Google Maps isn’t just for figuring out how to get from point A to point B. It’s a very valuable marketing tool for getting your business to pop up in Google search results. If someone in your business’s local area searches for something you sell, Google Maps can potentially display your business first in the search results. Let’s say you run a salon and offer services like haircuts, manicures, and pedicures. Someone five miles away is in desperate need of a haircut but they’re not sure where to go.
So like many of us do they turn to Google for an answer. They search salons near me and your salon pops up first. The listing includes your salon’s name, rating, reviews, address, photos, and everything else that person needs to make a decision. Later that day they come to your salon with the assistance of Google Maps. They get a great haircut and you have a new customer all because of Google Maps.
But how is all of that possible? What really matters when it comes to Google Maps marketing is your proximity to the person doing the search, reviews from customers, and an informative and accurate Google My Business profile. So how do you use Google Maps marketing to help promote your business? It’s easy. For Google to show your location on the map you have to tell it exactly where you are and a little bit about who you are.
You can do this by going to google.com forward slash business and following the directions on the screen. You’ll include things like your business name, address, phone number, photos of your business, a link to your site, and a description that tells people who you are. You should also include your business hours so people don’t show up when you’re closed.
Most importantly, keep this information updated both on your website and in your Google My Business profile.
You can think of your Google My Business listing as an introduction to your company. If someone looking for your business is sent to an old location or tries to call an outdated phone number associated with your listing, they’re going to move on to another company nearby. If you want to get a quick advantage over other businesses, you can invest in two different types of local search ads. The first option is a paid ad, which lists your business at the top of the listing for a relevant search. Similar to a regular search ad, the result looks like other listings, just with a little box that says it’s an ad.
Your paid ad can also appear as a promoted pin on the map. These are only for mobile users, but they show up as a purple pin on the map when you’re searching for a certain type of business. One thing you might have noticed on every Google listing are reviews. These are so important for driving shoppers to your business.
If your salon has no reviews and a competing salon has multiple five-star reviews, your competitor is going to get more customers from their search.
This doesn’t make your salon bad, but it makes the other salon look better. Ask people who make a purchase to give you a review. Whether it’s in person or by email you want your happy customers to tell other people how happy they are. This can really help you stand out as a great business. Try to keep up with your reviews.
Don’t ignore the bad ones if you have any, reach out to the reviewers, and ask how you can improve, apologize, or if it was a positive review thank them for shopping with you. I hope you now feel ready to get started marketing with Google Maps and Google My Business. If you want to incorporate Google Maps into your strategy, consider partnering with our local marketing experts here at WebFX. Give us a call to start growing your presence on Google..
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