After you’ve successfully established your local business in or around Toronto, the next biggest challenge you’ll probably face is getting noticed by potential customers. To stand out from the competition and get noticed by those around you, local SEO is essential.

The popularity of local search is growing quickly; in fact, a recent study found that an estimated 97% of people who search online look for local businesses. This means that Investing in this area will pay off now and in the future as local SEO becomes increasingly important.

Having said that, a well-developed Google Maps listing can really boost your local Toronto business in the relevant search results and help you succeed in this competitive local market. This will also allow you to reach potential customers and make them aware of your business, with no cost or effort on your part.

So, if you’re ready to learn how to get your business on Google Maps and fully optimize it for local SEO, then keep reading to get an answer to all your questions.

What is Google Maps & How Can it Help Your Local Business?

Google Maps is a free online mapping service that helps people find and get directions to places in their communities. It is used by more than half a billion people each month and is the world’s most-used navigation site.

It means that if a potential customer is searching for a local business like yours, then your business could appear in the local search results on Google Map and help them find information about your business and services.

In addition, fully optimizing your local business on Google Maps can help you increase your chances of showing up in the local pack, which displays top three local businesses related to the user’s query. It’s especially important because customers rarely look beyond the first few listings when they’re looking for a place to go.

On the other hand, if your business isn’t listed on Google Maps or isn’t showing up in local search results, your competitors are probably winning over customers.

How to Add Your Local Business In Toronto on Google Maps – Step by Step

Getting your business listed on Google Maps is a simple process that anyone can do, as long as you have all the required information and can verify ownership of your business.

However, before we move on to learn about adding your local SEO Toronto business to Google Maps, it’s worth noting that anyone in the world can add your business to Google Maps – even if you yourself haven’t added it yet.

Therefore, It’s always a good idea to check if your business already has a listing on Google Maps or not. 

Here’s how:

• Step 1: To start, open maps.google.com in your web browser and type in your local business name and city in the search bar.

• Step 2: If your business already exists on Google Maps, then you will see it pop up in the search results with a location next to it – you just need to claim it if you have not added it yourself.
  Now that you’ve learned how to check if your business is present on Google Maps, let’s move on and learn how to add it if it isn’t already there.
  • Step 2.1: If you have checked your business listing and it is not already there, Google will show you an option to “Add a missing place.” Simply click on it.
  • Step 2.2: Now, you will be asked to provide some information about your local business, such as the name, address, category, and phone number. Once you have filled in all the necessary fields, you can click on the “Submit” button – but don’t do it yet.

Although by submitting your business will be included as a place on Google Maps. However, your listing will not appear in local searches or in the Local Pack until you claim it.

To make sure that Google Maps recognizes you as the owner of a business, and to make your business listing more visible in local search results, you need to verify your listing.

Here is how:

• Step 3: The first thing you need to do is create a Google Business Profile account if you don’t have one already. To do so, go to google.com/business, create an account by filling out all of the required information, and then sign in.

• Step 4: Now go back to your Google Maps business listing again, and click on the “Claim this business?” link.

• Step 5: The next screen will lead you through the steps needed to claim your business listing on Google Maps and verify that you are a representative of the business.

  This also entails entering the verification code into your Google Business dashboard, which Google will provide you through postcard, email, or text, depending on your account’s circumstances and industry security standards.

How to Optimize Your Local Business on Google Maps in Toronto- 5 Tips

Once you have completed all the above steps, you should have a Google Maps business listing and a linked Google My Business account.

However, it’s just the beginning. To get maximum exposure and appear higher in local search results, you should also optimize your local business on Google Maps.

Here are five local SEO tips you can use to optimize your local business on Google Maps:

1. Complete Google Business Profile Page

The first thing you need to do is make sure your local business  on Google Business Profile is as complete as possible. This means filling in all of the available fields with accurate and up-to-date information about your local business.

Providing more information about your business to Google will help it appear more prominently in local search results and on Google Maps.

2. Gain Positive Local Reviews

The best way to build trust with potential customers is through local reviews. A positive review from an actual customer can increase your local search ranking and boost your sales.

It has also been found that 57% of customers are more likely to use a business with four or more stars. To get and keep those stars, ask customers for a Google review, show them how to post one, and remind them to do so if they forget.

3. Build Local Relevant Links

Link building is one of the most effective local SEO strategies you can employ to improve your local business’s ranking in search results and build trust and authority.

To build links from local websites, focus on outreach to local news outlets, chambers of commerce, and other relevant sites. These are the types of links that will help you to appear at top in both Google Maps and organic search results.

4. Work on Local-specific Content & Keywords

In order to improve local search visibility, it is important to create local-specific content that includes local keywords and phrases.

By including local keywords, phrases, and synonyms in your business’s website content, as well as optimizing the URLs, title tags and meta descriptions, you can make your business more visible in local search results.

5. Make Website Mobile-friendly

With the number of mobile users skyrocketing, it is important for local business owners to make sure their websites are mobile-friendly.

This is also useful because most people have the Google Maps app installed on their mobile devices and will likely use it to find local businesses.

So, if your local business does not have a mobile-friendly website, there’s a good chance that you’re losing out on potential customers.

EagleVision: Your Local SEO Consultant In Toronto for Long-Term SEO Services

A Google Maps listing is just the first step towards dominating the local search results. To get discovered by potential customers ready to buy, visit and hire, you need to invest in a long-term local SEO strategy.

That’s where we come in to help you get there.

We’re a  SEO agency near Toronto that specializes in long-term local SEO campaigns for small businesses. We can help you create and optimize your Google Business Profile listing, as well as other local directories to increase your visibility and get found by local customers.

We can help you create local-specific content in the toronto area, build local citations & links, add a Google Map on your website and optimize it for mobile, create Schema structured data markup, build location strategy and analyze your competitors’ local SEO efforts.

So, are you ready to take your local SEO to the next level? Let’s schedule a free consultation to show you how we can help.