Improve Website SEO Optimization to Improve Google Maps Ranking

Patrick McFadden • December 22, 2023

In the vast landscape of online visibility, small business owners and CEOs often find themselves at a crossroads, wondering, "How can I improve my local ranking on Google?" The answer lies not only within the confines of your Google Business Profile (GBP) but extends to the realm of website SEO optimization.


In this article, we'll unravel the strategies that go beyond the GBP dashboard, focusing on how you can elevate your business's visibility in the coveted local map pack.

Understanding the Dynamics: Google Business Profile (GBP) vs. Website SEO

Before we delve into the tactics that can amplify your local presence, it's crucial to recognize the limited direct actions within the GBP to influence rankings. However, there's a pivotal player outside the GBP sphere that directly impacts your standings—your website's SEO optimization.

The Power of Website SEO Optimization

Your website is the gateway to improved local rankings, and the URL you link to in your GBP is a game-changer. Let's explore how you can optimize your website for a stellar performance in Google's local pack and maps.

Optimizing for Local Keywords

Breaking Down Your Search

You may think there’s nothing much to decode when you type a few words into Google to hunt down a vital product or service. That’s actually not the case, though. To optimize local search visibility, businesses should focus on three types of searches:


#1. "Near Me" Searches:

  • Users often employ the "near me" modifier when seeking immediate assistance, such as a plumber.
  • Businesses need to ensure their local search visibility to be presented to users in the same geographic area, increasing the chances of winning the job.

#2. Geo-targeted Searches:

  • Users may include their location in the search query, such as "plumber Richmond VA."
  • Google recognizes this as a local search and displays relevant results based on the specified location.
  • Geo-targeted searches are crucial for businesses aiming to serve specific localities, and optimizing visibility is essential for success.

#3. Location-enabled Searches:

  • Local results are automatically generated when users search for generic terms (e.g., "plumber") with location services enabled on their devices.
  • Having location services enabled ensures that users receive results relevant to their current physical location.
  • Businesses, especially those in popular categories like hotels or restaurants, should be mindful of this to capitalize on location-enabled searches.

 Optimize Your Website for Google Maps Ranking

A. City-Specific Landing Pages

Create dedicated landing pages for each target city you want to rank in. These pages should include valuable content relevant to the city, such as information about your services, local customer testimonials, and any special offers or promotions specific to that area. For instance, if you operate a plumbing service expanding to Denver, design a landing page titled "Expert Plumbing Services in Denver" and fill it with details about your plumbing services available in Denver.


B. Geotargeted Keywords

Research and incorporate city-specific keywords into your website's content, meta tags, and descriptions. Make sure these keywords appear naturally within your content to avoid keyword stuffing. For example, if you're a pest control company aiming to attract customers in San Francisco, optimize your "San Francisco Pest Control" page with keywords like "best pest control in San Francisco" and "San Francisco rodent removal."


C. Internal Linking Strategy

Enhance your internal linking structure to emphasize your presence in target cities. Whenever you mention a specific city or location on your website, link it to the corresponding city-specific landing page. This practice not only guides users to relevant content but also signals to search engines that you have a presence in those cities. For instance, if your home remodeling business is expanding to Austin, link the mention of "Austin home renovation" in your blog post to your "Home Remodeling in Austin" landing page.

Examples of Effective Website SEO Optimization For Improving Google Maps Ranking

  1. City Landing Pages: Imagine you run an HVAC repair service expanding to Phoenix. Create a landing page titled "Phoenix HVAC Repair Experts" with information, reviews, and tips specific to Phoenix.
  2. Geotargeted Content: Tailor blog posts to include city-specific insights. For a lawn care company in Dallas, add a section about "Keeping Lawns Healthy in Dallas" and link it to your "Lawn Care Services in Dallas" page.
  3. Strategic Internal Linking: On your "Services" page, link mentions of specific services to relevant city-specific landing pages. For instance, link "Houston electrical services" to your "Electrical Repairs in Houston" page.
  4. Localized Service Pages: Create service pages specifically for target cities. A local plumbing service in Miami can have pages tailored to Miami residents with services and keywords like "Miami plumbing experts."

By implementing these strategies, you not only enhance your local SEO but also communicate to search engines that your business is a force to be reckoned with in your target cities. Even without a physical address in those areas, you'll significantly improve your chances of securing a prominent position in local search results. Mastering the delicate dance between your GBP and website SEO is the key to unlocking unparalleled local visibility.

