How to advertise on Google Mapsw
With more and more people preferring to get products delivered to their doorsteps, driving foot traffic to your physical store is becoming more of a challenge. However, as difficult as it may be, a few innovative platforms are coming to the rescue. One such platform is Google Maps.
Today, over a billion people worldwide use Google Maps to navigate and search for destinations, including nearby businesses. Thanks to Google Maps marketing , businesses can now capitalize on this opportunity.
How Do Google Maps Ads Work?
Ads on Google Maps generally work the same way as other pay-per-click ads. After a user performs a search on the app, they see local search ads. The user can then swipe up on these ads to see more information about the businesses, such as addresses, contact information, reviews, photos, and more.
To make it even better, Google recently included several features aimed at helping businesses increase their visibility. Some of those features, including Promoted Pins, in-store promotions, and customizable business pages.
Promoted Pins
With Promoted Pins, the locations you advertise on the Google Maps app show up as purple-colored location pins, which help your business stand out from the ordinary red pins. The purple pins are also accompanied by your business logo and enable users to tap on it to reveal more information about your company and its products.
In-Store Promotions
This feature allows you to market your in-store promotions within the Google Maps ads, helping you offer more incentives to potential customers looking for similar services or products.
Customizable Business Pages
Google also offers businesses that use Google Maps their own customizable business page where users will be directed to when they click on your ad. You can include a link to your website, contact information, and more on this page.
Advantages of Advertising on Google Maps
Using Google Maps ads might be new to you, but certain businesses are already reaping some of the following benefits of advertising on the platform.
Increased Visibility
You might have the best products or services in your area, but your local business will struggle to make a profit if people don’t know about them. Also, if you face a lot of competition in your local area, your business’s pin location will probably get lost amongst all the other red pins around you.
Since the Promoted Pins in Google Maps ads have a different color and even show your business logo right on the map, you can increase your visibility.
Gives You a Competitive Edge
Advertising on Google Maps is still relatively new. That means that businesses that utilize this platform can gain a competitive edge over local competitors.
Allows You To Reach Customers on the Go
Since the navigation app is mobile, you can reach potential customers on the go, allowing them to find your business just when they need to.
Enables You to Drive Action
Advertising on Google Maps can increase your visibility and prompt users to take action thanks to the buttons that allow them to call your business or get directions to your location.
According to studies , an estimated 75% of people who search for a location, service, or product nearby are likely to visit the store in the next 24 hours. From this percentage, 28% of them end up purchasing a product or service. That means that advertising on Google Maps helps you to prompt users to take action.
How To Advertise on Google Maps
Having touched on what Google Maps ads are, some of the features the platform offers, and the benefits you can enjoy by using it, it’s time to tell you how to go about setting up a Google Maps ads campaign.
1. Update and Verify Your Google My Business Listing
Create a business listing on Google and get it verified. The verification might take a while, but it is necessary because it enables Google to confirm that your business’s physical location exists.
2. Connect the Google Ads Account and Enable Local Extensions
After verification, create a Google Ads account, making sure to use the same email for the Google Ads and GMB accounts. Next, navigate to Ad Extensions and select Location Extensions from the drop-down menu. Next, choose your GMB account, confirm your location, and click Finish.
Once you’ve done that, go to Call Extensions and activate it to allow users to access your business phone number.
3. Location Targeting
After setting up your location extensions, target the specific locations you intend to focus on to gain the most from your campaign. Do this by going to Keywords & Targeting, then Locations, and selecting your desired locations. You can then use Bid Adjustment to adjust your bids.
4. Target Specific Keywords
Optimize the keywords your ads will use. Remember to keep track of what potential customers search for, using that information to optimize your ads and campaigns.
Try using a mixture of specific and general keywords. Google often recommends using five to twenty keywords per ad group.
5. Launch Campaign and Track Performance
Once you’ve set everything, you can proceed to launch your campaign. While some businesses might leave it at that, you should continue tracking your performance and optimizing the campaign. To do this:
1. Sign in to your account
2. Navigate to Campaigns
3. Click on Segment > Click Type You should then see plenty of metrics that will help you determine how well your ads are performing.
Running a Successful Campaign
There are certain key factors you should pay attention to in order to ensure that your campaign is a success:
- Have quality inbound links and consistent citations to improve your ranking
- Include positive business reviews
- Be keen on on-page optimization
- Include images of your business to help users engage more
Stay Ahead of the Competition With Effective Marketing Strategies
Through Google Maps ads, companies have an additional platform to help them stand out from the crowd and drive foot traffic straight to their location.
By utilizing the digital marketing support we offer here at Relentless Digital, your business can dominate the market and stay ahead of the competition. From off-site strategies to on-page optimization, we hold the key to your business’s success.
Get in touch with Relentless Digital at 262-720-5739 today and book a marketing consultation appointment.
