Near Me SEO for Google Maps
What a nearby customer sees on Google Maps
Near Me SEO
Example
Customers a few miles away can't find you
The box of three businesses under the map is what people in marketing call the Maps 3-pack. Each name in it comes from a Google Business Profile, the listing that shows a business's hours and reviews. On a phone, it usually sits above the regular results.
Checking it yourself can fool you. So why does your business show up near the top when you search from the shop? Google knows you're standing next to it. A customer searching from across town gets a different map, and your name may not be on it.
That matters because a customer with water on the kitchen floor doesn't scroll for long. They call one of the first numbers they see. If it isn't yours, the job goes to the plumber down the road.
Getting into the 3-pack across your service area
Google says it ranks these listings on three things: how well a listing matches the search, how close it is to the person searching, and how well known the business is. Nobody can move your shop closer to every customer. The work goes into the other two.
It starts with a one-time optimization of your Google Business Profile. In plain terms, we fill in and correct every part of it, so Google knows exactly which jobs you do and which towns you serve. Google also reads the website your profile links to, and the optional website package works on your site's location pages for the same reason.
A ranking report should cover the whole area you serve, because your customers call from all over it. We check your rank from points spread across a 7-by-7-mile area, with your business at the center. If you're strong near the shop and missing on the far side of town, you'll see it.
Your plan covers seven keywords. A keyword is one search you want to win, such as 'water heater repair near me' or 'drain cleaning Aurora'. Pick the ones tied to the jobs you want more of, and leave off any you'd rather not get calls for.
How it works
- 1
Pick seven searches
On the planning call, we choose your seven keywords together and look over how your Business Profile is set up today.
- 2
Optimize the profile
We do the one-time optimization of your Business Profile, plus the optional website package if you add it.
- 3
Watch the grid
Changes to a listing take time to show on the map. Each grid report lets you hold it up against the one before.
- 4
Swap what's working
Once a keyword holds its place in the 3-pack, swap it for the next search you want. That shouldn't cost extra, so swaps are $0.
What Near Me SEO costs
Monthly plan
$750
per month
Seven keywords, one location
Business Profile optimization
$195
One time
Swapping a keyword once it ranks
$0
As often as you like
What's included
- Full Google Business Profile optimization: categories, services, photos and description
- Seven near-me keywords per location, chosen on the planning call
- Grid rank reports showing where you appear across the 7×7-mile area
- Keyword swaps at no charge once a keyword holds
What the report shows
Each report shows the grid for every keyword, so you can see which neighborhoods you own and which ones you don't yet.
How long it takes
Most keywords show movement in the Maps 3-pack within about 90 days.
Every line of the bill
A monthly plan per location with seven keywords, plus a one-time profile optimization.
| Monthly plan, 7 keywords | $750/ month |
|---|---|
| Google Business Profile optimizationRequired, one time | $195 |
| Profile plus website optimizationOptional, one time, includes the profile optimization | $495 |
| Swapping a keyword once it ranks | $0 |
- Typical movement in the Maps 3-pack within about 90 days.
Billing is month to month, with no long-term contract. Your proposal uses these same prices, added up for your business.
How the 7×7-mile grid works
Why it's set up this way
- 01
Distance is part of the ranking
Google ranks Maps results partly by how close the searcher is, so the same search from two blocks returns different businesses. We check your rank across a 7×7-mile grid around your location.
- 02
Seven keywords, swapped as they land
Each plan tracks seven searches. Once one holds the 3-pack, you can trade it for the next search you want without paying anything extra.
What owners say about their Maps listing
I wanted to tell you what a pleasure it was working with Randolph and his Umbrella Local team on the SEO needs of our company. As an upstart business, it was important to get our name out into the marketplace in a cost-effective manner and you successfully got us into the Google 3 pack. I can’t thank you enough Randolph and I highly recommend that anyone that wants to increase their business revenue work with you and your team.
Corey Brown, Brown & Brown Contracting LLC. Review of Umbrella Local on umbrellalocal.comI highly recommend the service of Umbrella Local. I have had excellent service and results in boosting my listing to the top in the rankings of web search of my category business.
Glenn Stewart, GES & Associates. Review of Umbrella Local on umbrellalocal.comFind out what Near Me SEO would cost you
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Maps 3-pack?
Do I need a storefront to show up on the map?
Does the customer have to type 'near me'?
Why does it take a few months?
Do reviews affect where I show up?
Do I need the website package too?
What if I have several locations?
How is this different from Pay-Per-Result SEO?
Often paired with this
- Pay-Per-Result SEONo monthly fee on a keyword until it reaches Google's first page. Then the rate follows the position it holds.Keyword reservation fee: $1,500See how it works
- AI SEOGets your business named when customers ask ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity or Google's AI Overviews who to call.Monthly plan: $950 per monthSee how it works
- High-Converting WebsitesFast sites built to turn a visit into a call or a form lead. We host them, maintain them and count every lead from day one.7-page website: $3,988See how it works