Let’s get one important thing straight. If you’re a small business primarily catering to a local target audience, then Google Maps advertising is a vital facet of local online marketing that you shouldn’t overlook.
Improved store traffic, more phone calls about your products or services, sign-ups – these are just some of the desirable conversions you can attain with a good Google Maps advertising strategy.
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Google Local 3-Pack
When you search for a local product or business on Google, it will show you the top 3 businesses closely related to your search. This is also known as the Google Local 3-pack. To see other similar businesses, you will have to choose the “more results” option.
Naturally, the businesses included in this 3-pack are getting more exposure.
A person will usually conclude that these businesses are more relevant and credible – which will lead them to visit the store, making a call, and ultimately purchasing from them.
More and more users are utilizing the “businesses near me” queries to aid their local business searches. Thus, for business owners, being included in the 3-pack is an incredibly valuable tool in their Google Maps advertising and digital marketing arsenal.
Here are the other advantages in ranking on the Google Local 3-Pack.
- Up to 85% of Google Maps users will visit a business within 24 hours of searching for it on the app. 28% of these searches lead to a purchase.
- Users make buying decisions primarily based on whether a business is easily searchable online with readily available information such as phone number, store location, operating hours. These details are essential in Google Maps advertising.
- Google Maps has a click-to-call feature that users love to use.
Factors in to Consider in Google Maps Advertising
Google Maps search results are primarily based on the users’ location. There are two primary factors that Google uses in ranking your business.
Positive Customer Reviews
To succeed in Google Maps advertising, your business must have several positive customer reviews online – not just in Google Maps – so think social media sites such as Facebook and online review sites such as Yelp, TripAdvisor, etc.
Having positive customer reviews indicate that your business is credible. People tend to check for online reviews for virtually just about anything.
And when it comes to succeeding online, your reputation can make or break your business.
Credibility encourages customer conversions. On the other hand, negative reviews turn potential customers off and diminish your conversion rating. Mistakes and disagreements are unavoidable. If you receive any negative reviews, do your best to address them as soon as you can.
Prominence and Credibility
As we mentioned above, a credible business fosters more conversions. And the more credible your business is, the higher it will rank in Google Maps advertising listing.
Several factors can affect your online visibility. Some of these are mentions on social media platforms, citations on local listings and directories specific to your niche or industry, and links from other credible sources.
Paid Advertising vs. Local 3-Pack
Technically, paid ads are what consumers see more prominently in a search engine results page – rather than the local 3-pack. However, it’s not fair to discount getting a spot in the 3-pack entirely.
If you’re wondering which one you should pursue more, we have to look at the basics of Google Maps advertising and local SEO.
Success in local SEO pertains to organic rankings on Google Maps. This means less advertising money spent. However, organic marketing efforts take a long time before you start seeing any notable results.
On the other hand, a paid advertising campaign allows you to work on your rankings in less time. Thus essentially, what you’re buying when you choose paid advertising is time.
While paid advertising will cost more out of your marketing budget, you’re guaranteed to see fast results. You can then utilize and tweak to check what Google Maps advertising strategies work best for your business.
That’s not to say getting that spot in the 3-pack is not advantageous.
Naturally, more consumers tend to gravitate towards organic results. Some have even reported that paid ads are not that trustworthy.
At Rule Your Kingdom, we are a Google Partner – which is an accolade we have earned to help our clients succeed in Google Maps advertising.