Google Maps Marketing: The Best Tool to Boost Local Sales

In this brief guide, I will share with you an overview of Google Maps Marketing and how it is helpful in increasing your local sales.

You must have seen quite often that Google Maps results also appear in search results.

Here is how Google Maps results look like:

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Image Source: Google

Don’t you think your local sales will increase if your business features on the top Google Maps results when a potential customer searches for a keyword related to your business?

Definitely, you will be able to catch more local customers if you are on the top Google Maps results.

But the question is,

How can you feature on the top Google Maps results?

The answer is Google Maps Marketing.

Yes, my friend, Google Maps Marketing is an effective tool to target locals and boost the local sales.

What is Google Maps Marketing?

Google Maps Marketing is nothing but using Google Maps’ usability to rank on the top results when a prospective customer makes a search for a keyword that is relevant to your business.

In other words, Google Maps Marketing is a marketing avenue that increases the visibility of a business on Google Maps.

How to Execute Google Maps Marketing Strategies

Before we discuss Google Maps Marketing, you should understand how Google determines the local ranking.

Local results are mainly based on distance, relevance, and prominence. The whole point of Google Maps Marketing is to optimize Google My Business (GMB) profile so that Google can easily build relevance and prominence of your business.

Google My Business is a free tool for businesses and organizations to manage their online presences across Google, which include Google Maps and Google search.

GMB offers many benefits to businesses and organizations, such as managing business information, interacting with customers, understanding and expanding business presence.

Google Maps Marketing: Best Practices to Optimize GMB Listing

If you want to dominate Google Maps results, you need to optimize Google My Business listing in a way that Google can easily build relevance and prominence of your business when someone searches for a keyword relevant to your business.

Here are the six best practices of Google Maps Marketing:

1- Always Use USPS-approved Postal Address

You must fill the complete business address in Google My Business profile. It is recommended that you should always use USPS (or any other postal agency applicable to your area) approved address.

Many businesses do not enter the complete addresses. This affects ranking on Google Maps.

Your GMB account gives an option to display or not to display your address. You should always allow Google to display your address. The more data Google can access, the better it will be.

2- Add Service Area Accurately

Adding service area is crucial for Google Maps Marketing. Some businesses serve from their physical locations while some are phone-only companies. You must mention it what type of business you are.

Like the Pizza Hut Company, you might be serving at your physical location and delivering products to different locations. If so, you should include serving radius. Also, you should not forget to check ‘I also serve customers at my business address.’

My friend, enter the service area accurately as it affects the Google Maps ranking.

3- Optimize Google My Business Profile Introduction

The introduction of your Google My Business is very important to Google Maps Marketing. The properly optimized introduction helps your business build relevance.

How can you optimize the introduction of GMB?

In addition to including relevant keywords and key phrases, you should include why you have started, what problems you solve, and why you are different from your competitors.

Instead of cramming the introduction of your GMB with keywords, you should try to sprinkle keywords naturally.

In a nutshell, you should include all the information in the introduction of GMB, which your target audience might wish to know.

4- Get GMB Listing Verified

This step is imperative for Google Maps Marketing. Getting GMB listing verified ensures that who the real owner of a business is. In addition to that, a verified Google My Business listing gives an impression that business information is up-to-date and accurate.

Google offers the following methods of GMB verification:

• Verify a business listing by postcard

• Verify a business listing by Phone

• Verify a business listing by email

• Instantly verify a business listing

• Bulk verification

You must understand that not all the businesses are eligible for phone, email or instant verification.

Most of the businesses are verified by postcards. You must check it, whether your business is eligible for other verification methods or not.

6- Manage Google Reviews

According to Google,

“Google review count and score factor in local search ranking: more reviews and positive ratings will probably improve a business's local ranking.”

Encourage your happy customers to leave reviews for your business. Of course, your business might attract negative reviews as well. And you cannot do much about it except to reply to them according to Google’s guidelines.

In addition to playing an important role in Google Maps Marketing, reviews also make your business look authentic.

Do you still need more reasons to encourage your happy customers to write reviews for your business?

6- Build local citations and backlinks

Local citations and backlinks work as trust votes for your business. They help your business build prominence and relevance. The more local citations and backlinks your business has, the better it will be for ranking.

However, you should always try to create high-quality backlinks and local citations. 

Here are some popular places to create local citations:

• Industry specific directories

• Local blogs

• Locally focused directories

Google itself has said,

“Your position in web results is also a factor, so SEO best practices also apply to local search optimization.”

My friend, start building high-quality backlinks and local citations if you want to dominate Google Maps results.

Conclusion:

Google Maps Marketing not only increases the local sales but also builds trust. When potential customers see you on the top Google Maps results, they will consider you a trusted company.

In addition, you will not have to spend a hefty amount on this new avenue of local marketing.

Do you have any query about Google Maps Marketing? Do share it in the comment section. I would love to hear about it.