Ask The Experts 3/26: Finding Your Competitor’s Keywords and the New Google Maps
Got an SEO question? UpCity’s Ask the Expert encourages members to ask inbound marketing-related queries and receive in-depth, personalized answers from our experts. Each week, we will post some of the Q&A’s here on the UpCity Daily Tips Blog.
To access our database of questions or ask your own question, become an UpCity member today or send an email to info@upcity.com. Sign up for our free Daily Tips newsletter to learn other strategies for improving your online presence.
Question One: How do I make sure that I am going after the same keywords as my competitors, and how do I know that they are the right ones?
Our Response: There really is no specific way to get the EXACT keywords that your competitors are using. However, to get as close as possible, you have to do some keyword research. First ask, what search terms are your customers likely to type when searching for a business like yours? What keywords would get you to your competition most effectively? Write down some ideas for keywords and then use Google Keyword Planner to determine the rates of traffic each keyword receives. After a bit of research, you can narrow it down to a strong list of keywords that you can implement on your own website.
There are also several tools you can use to get close to your competitor’s keywords, such as SEMrush and Open Site Explorer. These tools allow you to analyze your competitors for keywords they may be targeting.
Here is a helpful article to get started learning how to do research from the experts.
Question Two: Could you provide more information about the new Google Maps?
Our Response: Google has been working on new features for its updated Google Maps product since last May. It aims to offer a better experience for both customers and businesses, including live traffic updates and related results for assorted places of business.
It is very clear how this can benefit your business. If your business listings are correct and up-to-date, you can show up for searches in the new Related Results section. Review information is also much simpler to view, encouraging businesses to get the best reviews they can for their local listings.
Make sure you don’t have any duplicate listings or are in the process of removing them, as they can negatively impact your visibility in Google Maps. Here is our guide to removing your duplicate listings from the platform.
To access our database of questions or ask your own question, become an UpCity member today! Sign up for our free UpCity Daily Tips newsletter to learn other strategies for improving your online presence.
About the author
Jordan is the Manager of SEO & Social Media at UpCity. With almost a decade of experience designing websites and writing copy, Jordan has helped countless brands find their voice, tell their story, and connect with real people.