By Patrick McFadden May 2, 2025
Everyone is scaling outputs. Almost no one is scaling judgment.
By Patrick McFadden May 2, 2025
Ask anyone in tech where AI is headed, and they’ll tell you: “The next leap is reasoning.” “AI needs judgment.” “We need assistants that think, not just answer.” They’re right. But while everyone’s talking about it, almost no one is actually shipping it. So we did. We built Thinking OS™ —a system that doesn’t just help AI answer questions… It helps AI think like a strategist. It helps AI decide like an operator. It helps teams and platforms scale judgment, n ot just generate output. The Theory Isn’t New. The Implementation Is. The idea of layering strategic thinking and judgment into AI isn’t new in theory. The problem is, no one’s been able to implement it effectively at scale. Let’s look at the current landscape. 1. Big Tech Has the Muscle—But Not the Mind OpenAI / ChatGPT ✅ Strength: Best-in-class language generation ❌ Limitation: No built-in judgment or reasoning. You must provide the structure. Otherwise, it follows instructions, not strategy. Google DeepMind / Gemini ✅ Known for advanced decision-making (e.g., AlphaGo) ❌ But only in structured environments like games—not messy, real-world business scenarios. Anthropic (Claude), Meta (LLaMA), Microsoft Copilot ✅ Great at answering questions and following commands ❌ But they’re assistants, not advisors. They won’t reprioritize. They won’t challenge your assumptions. They don’t ask: “Is this the right move?” These tools are powerful—but they don’t think for outcomes the way a strategist or operator would. 2. Who’s Actually Building the Thinking Layer™? This is where it gets interesting—and thin. Startups and Indie Builders Some small teams are quietly: Creating custom GPTs that mimic how experts reason Layering in business context, priorities, and tradeoffs Embedding decision logic so AI can guide, not just execute But these efforts are: Highly manual Difficult to scale Fragmented and experimental Enterprise Experiments A few companies (Salesforce, HubSpot, and others) are exploring more “judgment-aware” AI copilots. These systems can: Flag inconsistencies Recommend next actions Occasionally surface priorities based on internal logic But most of it is still: In early R&D Custom-coded Unproven beyond narrow use cases That’s Why Thinking OS™ Is Different Instead of waiting for a lab to crack it, we built a modular thinking system that installs like infrastructure. Thinking OS™: Captures how real experts reason Embeds judgment into layers AI can use Deploys into tools like ChatGPT or enterprise systems Helps teams think together, consistently, at scale It’s not another assistant. It’s the missing layer that turns outputs into outcomes. So… Is This a New Innovation? Yes—in practice. Everyone says AI needs judgment. But judgment isn’t an idea. It’s a system. It requires: Persistent memory Contextual awareness Tradeoff evaluation Value-based decisions Strategy that evolves with goals Thinking OS™ delivers that. And unlike the R&D experiments in Big Tech, it’s built for: Operators Consultants Platform founders Growth-stage teams that need to scale decision quality, not just content creation If Someone Told You They’ve Built a Thinking + Judgment Layer™… They’ve built something only a handful of people in the world are even attempting. Because this isn’t just AI that speaks fluently. It’s AI that reasons, reflects , and chooses. And in a world that’s drowning in tools, judgment becomes the differentiator. That’s the OS We Built Thinking OS™ is not a prompt pack. It’s not a dashboard. It’s not a glorified chatbot. It’s a decision architecture you can license, embed, or deploy— To help your team, your platform, or your clients think better at scale. We’ve moved past content. We’re building cognition. Let’s talk.
By Patrick McFadden May 2, 2025
In every era of innovation, there’s a silent bottleneck—something obvious in hindsight, but elusive until the moment it clicks. In today’s AI-driven world, that bottleneck is clear: AI has speed. It has scale. But it doesn’t have judgment . It doesn’t really think . What’s Actually Missing From AI? When experts talk about the “thinking and judgment layer” as the next leap for AI, they’re calling out a hard truth: Modern AI systems are powerful pattern machines. But they’re missing the human layer—the one that reasons, weighs tradeoffs, and makes strategic decisions in context. Let’s break that down: 1. The Thinking Layer = Reasoning with Purpose This layer doesn’t just process inputs— it structures logic. It’s the ability to: Ask the right questions before acting Break down complexity into solvable parts Adjust direction mid-course when reality changes Think beyond “what was asked” to uncover “what really matters” Today’s AI responds. But it rarely reflects. Unless told exactly what to do, it won’t work through problems the way a strategist or operator would. 2. The Judgment Layer = Decision-Making in the Gray Judgment is the ability to: Prioritize what matters most Choose between imperfect options Make decisions when there’s no clear answer Apply values, experience, and vision—not just data It’s why a founder might not pursue a lucrative deal. Why a marketer might ignore the click-through rate. Why a strategist knows when the timing isn’t right. AI doesn’t do this well. Not yet. Because judgment requires more than data—it requires discernment . Why This Is the Bottleneck Holding Back AI AI can write. It can summarize. It can automate. But it still can’t: Diagnose the real problem behind the question Evaluate tradeoffs like a founder or operator would Recommend a path based on context, constraints, and conviction AI today is still reactive. It follows instructions. But it doesn’t lead. It doesn’t guide. It doesn’t own the outcome. And for those building serious systems—whether you’re running a company, launching a platform, or leading a team—this is the wall you eventually hit. That’s Why We Built Thinking OS™ We stopped waiting for AI to learn judgment on its own. Instead, we created a system that embeds it—by design. Thinking OS™ is an installable decision layer that captures how top founders, strategists, and operators think… …and makes that thinking repeatable , scalable , and usable inside teams, tools, and platforms. It’s not a framework. It’s not a chatbot. It’s not another playbook. It’s the layer that knows how to: Think through complex decisions Apply judgment when rules don’t help Guide others —human or AI—toward strategic outcomes This Is the Missing Infrastructure Thinking OS™ isn’t just about better answers. It’s about better thinking—made operational. And that’s what’s been missing in AI, consulting, leadership development, and platform design. If you’re trying to scale expertise, install judgment, or move from tactical to strategic… You don’t need a faster AI. You need a thinking layer that knows what to do—and why. We built it. Let’s talk.
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