Google Maps Marketing is location-based, and it targets a specific community to which you can promote your products or services. You can get more leads as you improve your online visibility which is helpful for your business.
Google Maps Marketing is a portion of a bigger strategy called Local Marketing. In this kind of business strategy, you focus on marketing to your target audience in a smaller physical location, say within a neighborhood or city, not the whole country.
The advantages of focusing on just a small territory are invaluable. For one, you can optimize your budget by concentrating on a certain geographical location.
You also get to connect with your target audience at a level that it would feel like family. The smaller the community where your business is, the more you can concentrate your marketing efforts to promote your products or services.
With this approach, you get to connect with your target audience more because you practice a common culture and you are speaking the same language. Sponsor local events and meet your potential customers and partners there.
Engage with them on social media and let your customer care shine through showcasing positive customer reviews.
Some of these strategies would require lots of marketing efforts. The good news is that you can rely on organic digital marketing to boost your online presence.
Yes, you can get customers through sponsoring events, putting up signages, and connecting with social media. But the truth is that before your customers even go out of their homes to visit your store, they have checked you out online.
Hence, poor online visibility is harming your business. And Google Maps Marketing is one of the easiest ways to start building your stellar online presence.
Why use Google Maps Marketing?
If the reasons stated above are not yet enough, let the numbers further convince you to try this strategy. The navigation-based platform Google Maps has:
- 1 billion monthly active users
- 25 million daily updates
- 99% coverage of the whole world
Now, while local marketing teaches you to focus on limited areas, Google Maps gives you a lot of room for growth because of its reach.
Gone are the days that you buy a physical map to look for your destination. Now, when you are traveling, you get your mobile phone and simply perform a search.
You are not just looking for streets or highways. You look for specific establishments and landmarks like a hotel, a school, a supermarket, or a cafe.
Google Maps gives consumers access to a lot of information. And that can include your business details. Imagine what simply optimizing your searchability in this platform can do for your business.
Google Maps Marketing’s Role in Local SEO
When a potential customer searches for a product or service, he does not look for something that will be far from where he is – hence, the rise in “near me” searches.
It does not require you to stuff your website or landing pages with the keyphrase “near me.” Local SEO simply does not work like that.
Or, a potential customer includes his location in his search term as in the example below:
As in the example shown, you will see that a map showing a business location shows up first. And if you know how local SEO works to give you lots of leads, you know that being on top of the searches is the key to acquiring those potential customers.
For your website to rank in this kind of keyphrase, you must optimize your Google My Business (GMB). Or else, your business will not show up.
In fact, the top 3 search results have the highest chance of acquiring that customer. If your business profile is optimized, then, you gain that upper hand in converting those potential customers.
Simply put, Google Maps Marketing is optimizing your business profile in the search engine for it to accurately show your website when someone searches for your category and location.
How to Do Google Maps Marketing
The process is simple, and business owners do not have to spend a dime. Just follow these steps:
Register your business in the platform
- Claim your business listing on the platform.
- Using your Google account, sign in to GMB.
- Fill out the necessary information including your business name, address, visibility option, list of areas your business covers, category or type of business, phone number, and website URL.
- You will be given the option to create a free website.
- Verify your account. You can skip this for later.
- Add your business to Google Maps.
- Sign in.
- Go to ‘Add your Business’ in the menu and follow the instructions.
- Claim and verify your business.
- Search for and select your business name.
- Click on ‘Claim my business’ then on ‘Manage.’
- Undergo the verification process by following the instructions.
Make it stand out
Aside from registering your business in Google, you also need:
- Photos: They add trustworthiness and it makes your profile stand out. Add photos of your actual store and your products or services.
- Customer Reviews: Word of mouth is a powerful marketing technique and you can leverage this by requesting reviews from your customers. Having customer reviews also adds credibility.
Acquire backlinks
To further improve your local SEO, acquire backlinks from trustworthy sites. You can do this through guest posting on relevant sites. Or, by publishing press releases.
You may also get the services of bloggers and influencers to feature your business in exchange for a reward, either monetary or in-kind. This kind of exchange deal often benefits both parties in terms of exposure.
And register your business in directories like Yellow Pages, Yelp, and Angie’s List.
Analyze your data
Once you have enlisted your business and have taken the necessary steps to improve your local SEO, then, it is time to monitor your performance. Your Google My Business Insights is your tool for this.
SEO can give you an evergreen source of leads for your business. And once you optimize your website for it, coupled with Google Maps Marketing, watch your business flourish.
Although it can be free, it is not easy. SEO is not just about putting your business on Google Maps.
And since it will take time, you can also opt for PPC or Pay-per-click for local search ads. This will further ensure that your business ranks higher in the search results.
Not sure how your website performs? Start with this free SEO Audit. And if you want to further explore this and other marketing strategies for your products or services, contact Milia Marketing now.
