Are you frustrated because you aren’t able to get on Google’s map? You’re not alone. A simple search for something as obscure as “duct cleaning minneapolis” produced 731 results on June 25, 2010 when we clicked on the “More results near Minneapolis, MN »” link.

More competitive terms like “auto glass repair san francisco ca” has 6,786 results as of 06/25/2010. So it’s no wonder you are asking the question “How do I get on Google Maps”.

What this means is that Google has narrowed down the results found from 731 & 6,786 respectively to 7! This is why many have started referring to these 7 results found on the front  page of Google Maps as the “Lucky 7″. But it doesn’t have to be luck. Our company  has identified 27 variables which Google uses when determining which companies will be displayed for the person doing the search. Obviously, they are all about quality results, so they want to make sure only the very best results are displayed.

It’s also common knowledge that Google likes to shake things up about every 3-4 months. The 7 businesses who have enjoyed being on the top of Google maps, may suddenly find them selves on page two. The good news is, our programmers know which elements Google measures, so it’s just a matter of weighting them differently and finding the right formula. Once they have determined that, we simply apply it to all our customers and they are back in the same position!

While we won’t give away any of our trade secrets, we would like to give you 3 often overlooked pointers in regards to getting your business on the front page of the Google Map.

1. You must have a completed Google Maps profile – It’s highly unlikely you will have great results without a completed profile including proper category selection, description and images.
2. Have your customers leave reviews – notice we didn’t say add your own reviews? Give Google some credit. They can tell if all three of the reviews you added 3 days ago are from the same ip address. They can also tell that for the past 90 days you have had no reviews and suddenly you have 13 reviews.
3. Hire and SEO firm, but get references – If you hire an SEO company to help get you to the top, ask for samples of their work. how competitive is the industry. Go to the second page of the map, scroll down and see how many other results there are. For example, any SEO firm could help a business get listed on the map for: “mobile home repair odessa tx” (1 result).
4. Here’s a bonus….be patient! – I know it’s difficult because you want your company on the map immediately, but Google is not so easily manipulated.

We realize we haven’t even scratched the surface of what Google is looking for, but at least you will have a start. At MapTraffic.net, we have identified 26 points which Google considers regarding where you rank on the map. We also know that from time to time they like to shake things up. When that happens, we simply go to work testing to see which of those components they are now giving more weight o and make the appropriate adjustments. At MapTraffic.net we guarantee your business a first page listing on the map within 60 days, or we refund ALL your money, and that guarantee is for 3 out of 5 keywords! Call 888–Map-Map1 today for more info.