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A couple of years back Google threw a major curve ball at local businesses that advertise online by making it so that when people searched for "geo" terms in their search engine (like "Houston plumber") it would return Google Maps results instead of actual websites. This upset many businesses who had worked hard to get their websites ranked in Google. However, this also opened the doors for companies that were willing to take advantage of Google Maps SEO and the power it held. By hiring Google SEO services many companies managed to dominate the search results using Google Maps.

How Google Maps Works

Back in the day Google Maps essentially functioned as a business directory. Businesses would list with Google Maps and it would show in the search results. These days it works a bit differently. Google+ has a special section for business directories now but this works in conjunction with Google Maps when displayed in the search results. Clicking on the business name will take a person to the website but there is also a link displayed that takes them to the businesses Google+ business listing as well. The business listing can provide potential customers with a variety of information such as the address, contact info, and list of services/menu items.

Getting Ranked in Google Maps

Instead of worrying about getting ranked in Google, offline businesses now need to concern themselves with getting ranked in Google Maps, since it is what is being displayed most prominently in the search results for offline businesses. There are a variety of techniques and strategies to accomplish this and most aren't exactly straightforward. Due to this fact, many businesses have left their Google Maps strategy and implementation in the hands of Google SEO services that specialize in such things.

Making the Most of Google Maps

As previously mentioned Google Maps makes use of Google+ and also the businesses actual website. These two factors are very important and care should be taken to see that they are fully optimized. Just listing with Google Maps isn't going to cut it any more. While this does make things more complicated, it also gives offline businesses a much better platform to reach out to potential customers. It should also be noted that services that specialize in Google Maps SEO can help with these factors as well and ensure that the marketing campaign's SEO is complete across Google Maps, Google+, and the company's website.