Ensuring your business’s local visibility on Google Maps is more crucial than ever. If a customer can’t find a local store directly on Google Search or Google Maps, that business’s ability to reach nearby customers, build a loyal base in its community, and generate trust will suffer.
In this article, we’ll explore what Google Maps marketing is, why it’s so important, and how local businesses can make the most of it.
What is Google Maps Marketing?
First, let’s briefly define the term. As the name suggests, “Google Maps marketing” refers to marketing practices aimed at increasing visibility on Google Maps. To achieve this, they focus on Google My Business (GMB) profile optimization and related strategies, such as paid local ads.
Furthermore, as we will see later, these practices often overlap with local search engine optimization (local SEO) and can be complemented with social media strategies. Finally, their main objective is to improve local positioning, which Google explains as follows:
“Local results are primarily based on relevance, distance, and prominence. A combination of these factors helps us find the best match for your search.”
Google defines these three terms as follows:
- Relevance: “Refers to how well a local business profile matches what someone is searching for.”
- Distance: “Consider how far each potential result is from the location mentioned in a search.”
- Prominence: “This refers to how well-known a business is. Some locations are more prominent in the offline world, and search results try to reflect this in local rankings. […] Prominence is also based on information Google has about a business from the web, such as links, articles, and directories.”
To highlight the importance of local searches, we cite some findings reported by Search Engine Journal :
- 50% of all local mobile searches result in physical visits to a store within 24 hours.
- 50% of local mobile searches are looking for business information such as name, address and phone number (NAP).
- 78% of mobile local searches result in offline purchases.
It’s understandable then that Google Maps marketing can be an incredibly effective and profitable investment. However, using it efficiently is no easy task. Below, we’ll explore how to do just that.
How does Google Maps work?
Basically, Google Maps displays local search results based on your Google My Business (GMB) listing. There are a few different ways the software generates search results, all designed to be as useful and convenient for the user as possible. This is where Google Maps marketing comes in. GMB optimization is all about preparing your profile so that Google finds it useful, relevant, and legitimate. Optimized profiles are more likely to attract customers, and are therefore the ones that Google suggests in its searches.
Search results based on proximity
How many times have you searched on Google for phrases like “coffee shop near me” or “gas station near me”? Google uses your device’s location (based on your smartphone’s GPS) to show results that are close to you and match your search.
From a business owner’s perspective, this is a huge advantage of mobile search ranking. Nearby consumers can easily find your business thanks to its physical location. This type of search is becoming more common, as it’s extremely convenient: most users don’t want to travel too far to find a service. This is particularly beneficial for home service businesses, as they typically serve customers within their geographic area.
Google Maps results based on ranking
The second way Google Maps displays results is through ranking based on several factors. This happens for several reasons:
- Not all users have their location turned on, especially if they are searching from a laptop or tablet.
- Users can view GMB profiles from anywhere in the world, without having to be nearby.
- There may be multiple businesses offering similar services in the same location, especially in competitive markets. In these cases, ranked organic results help consumers make an informed decision.
But how does Google decide which companies appear at the top?
One of the key factors is reviews. Google considers both positive and negative reviews, as well as the total number of opinions, and calculates an average. This number directly influences a business’s position on Google Maps.
Google Maps and organic search results
There are several strategies to improve organic positioning on Google Maps with Google My Business. It is important to optimize all aspects of your online presence with a well-structured SEO strategy. Your main goal should be to appear in the first three spots of the Local Map Pack, that is, the three featured businesses that automatically appear on Google when a user searches for something related to your company.
The Local Pack receives 32% of clicks on search engine results pages (SERPs), excluding local services ads. In other words, these results are completely organic and cannot be purchased. Here’s how you can improve your GMB rankings organically.
Verify your company on Google My Business
If you’ve already created a Google My Business profile, the next step is to claim or verify your listing. But what’s the difference?
- Creating a profile only allows you to add your business name, location, and category.
- Claiming your listing allows you to add more details, which improves your ranking on Google Maps.
Business verification is crucial because without it, you won’t be able to optimize your profile, which will reduce your chances of appearing at the top. To claim your listing, log in to your GMB account, search for your business, and select the “Claim this business” or “Are you the owner of this business?” option.
Select all relevant categories and attributes
Categories describe the type of business you operate and the services you offer. For example, “plumbing company” or “public library.” These are important keywords because they often match the search terms consumers enter into Google.
