Google Maps Marketing: How to Grow Your Local Business

What Is Google Maps Marketing?

Google Maps trading is the process of improving your business’s visibility successful Google Maps. You do this chiefly by optimizing your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) to make it much apt that your business will look for applicable section searches. 

When your business shows up successful section searches, you can:

• Build spot pinch imaginable customers
• Gain a competitory edge
• Drive much sales

Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is simply a free listing that lets you negociate really your business appears successful Google Search and Google Maps.

Here’s an illustration of an optimized GBP listing, pinch photos, opening hours, interaction information, and more:

Your GBP listing tin show up successful 3 locations:

• Google Maps (web and app versions)
• Local pack/map pack
• Local Finder

In Google Maps, your business tin look erstwhile users hunt for circumstantial businesses, products, aliases services.

The local pack (sometimes called the representation pack) appears successful hunt results for applicable terms. It shows akin specifications to those connected Google Maps.

Like this:

And erstwhile users grow the section pack, they tin find much listings successful the Local Finder (while akin to Google Maps, the interface is somewhat different). 

Why Is Marketing pinch Google Maps Beneficial?

Google Maps trading tin thief you:

• Build spot and credibility: When your GBP listing appears successful section searches (especially astatine the top), imaginable customers whitethorn spot your business arsenic reliable and trustworthy
• Tell your customers much astir your business: A well-optimized listing shows that your business is progressive and reputable, and it provides customers pinch cardinal accusation for illustration your location, opening hours, and interaction details
• Increase section visibility: Google Maps trading makes it easier for adjacent customers to find your business
• Gain a competitory edge: Appearing higher connected Google Maps and successful hunt results makes it much apt that customers will take your business complete your competitors
• Make it easy for customers to scope you: Google Maps trading allows customers to quickly call, get directions, aliases sojourn your website
• Appear successful sound searches: Many group hunt for section businesses connected their phones done sound assistants, which often propulsion results from Google Maps 

How Does Google Rank Local Search and Map Results?

It’s clear that appearing successful Google Maps and section hunt results tin positively effect your business.

But why do you request trading to make that happen?

Because Google uses a wide scope of ranking factors to determine wherever to rank websites. And knowing what these factors are tin thief you pinpoint your Google Maps trading efforts for amended results.

Google ranks section business listings by considering 3 cardinal factors:

• Relevance: Google looks astatine really intimately your business matches the searcher’s intent. The much applicable your business is to what the personification is searching for, the amended your chances of ranking higher.
• Distance: Google factors successful really adjacent your business is to the searcher’s location aliases the area specified successful the search. The person you are, the much apt you are to look successful apical results for section searches.
• Prominence: Prominence measures really well-known your business is, and it’s influenced by factors for illustration online reviews, ratings, and backlinks. The much established and celebrated your business appears, the amended it tin rank.

Next, we’ll locomotion you done the steps to optimize your business’s online beingness for these 3 factors.

How to Start Marketing pinch Google Maps

1. Optimize Your GBP Listing

The much optimized your GBP listing is, the higher it tin rank for applicable section queries.

How?

Because it helps Google amended understand your business. Meaning its algorithms will beryllium amended capable to lucifer you up pinch applicable section hunt results. 

Optimizing your Business Profile involves filling retired important specifications for illustration your business name, category, location, work areas, hours of operation, website, and interaction details. 

Beyond these essentials, you tin also:

• Add photos aliases videos: Post high-quality photos aliases videos of your space, products, aliases services. This makes your listing much inviting and gives imaginable customers a amended consciousness for your business earlier deciding to shop pinch you.
• Write an engaging, keyword-optimized business description: Create a compelling business explanation that intelligibly explains what your business offers. Include applicable keywords truthful Google tin amended link your business to section searches (but don’t keyword stuff).
• Post regularly: Keep your floor plan progressive by sharing updates, offers, and news. This tin show customers you’re still successful business, of course, but offers tin further promote them to shop pinch you.
• Submit questions and answers: Your GBP listing includes a “Questions & Answers” section, wherever users (and you) tin inquire and reply questions astir your business. Use this abstraction to supply further accusation and assistance imaginable customers pinch circumstantial needs.
• Keep your GBP listing up to date: Regularly update your opening hours, interaction details, and services truthful customers ever person meticulous information.

For example, Junoon has provided each the cardinal accusation a quiet patron mightiness need:

Use Semrush’s GBP Optimization instrumentality to negociate and optimize your Google Business Profile. 

You tin besides way really often your floor plan appears successful section searches and connected Google Maps. 

Access the GBP Optimization instrumentality pinch a Semrush Local subscription.

2. Get More Reviews

The much affirmative reviews your GBP listing has, the higher it tin look for applicable section queries. 

Why?

Because it affects the “prominence” facet we mentioned earlier.

According to Google:

Google reappraisal count and reappraisal people facet into section hunt ranking. More reviews and affirmative ratings tin amended your business’ section ranking.

Aim to summation your reappraisal count by encouraging happy customers to time off feedback. Beyond improving your rankings, this tin besides build spot pinch imaginable customers. Which tin lead to much sales.

Keep these 2 cardinal principles successful mind erstwhile encouraging customers to time off reviews:

• Ask astatine the correct time. Request reviews erstwhile a customer has had a affirmative experience, for illustration aft a acquisition aliases successful service.
• Make it easy. Share a nonstop nexus to your Google Business Profile successful follow-up emails, connected receipts, aliases done SMS, truthful customers tin time off a reappraisal pinch conscionable a fewer clicks.

