Google Maps For Local Businesses

We Grew Our Search Engine Optimisation Agency Using Our Own Google My Business Strategies.

You’re Not On The Map If You’re Not On Google Maps

Why Local SEO Is So Crucial
Targeted SEO Services Limited Liverpool
Posted by: Local SEO Liverpool Tuesday 19th of March 2024

Free Google My Business Listings

If you’ve not heard of Google Maps, then you must have had your head under a stone somewhere but just in case you’re not in the know, Google Maps is a service offered by Google where your business information is stored and displayed in a Google Maps listing according to its physical location.

This may not sound particularly enthralling but believe me, if you utilise the full array of potential offered by ensuring your Google Maps listing is complete, your visibility will shoot through the roof.

The beauty of this is that it enables the smaller businesses to rank up there with the big boys with big budgets - maybe even more so because it's easier for a small business to keep their eye on the ball. They can tweak the listing and respond to analytical feedback far more quickly than a team within a big business could manage. There’ll be no negative reviews round here my friend!

Google Maps is also one of the reasons why digital marketers are rubbing their hands in glee, as they’re cashing in on the shift this is causing with digital marketing strategies across the entire globe.

Wondering what all the fuss is about?

Imagine you’re a new restaurant owner for instance…

Someone says to you “Hey Joe, every single time someone asks what you do, what you sell, where you’re located and how to get to you, I’m going to give them your information first every single time, ahead of your competitors!”

“I’m going to tell them all about you and I’m even going to give them directions to make sure they get to you okay. I’m also going to show them some really great pictures of the restaurant and of that delicious meal we had, plus I’ll ask the people who also love it to share their experience giving me customer reviews, so that everyone in the area knows just what an awesome time they can have if they take their families for a meal at yours.”

You’d first of all think “wow this is going to cost me!” but when he tells you it costs nada, you’d be pretty overwhelmed at how helpful he was being, whilst running at breakneck speed for a pen and paper to make pretty damn sure he had all of your info and not your competitors!

That kinda shows that used properly, it really is a big deal. And just to reiterate - it’s TOTALLY FREE!!!

Here’s a little secret too - it isn’t only about your business location either. If you have a bricks and mortar business with a shop front, or where your customers come to your premises then perfect, Google Maps needs you on it! But if you don’t have this, don’t reach for the violin just yet - you can still use Google Maps to promote yourself just as effectively.

By the time we’re done, if our message hits home properly you’ll have optimized your Google My Business listing so well that - regardless of your business location - your products or services will be showing up in Google Maps results way ahead of the other local business listings.

Beats the good old days of spending a small fortune advertising in the local business pages doesn’t it!

So in a nutshell - if Google Maps knows you exist, so will all of your potential customers. It’s like Social Media but better!

Social Media is used to let people know that you exist, what you do and how great you are, in the HOPE that you’ll be front of mind at some point when they decide they might want to buy what you offer. If you’re particularly persuasive, you just might be able to coax a potential sale at that point with your fantastic sales skills.

Even in that instance though, they will still need to move their comfortably settled posteriors off of their comfy sofa and get off of today’s choice of thumb scrolling device being using to occupy themselves because they’re just bored.

That in itself is a bit of a mission. They’re in OFF mode, which let’s be honest puts the chances of them putting down the device, rallying the troops and leaving the comfort of their own home right now to pay you a visit, at a little over zero.

Back to the beauty of using Google’s maps marketing…

You have that same person very much in ON mode. They’ve left the reams and reams of inane social media posts way behind as they’re out and about, cash in their hand, gagging to spend it.

They’re already primed and ready to go and they know EXACTLY what they want and they’re already visualising how great they’ll feel when they have it. Maybe somebody else’s expensive advertising campaign has paid off and they’re on a mission! But the key part is they’re in buying mode baby!

Somebody, somewhere is getting their cash! In marketing terms - this prospect is so hot, the pavement they’re walking on is virtually smoking!

They do a quick look on their phone at who offers what they’re looking for as near to them as possible. We say quick because they want it now - they’re not going to be reasonable about this, the nearest shop that suits their needs is ‘getting it’ full bore!

In this instance Google Maps is your magic genie!

You’ve been a super student and followed our advice and you now ‘just happen to have’ this beautifully populated and perfectly optimized Google My Business listing…

If your customer is ‘armed and ready to spend’, YOU are now a sitting duck!

Your super hot customer, wallet set to defcon 1, searches on their mobile device whilst in your area for a local business just like yours…

Bingo! There you are as if by magic! Your Google My Business listing is the local strutting cock, almost arrogantly showing off its gorgeous display way ahead of its dowdy competition…

Location, a description of what you do, a few images to back it all up and Google reviews has even littered shiny yellow stars all over it - almost shouting that people really like you! It’s virtually gleaming at them!

Now it’s your turn! Your work is done. You’re a match made in heaven and they are helpless…

If you were Bear Grylls and this was bait, this would be the haul of the century...

You and the Google genie did good. Not because you have one ‘rapidly beating heart’ in your catch of the day but because there’s a whole herd of them! Your optimized Google Maps listing just keeps sending them in, one after another.

Except we both know that none of this was magic and there was no genie. And, just for the record (rant alert - this one boils my bones!) it’s not ‘luck’ either for those out there who will tell you that you’re so lucky to have chosen such a popular niche to work with...

It’s you treating your business like a business and being one hell of a canny and well-informed marketer. You knew that for a business to be successful, people needed to know what you do and you used one of the best methods around to let them know!

Many businesses are making the mistake of ignoring the huge potential they have at their fingertips - all completely free! They’re ignoring our friend running around telling everyone how great they are!

Why anyone isn’t using their Google My Business profile to bring those hot prospects right to your cash till is beyond me but you know us - we like to help. It’s why all of our Mass Optimizer products are created to ensure you’re equipped to excel with your online marketing, but we’d only be doing half a job if we hadn’t rammed home that you NEED to have your Google My Business page in tip top order!

So that leads us nicely on to the how…

We’ll be honest now - if your forte isn’t attention to detail this isn’t for you as you need to make sure there are no rogue characters and you’ve crossed all your t’s and dotted your i’s properly.

There’s a little bit of patience needed here but we promise, it’ll be well worth it.

As with all of our services, our goal is to put the tools into your hands so you can market yourself to your heart’s content. But, if you do need help with this, we can create your perfect Google Maps listing for you so get in touch here and we’ll happily be your temporary genie so you can work your own magic after that.

However, if you’re up to it and ready to get stuck in yourself, we’ve created a GMB Listing walkthrough here which takes you through all of the steps needed to create a perfect, well optimized listing yourself.

Heads up - you may want to get a coffee first - caffeine will definitely help…

© 2017. All Rights Reserved - Designed & Developed with by https://targetedseo.com