How To Use Google Maps Marketing Strategy To Increase Sales And Customers
How To Use Google Maps Marketing Strategy To Increase Sales And Customers
There is no surprise or you may not be shocked that – out of all the mapping apps out there like MapQuest, Apple Maps and others – Google Maps remains supreme and not just by a small margin but a majority landslide.
With so much popularity – you would be wise to think about how Google Maps marketing strategy could help your business grow by increasing sales and customers.
In a stiff competition like this – you will also need to give some thought to the best ways to achieve maximum visibility in your local search results.
To assist you on both fronts – we have written this article to help you with your Google Maps marketing strategy.
Table of Content
Below are the content on How To Use Google Maps Marketing Strategy To Increase Sales And Customers.
Click on any of them to get directly to your preferred section or you can scroll down slowly and read from the start.
- What is Google My Business - GMB?
- Google Maps Ads
- How Can Google Maps Marketing Strategy Serve Your Business?
- The Basics of a Google Maps Marketing Strategy
- 1. Claim Your Business In Google My Business Profile
- 2. Add Your Location Data
- 3. Provide Key Business Information
- 4. Select the Most Relevant Categories
What is Google My Business – GMB?
Google My Business – GMB is a free tool for business owners or managers to manage and optimise their business’ profiles on Google Maps.
A Google My Business profile typically includes your business’ name, location, and hours of operation. The image below is an example of a typical Google My Business profile.
When you claim your business using a Google My Business profile, you can optimise your Google Maps presence by ensuring that customers have access to the most relevant and up-to-date information.
You can also use your profile to interact with customers when they leave reviews, ask any questions and track Google Maps Ads insights to understand how customers interact with your profile.
Google Maps Ads
Although marketing on Google Maps is free – using local search ads can boost your business’ visibility in Google Maps search results.
Using these ads will bring your business listing to the top of search queries for keywords relevant to your business.
Google Maps ads use location targeting so they will only show up for location-relevant searches. These ads usually appear in desktop and mobile searches.
When you create ads for your business – you can track their performance to get a sense of how customers respond to your ads and take further actions like using your address to get Google Maps directions or click on the listed phone number to call you.
Further Reading: How to Write a Good Meta Description for SEO
How Can Google Maps Marketing Strategy Serve Your Business?
At the core of this form of marketing is Google My Business – GMB. By creating and strategically strengthen up this online business profile – you can enjoy several benefits which include:
- Additional visibility if you rank well in Google Maps results or even better in Google’s Local 3-Pack which shows potential customers the three most relevant local businesses and it is free advertising.
- The potential for more sales since you will have more visibility on your business.
- Differentiation from competitors if your profile ranks above theirs then it has a higher rating from customers and is more polished and professional.
- More engagement with potential customers via more visits to your website, inquiries, etc..
- Increased trust and credibility since it is clear at a glance that you care about your online reputation and more importantly about the experiences customers have with you.
In simple words – your Google My Business profile is like a 24/7 marketing and salesperson for your business but for it to be a good – there are some things you have to do.
The Basics of a Google Maps Marketing Strategy
To have any chance of ranking higher in Google Maps results – you must adhere to the following important criteria.
They are all equally important to ensure you get the best chance of ranking in Google Maps:
1. Claim Your Business In Google My Business Profile
Whether you already have a GMB profile or are planning to create one then be sure that you claim and verify your listing.
Verification is a simple process and can be done by mail, phone or various other methods.
No matter how you choose to do it – it will give you maximum control over your profile and the results it gets for your business.
Further Reading: Get Traffic to Your Website Fast
2. Add Your Location Data
In Google My Business there are two types of location data you need to add. The first is your exact physical location such as a full postal service approved address.
If you do not have a physical location where customers can visit you – you can easily hide your address from the public whilst still making the information available to Google so you are eligible to be shown in search results.
The second type of location data encompasses the areas you serve – always specify the cities, counties and/or countries you service customers in to boost your chances of being shown to people in those areas.
3. Provide Key Business Information
Besides your address and services areas – you also want to provide other crucial information such as your full business name, phone number, website, and up-to-date business hours.
This is a good idea when you are trying to rank better in search results and it is also a great foundation for good user experience – UX.