Get a nexus to nonstop to customers done the “Ask for reviews” conception of your Business Profile:

This will springiness you a nexus you tin stock pinch your customers.

You should besides respond to customer reviews, some affirmative and negative. This shows your customers that their feedback matters to you. 

Follow these champion practices:

• Use the reviewer’s sanction successful your reply to make it consciousness personal
• Keep responses respectful and professional, moreover if the reappraisal is harsh
• Respond wrong a week if possible
• Provide a applicable solution, specified arsenic a discount aliases refund, erstwhile imaginable (At a minimum, guarantee the reviewer that you’re addressing the guidelines origin of the problem.)

Use Semrush’s Review Management instrumentality to negociate and respond to customer reviews from aggregate sites—including Google.

With filtering and sorting options, you tin easy prioritize reviews. 

For example, by focusing connected reviews you haven’t replied to yet.

This way, you tin enactment connected apical of each your reviews pinch ease, each successful 1 place.

3. Clean Up Your Local Listings

Local listings (or citations) are references to your business’s name, address, and telephone number (NAP). Typically featured successful online directories for illustration Yelp. 

Google looks astatine section listings crossed the web to cheque if its ain business listings are accurate. If it’s not assured successful your profile, it whitethorn beryllium little apt to show it to users.

(Plus, it could confuse your imaginable customers if they don’t cognize really to scope you.)

So, it’s important that your section listings are consistent. Especially erstwhile it comes to your name, address, and telephone number—key accusation for section customers.

To verify your listings, usage Semrush’s Listing Management tool. 

Simply participate your business sanction arsenic it appears connected your GBP and prime the correct 1 from suggestions.

Then, scroll down to spot if your business is listed successful apical directories and whether your specifications are correct.

These results show that Corky’s Ribs & BBQ is missing retired connected valuable exposure: 

And that the edifice has NAP issues successful immoderate of its listings:

If your business has akin issues, scope retired to each directory to get your accusation added aliases corrected. 

Or usage the Listing Management instrumentality to hole everything successful 1 step. 

Click the “Try it now” fastener and travel the instructions to acquisition your subscription.

Then link your GBP to get much circumstantial insights into your section listing’s performance.

The instrumentality will besides automatically taxable your business’s specifications to the apical directories successful your country. Which tin thief amended your Google Maps rankings. 

4. Make Your Website SEO-Friendly

Having a much SEO-friendly website can lead to amended rankings successful representation results. If Google believes your website is applicable to searchers, it whitethorn judge your Business Profile is, too. 

For example, look astatine the SERP for “memphis bbq.” Memphis Barbecue Company’s website ranks top.

This business besides ranks highly successful the section battalion (and, therefore, the Local Finder).

Memphis Barbecue Company ranks highly for this hunt query successful Google Maps, too.

You tin usage each kinds of local SEO techniques to amended your website’s rankings. And truthful boost your Google Maps trading efforts successful the process. 

Here are immoderate of the champion ways to amended your website’s SEO:

• Build backlinks. Links from respected section sources awesome to Google that your business is trusted, which tin thief amended your website’s hunt rankings. Connect pinch section directories, news sites, and blogs to build value backlinks to your site.
• Optimize for section keywords. Research section keywords that are applicable to your business and incorporated them people into your site’s content, headers, title tags, meta descriptions, and image alt text.
• Publish localized content. Write applicable contented tailored to section interests, specified arsenic organization events, vicinity guides, aliases topics circumstantial to your area. This tin thief you fortify your site’s relevance successful section searches.
• Fix method issues. Address immoderate technical SEO issues connected your site, for illustration slow loading times, surgery links, aliases mediocre mobile usability. Beyond improving your SEO, a well-optimized, user-friendly tract besides enhances the personification experience. 
• Add location pages. If you service aggregate areas, create abstracted pages for each location pinch circumstantial details. Including your address, interaction info, and services you connection successful that circumstantial area.

5. Run Google Maps Ads

Google Maps ads are section hunt ads that show erstwhile users look for businesses aliases services wrong a circumstantial area. They rank astatine the apical of the section pack, Local Finder, aliases Google Maps results. Which tin amended your business’s visibility for applicable searches—at a cost.

By moving these ads, your business tin look astatine the apical of applicable section searches pinch a “Sponsored" label. Like this:

Google Maps advertizing useful connected a cost-per-click (CPC) basis. You salary each clip personification does 1 of the following:

• Clicks to get location details
• Clicks to get directions
• Clicks to telephone (on mobile)
• Clicks done to your website

The CPC depends connected various factors. Including really overmuch you (and immoderate competitors) “bid” for circumstantial hunt terms. (You tin group an mean regular fund to forestall overspending.)

To get started, create a Google Ads account utilizing the aforesaid email reside you usage for your GBP.

Next, link your GBP to Google Ads. Then you’re fresh to create campaigns. To beryllium eligible for Google Maps ads, you must do the following:

• Target section keywords
• Target a circumstantial location
• Set bids by location

Google besides offers Local Services Ads, which look astatine the apical of the SERP erstwhile personification enters a applicable section keyword. These tin activity alongside your Google Maps ads.

Track Your Google Maps Ranking

Make it a wont to way your Google Maps trading capacity to understand really good your strategy is moving and place areas for improvement. 

An easy measurement to do this is pinch Semrush’s Map Rank Tracker. 

The instrumentality shows precisely wherever your business ranks connected Google Maps by keyword and location crossed your work area. And really that compares to your competitors.

Start monitoring your Google Maps rankings pinch the Map Rank Tracker.