Using Google Mapmaker Categories as Local SEO Competitor Research

[Daniel C Berman]

With the little bit I have been dabbling with Google Map Maker, I have noticed that Google periodically comes through and adds additional categories to various places presumably based on site content as well as the various link and interest graphs pointing to the site.

As the Map Maker categories are publicly available, has anybody tried incorporating competitor map Maker categories as keyword inspiration for what to add to website copy, presuming that you actually carry or provide such products and services as well? Is this even a legitimate line of reasoning?

 

[Phil Rozek]

That's a smart approach, Daniel. I haven't tried using the MM categories in exactly that way (i.e. as possible search terms to target). However, I have used them as a guide to tell me (1) which categories to specify in the Google Places dashboard and (2) which categories to pick on third-party sites. The latter are important, in my experience, but tend to be overlooked.