Google recommends choosing a primary category that accurately describes your business. However, you can also select additional categories to give customers a more complete idea of your services. For example, if you’re a plumber, you could add “drain cleaning” as a secondary category.
You can also add relevant attributes for your business, such as whether it has outdoor seating or is wheelchair accessible. Be sure to include this information on your business listing.
Keep your information consistent
Google Maps ranks businesses it considers trustworthy higher, so it’s critical that your business information is exactly the same across all of your online platforms. This includes your website, third-party directory listings, and social media profiles. Even small details, like writing “NW” instead of “Northwest” in your address, can affect the consistency of your data.
Additionally, you should include as much relevant information as possible, such as:
- Postal Service Approved Business Address (must be written as it would be recognized by the postal service).
- Local phone number with area code (avoid 1-800 numbers as they seem less trustworthy).
- Updated business hours, including changes for holidays or special seasons.
- Business description, explaining what services or products you offer.
- Service areas, so Google can show your business in specific local searches.
Make the most of your business introduction
The introduction section on Google My Business is a great opportunity to highlight your company. In this space, describe your business, the products or services you offer, and what sets you apart from the competition.
Many businesses fail to complete this section, which represents a missed opportunity to optimize their listing. Make sure to include key information that customers need to know, such as links to relevant pages on your website and keywords related to your industry.
However, avoid unfair SEO techniques, such as keyword stuffing or including too many links. Google penalizes practices that do not provide real value to the user.
Request customer reviews
Online reviews are crucial to the success of your Google My Business listing. Not only do they influence your business’s ranking on Google Maps, but they are also a powerful marketing tool to attract new customers.
Most consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. Before visiting a business or hiring a service, customers often check out other users’ opinions.
Additionally, actively managing your reviews allows you to manage your brand’s reputation. While it’s ideal to only receive positive reviews, it’s important to respond to all of them, especially the negative ones. This shows that you care about customer satisfaction and can even help you turn a dissatisfied customer into a loyal one.
Includes optimized photos
Google Maps is a highly visual platform. If you look at the businesses that rank highest in the results, you’ll notice that they include engaging images, such as photos of the interior of the business or their products.
Including relevant images makes your listing much more attractive than a simple default map.
Google Maps: Paid Ads
While organic optimization should be the foundation of your Google Maps marketing strategy, there are also paid advertising options to increase your business’s visibility.
Google Ads
Google offers several types of advertising campaigns to attract customers and generate leads. However, not all of them appear on Google Maps. Before we talk about local search ads, let’s review the different types of campaigns available in Google Ads:
- Search Campaigns: Allows you to display ads in Google search results.
- Video Campaigns: Allows you to place ads on YouTube.
- Display Campaigns: Allows you to display ads on websites and applications.
- App Campaigns: Help you find new users for your apps and increase conversions within them.
- Local Campaigns: Show ads in search results, Google Maps, YouTube, and display networks to attract customers to a physical location.
- Smart Campaigns: Google automatically manages ads to optimize advertisers’ time and budget.
- Shopping Campaigns: Show products in search results and in the Google Shopping tab.
Local Search Ads on Google Maps
A key element of advertising on Google Maps are Local Search Ads , which are part of local advertising campaigns. These ads place your Google My Business listing at the top of search results on Google Maps.
For example, if someone searches for “plumbers near me,” your business will appear as a featured ad in Google Maps results, regardless of your organic ranking. However, it’s important to note that these ads don’t appear in the Local Pack, but only in Google Maps search results.
Because of their geolocalized approach, ads on Google Maps are highly effective at attracting nearby customers. They can also generate brand awareness among consumers who don’t yet know your business. If your business is well located and has good reviews, users are more likely to choose to visit you or hire your services instead of opting for the competition.
Take advantage of online directories
Your Google Maps listing is the most important of all your online listings, as it has the highest degree of trust and accuracy. In fact, many consumers stop researching a business after seeing its GMB listing.
However, it is also advisable to optimize your presence in other relevant directories, such as:
- Yelp
- Better Business Bureau (BBB)
- Yellow Pages
- Niche directories, such as TripAdvisor or Angie’s List
Without an optimized Google My Business listing, it’s difficult for businesses to stand out online and convert searches into actual customers. Taking the time to verify and improve your business listing is essential in order to stand out from the competition, attract quality leads, and increase the number of customers who visit your location.
