Even if you have top ranking keywords, you could still be missing out. Combs told WebProNews that Google has been pushing maps even more so over the past few months and is also assuming that searchers have a local intent for certain keywords.

To optimize for Google Maps, businesses first need to create or claim their business listing with Google. It may already exist since Google pulls information from multiple databases. If this is the case, you can simply claim your business. To create a listing from scratch, you need to sign up for a Google account if you haven’t already, then create a Google Local account and add your information to the listing.

Secondly, optimize a website if you have one. The good news is that you do not have to have a site to be listed, but if you do, it needs to be optimized not only for keywords, but also for locations. For this, Combs suggests putting your business’s address and phone number on every page and even incorporating a Google map on the ‘Contact Us’ page. In addition, you could use hCard microformat, which is a tagging system that Google uses for data.

Thirdly, integrate citation building. Combs says citation building is the equivalent of link building in traditional SEO. If you have a webpage that is trusted by Google, the company may view it as a citation.

As you can see, optimization for Google Maps is not difficult and the results could determine whether or not your business is being noticed.

As a result, Google is helping both searchers and local businesses by displaying a Google map and 10 local listings on its first results page even if the searcher hasn’t specified a geographic location.

Before this change, searchers on Google needed to include a geographic indicator such as a city or state, into their query. (e.g., “flowers in San Francisco, CA.”) Now however, searchers on Google can search for “flowers” and the 10 local listings and Google Map will display directly on the first page of results.

As he explains these changes in video above, Matt McGee of SmallBusinessSEM.com, emphasizes the impact they have on small businesses. The modifications Google implemented allow businesses to have additional exposure. These changes also reinforce the power of search engine optimization. Matt says, “SEO and traditional SEO… still is and for the foreseeable future, will continue to be really important for businesses.”

Smith began by naming four factors that can influence search rankings in Google Maps. The first is how close a company’s address is to a city center. He admits that this is hard to control, of course, and luckily for far-flung firms, Google has been deemphasizing it lately.

The second factor is how many ratings a business has received and how positive the ratings are. Then, there are regular SEO factors like how well a business’s website ranks, and finally, more specific matters of keyword relevance.

But what’s one business to do if it serves several different cities? Smith suggested creating targeted content on the main website and listing the cities. There’s also the less conventional approach of obtaining a mailing address in each city, but Smith warned that Google may regard this as spam.

As for whether businesses should give up on advertising in traditional printed yellow page books to focus on Google Maps, Smith doesn’t recommend making hasty decisions. Look at the question on an “is it working for you?” basis, since the answer will depend on the industry, and any move should be results-based.