And good UX is absolutely essential if you want to tip the scales in your favour and motivate more potential customers to contact your business that will lead to more queries, communication and sales.
Further Reading:Create Engaging Content for Social Media
4. Select the Most Relevant Categories
Categorising your business gives you more contexts to what you have to offer. This way when consumers search for a local business like yours – Google will understands that your profile is relevant and is more likely to display it to potential customers.
When choosing from Google’s list of categories – just be sure to select only those that are closely related to what you do otherwise you may find that your GMB profile gets views but not much action because it is not what people are looking for. It is important that your profile gets seen by the right people.
More Opportunities To Stand Out In Search With Google Maps Marketing Strategy
Up to now, we have covered the basics and must-dos for any Google Maps marketing strategy.
The following methods are just as important for your strategy as the previous four since these will provide opportunities to stand out from your competition.
Further Reading: How to Write Good Title Tags for SEO
1. Eye- Catching Introduction
The introduction of your GMB profile is simply an opportunity to explain what you offer but in reality it is much more. It is your opportunity to:
- Make a memorable first impression since Google Maps only shows a short snippet of the introduction in its results and this snippet has to be eye-catching enough to get people to click to learn more about your business.
- Highlight the value of what you provide instead of just listing what you provide.
- Show case what makes your business different and offer better than your competitors.
If you can do all of the above then you will automatically have an advantage over your competitor by providing what potential customers want to know.
2. Get Reviews From Your Customers
Both the number of customer reviews you have on Google and your overall rating can impact your business’s visibility in Google search results.
Therefore always encourage your customers to leave ratings and reviews even if you have to make this request an official part of your process.
As the positive reviews flow in – the chances of dominating Google Maps and enjoying all the benefits that come with it will also rise.
Having negative reviews should not hinder your business since if you can respond calmly and positively to your customers then Google will see it that you are a business that care about your customers and may even increase your ranking.
Note: Never ever resort to paying for 5-star reviews or any other shady tactics to make your business look better in the eyes of Google and potential customers.
This is not ethical and professional since it will always come back to bite you later which will result in undoing the positive results from your Google Maps marketing efforts.
Further Reading: How To Optimise Images for SEO
3. Add Photos, Photos & More Photos
Google reported that businesses with photos added to GMB profiles get 42% more requests for directions on Google Maps and 35% more visits to their websites than those with no pictures. Those statistics speak for themselves.
If you hope to get meaningful results then sharing photos of your products or services, past projects, team and physical location is a must.
And it is also great to encourage customers to submit their photos as well since this will build credibility and trust with potential customers for your business.
4. Build High Quality Links
Another key factor that determines your position in search results is prominence which encompasses all the information available about your business online and how well you are doing in terms of search engine optimisation.
Building high-quality links and citations from relevant websites to yours is a top way to boost your Google Maps rankings and even earn a shot at being featured in Google’s Local 3-Pack.
So look out and create opportunities to earn mentions and backlinks to your site from:
- Local websites and blogs.
- Sites those are relevant to your industry specifically.
- Popular online directories such as Foursquare.
- Business directories specific to your location, service areas and/or your industry.
This will help you progress, build authority and signal relevance to Google which can lead to more visibility in local search results thus leading to increase in sales and customers.
5. Spend Some Cash on Google Maps Ads
Although it can be a slow start but earning a good ranking in Google Maps results is purely through organic efforts and is often an attainable goal.
However if you have money to spend then you may want to couple your organic efforts with paid Google Maps ads. This will position your business front and centre in search results for keywords relating to your business and location.
It can provide a quick boost of visibility and traffic while you implement the other methods above and wait for them to start taking effect.
Google Maps: A Prime Tool for Local Marketing
When it comes to online marketing presence, using local marketing tools can make a measurable difference for your business especially for Google My Business and Google Maps.
You can get your business in front of potential target audience, encourage and enjoy more interactions with your audience which means more sales opportunities and increase customer base.
To enjoy these benefits – you will need to claim and optimise your profile, making sure to include all relevant business information like name, address and phone number – NAP, a captivating introduction to your business and high quality photos.
And also encourage and reply to customer reviews, building quality links to your website and investing in paid Google Maps ads when you have the budget to do so.
If you do these things then you will be well on your way to gaining more visibility, credibility and accountability in Google Maps search results.
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