| Last updated: March 17, 2018
I’m a directionally challenged person, and for people like me Google maps aren’t a luxury, rather a thing of basic necessity. This tool is considered as one of the best mapping tools. It performs its primary function so well that it seems like an added bonus that it’s a powerful tool for marketing too.
In this post, Google Maps Marketing is simplified for a better understanding of everyone. I’ll wring out all the information that one needs to have about Google maps marketing: functioning, and benefits.
SEO means search engine optimization. SEO is used to enhance both aspects of traffic on your website: quality and quantity.
Let’s break things down into:
What is Google Maps Marketing?
Google maps marketing is a marketing technique that uses the functionality of Google maps to make your business simpler to find. It’s a useful tool of marketing for both, large and small, businesses. It’s somewhat more useful for small businesses as it helps them target the local consumers.
What purpose does it serve?
The foremost purpose of Google Maps Marketing is to pull a placement as high as possible in the listings of the local business results on the Google Maps.
There are two types of local business listings on Google Maps:
Google maps results which are based on proximity: These listings are prioritized on the bases of user’s current position. You may, at times, get PPC Ads (Paid per click) topping the results, but those results are subject to the ad rank formula. Moreover, most of the people jump directly to Google maps listings.
As you can see in the picture above, I searched “musical store” and got a list of musical stores on the bases of proximity. Musical store on the top is 2.7 km away, Musical store on 2nd and 3rd place are also listed, in case I want to explore more options.
Try it yourself.
Thanks to mobile word suggestions that people are getting triggered to search musical store “near me” instead of musical store. Google sure wants us to use Google maps more often.
Ranked Google maps results: Proximity-based results are undeniably common, but that’s not the only way Google provides. Every user doesn’t always keep the location data enabled. In this case, Ranked Google maps results are shown. Google doesn’t solely rank businesses on the bases of customers’ ratings. You must have seen searches where results with less rating top the one having better ratings.
Why does this happen?
It depends on how well-optimized your Google My Business Listing is.
Google My business (Former name- Google places): It’s a completely free offering for local businesses. It simply enables the business owners to claim a listing for their business. It doesn’t matter what type of business you’re involved in, you can simply claim a Google My Business listing for your business. The purpose of which is to present potential customers with the information (of your business) they need to know like NAP (name of your business, address and phone number).
There are four main factors that separate the best listing from the worst listing:
Well optimized pages
Backlinks
Number of pages
Google reviews
How to get started with Google My Business?
Get a Gmail account: For for the sake of starting from the scratch, I’m mentioning this point. You need to get a Gmail account to get started.
Go to google.com/business: If you want to claim a listing for your business, you need to go to Google My Business.
Start now: You’ll find a similar “Start Now” tab when you’ll visit Google My Business.
Business name: What’s the name of your business?
Location: Where are you located? Start now will take you to the next step where you’d have to fill details regarding your location like Country/region, street address, city, state, zip code, main business phone number.
Category: What kind of business do you run? Be specific for better results.
Contact information: Though this step is optional but without filling this information your Google My Business page won’t be fully optimized.
Try to get verified: Getting your Google My Business listing verified should be the next thing of great importance because without verification the information bar will be stuck at 90%.
A postcard to your main business address will be sent. It takes one or two weeks. You get the verification pin (6 Digits). To some businesses Google does allow to verify over the phone. Getting verified is crucial for optimization of your my business page.
Add business Info: It’s very important to fill the business info 100%. Provide the NAP info, make sure these match your website, mention business hours and link back your website address (URL).
Introduction: It’s a place for your business summary; the products and services that are offered by your company and things that make you stand out of the crowd of alike businesses. Be original. Link back to website. Highlight main services provided by your business. Link to service section of your website. If you don’t own a website, give your email address, but having a website for your business would help you in so many ways(Along with giving a professional feel).
Add images: Images are important. You can use interior and exterior shots, logo, team photos (if you wish to), products and just show yourself up. Use any photo info editor to attach geographical information about your business settings with the pictures. Altitude, latitude, longitude, description, and comments.
Be specific about the categories: Choose the right categories for your business. You want to be very specific while making a selection here and it ought to be quite detailed.
Get reviews: Though there is a mist on the clarity about how exactly user reviews affect the listings, it’s a sure thing that a business with great reviews won’t fail against one having no reviews at all. Reviews aren’t the sole reason for your ranking but play a big role in the process. Ask people for reviews as happy customers would make your rating go up, and your chances of attracting potential customers would also go up.
NAP Citations: Google uses citations when evaluating the online authority of your business. Easy to obtain, often free- just takes a bit of your time (What doesn’t?).
There are two types of citation:
Partial citation: Part of NAP. Name and address. Name and phone number.
Full citation: Complete NAP. Information should match the information on your website. It’s always better to go with a full citation instead of partial one.
It’s important because along with links and reviews, citation plays an important factor which Google uses when deciding the order of ranking business in their search results.
Now that you have done everything that you could do there is one last little step to follow. Be a bit patient. These things often take time. You just have to deliver the best of you in every possible aspect. Always remember these things just bring the customers to you, these things would never be able to turn them into loyal customers. The quality you’d deliver to them would always be the reason why your one time customers would become loyal ones. So, focus on the quality of your product and use these tools to your advantage.
About Writer: –
Anthony Bergs is a project manager at Writers Per Hour. He always keeps an eye on the marketing sector to implement the best innovations into the strategies that he builds. He’s always open for new connections and partnerships.