Darcy Sullivan with Marketing and Design, and you're listening to the Clinic Marketing podcast. Today we are talking all about Google Map. Maps your Google Maps listing is controlled by your Google Business profile listing, which used to be called your Google My Business listing. Now, we talk a lot about Google Maps on this podcast, and I've got a lot of bite-sized topics pertaining to Google Maps coming up in the future. But today we are really going to dive into what. Factors come into play for how Google decides who is going to rank in the top spots for Google Maps. Google has publicly shared that Maps rankings are based on three main things. One, relevance, which is how well your clinic or business matches what someone is searching for. This includes your category, the services you have listed, the keywords on your website and content across. Your website and also the keywords and descriptions that you're using in your Google business profile listing. If someone searches chiropractor for back pain, Google is looking for businesses that clearly talk about that. If your profile and your website are vague, you're likely to not rank the top of that search. The second factor is distance. How close your clinic is to the searcher. This is absolutely out of your control. You cannot control where someone is searching from, but you can help Google understand exactly where you

Relevance Distance Prominence Explained

Speaker 2:35

are located and what areas you serve. This includes a properly set address. Service areas if that applies, and location specific pages on your website. The third is prominence, and this is where things get more interesting. Prominence is essentially your reputation and authority online. This includes things like reviews, but not just reviews. It's the quality and the quantity and the key words that are used in those reviews. Links to your website, mentions of your business across the web and your overall brand presence. This is often the biggest differentiator between clinics that show up and those that don't. Now, there's also what Google doesn't tell you, but what really does matter, and this is where most clinics miss the mark. Even though Google list, those three core factors that we just went over, there are deeper layers underneath them. Your website plays a huge role in your Google Maps listing, and I feel like I have to restate that 'cause some people just miss that. But your website really does play a huge role in how you show up in Google Map. Apps, your Google business profile does not operate in isolation. Google is consistently cross-referencing your website to validate what services you offer, what conditions you treat, where you're located. And if your website content is thin, outdated, unclear, it weakens your ability. To rank in that maps section,

Website Signals Behind Map Rankings

Speaker 4:36

consistency really does build trust. Google wants confidence in your business information. This means your nap, your name, your address, and your phone number should match everywhere online. Your services should be described consistently on your website, in your messaging, and in your Google business profile. Your messaging should align throughout all platforms. Inconsistencies create doubt and doubt lowers your rankings. Google is paying attention also to how people interact with your listing. These are engagement signals and they matter. These include clicks from your Google business profile listing to your website calls. Direction, request and time spent engaging with your Google Business profile. If people consistently choose your listing and interact with it, that sends a very strong signal to Google that your business is relevant and valuable. Now one of the biggest shifts happening right now is the world of ai and AI is changing maps rankings. We talked about this in a previous episode when we went into detail about how the q and a is no longer. Available on the Google Business profile. Instead, they're shifting to an AI search, which then AI is pulling information from your Google Business profile listing and from your website. And

Engagement Signals Google Watches

Speaker 6:22

so with that said, it means that Google is getting better at understanding context, intent, and specific questions instead of just matching for keywords. Google is trying to. Recommend the best option that they feel matches what the searcher is looking for. So what does this mean for your clinic? Well, it means that you need to be specific about what you do, answer real questions patients are asking, and you can do that on your website. Use clear natural language across your website and your profile

AI Is Reshaping Local Search

Speaker 7:02

and your content is no longer just for SEO. It's also training Google's ai. On when to recommend you. Now, there's ways to do this without just dropping in an FAQ page on your website, which is valuable, don't get me wrong. But you can also, when you have. A website that's structured properly on your specific services pages and on your specific conditions pages, you are asking the questions and answering them in a very natural way. That doesn't have to be labeled as FAQ. For example, if you're a chiropractor on your chiropractic adjustment page, you probably have a section titled. What con conditions we treat with chiropractic care, what conditions can be treated with chiropractic care? What brings people in to see us for chiropractic care? So there's ways of doing this without just dropping everything into an FAQ section. It's just that it needs to be done in a way that's structured properly so that people can easily. Graze through your website and find what they're looking for and that AI and Google can find it as well, because this goes beyond your Google Map searches. It also goes for those using other AI solutions to search for a business like yours. And we wanna guarantee that your business is the one showing up. So what can you do to improve your rankings? Well, here are some practical steps you can take. One, before we even get into these, please, please, please make sure that your Google business profile. Listing is active and that it's been validated and you are good to go, that you can go in and make edits. That said, make sure that you select the right primary category along with any secondary categories. And then jump into your services section and make sure that you're actually living sting out services. And don't make them generic. Make sure that they actually include the treatments that you offer long with descriptions going into detail about those services. Next is to guide your reviews, and we talked about this before on another episode. Instead of saying, please leave us a review, you can ask them something like, what brought you in today and how was your experience? That's more likely to guide somebody into leaving your review. That's heavier when it comes to

Steps To Rank Higher On Maps

Speaker 9:51

keywords because they're describing. Their problem and the solution or the results that they got from coming in to see you. This helps Google connect your business to those specific searches. And next up, strengthen your website. Make sure that your site clearly supports your Google Business profile listing by including. Services, pages and conditions pages, along with location signals and embedding your Google Map, making sure your address is very captain obvious on your website. And then you wanna make sure that you keep your Google business profile active, updating it regularly with regular updates, photos, and accurate information to help reinforce the relevance and engagement. Now. Here are some common reasons why some clinics get stuck, some clinics. Get stuck if, uh, their rankings are not improving. It's usually because their content's too broad. They just turn to AI to come up with content. It's not really suited to their specific offering. Their website doesn't support their Google business profile. They're not building enough authority or they're just not giving Google enough data to work with. Google cannot rank what it doesn't understand your Google. Maps rankings are not about luck. They're about clarity, consistency, and credibility. When you align your website, your Google Business Profile listing and your overall online presence. You make it easier for Google to choose your business, and that's the ultimate goal. We have tons of resources on our website@propelyourcompany.com. You can book a Google business profile audit if you're interested in getting further assistance with your Google Business profile listing in our D-I-Y-S-E-O program, ready, set, rank.

Why Clinics Get Stuck

Speaker 11:52

We have a section that goes through in detail, an in depth. Uh, follow along training on how to optimize your Google Business profile listing. You can also book a discovery call if you're interested in learning more about our website and local SEO services. Thanks so much for tuning into today's episode.