Should I Advertise on Google Maps?

What is Google Maps?

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past ten years, you’re probably aware of a handy online tool called Google Maps.

Google’s very own geolocation online map provides you with a plethora of features from street view, locating nearby businesses and calculating the distance of journeys.

Google Maps has ultimately changed the way we interact with the world, providing us with the tools to survey our surroundings and find out as much information as we need.

Can You Advertise On Google Maps?

So, now you know what google maps is, if you didn’t already. But how is this helpful to your business?

From search ads to shopping ads to YouTube ads, you may have noticed, Google is not shy when it comes to its advertising capabilities. Google Maps is no exception here, with businesses being able to compete with each other for the top spot in their own locations on local listings.

Whether you want to drive customers to your website, drive customers to your physical store, increase brand awareness or simply stay ahead of your competitor’s; google maps advertising may be just what your business is in need of.

Perhaps you own a retail store, a service based business or a restaurant? Google maps advertising has the influence to drive a larger footfall to your business. Google map ads will appear in two different places: the search results box and on the map itself. 

Users are able to click on these paid ads and see more details about the business being promoted. Local search ads on google maps work the same as other Pay Per Click ads; you only pay when a user clicks on your ad.

By having your ad in a prominent location on the Google Map listings you can be ahead of the competition when someone searches.

Can I Get My Business On Google Maps For Free?

Yes!

In order to get your business on google maps, first off, you need to have a ‘Google My Business’ account and set up a work address for your business. 

Once you have these in place, you can then search for your business on google maps and click the ‘Manage Page’ button under ‘Is this your business?’. You will now be given the option to edit your business information, suspend your listing, reject the listing or create a new one.

Presuming you want to build out your listing, click on ‘edit your business information’. Here, you will be able to fill out your business name, address, phone number, website address and business hours.

You will now be presented with various business categories to choose from depending on the type of business you own. To enhance the customer experience, you can enter several categories to go into more detail about your business’s services e.g. Food, Catering Supplier, Wedding Cakes etc.

Once you are happy with your listing, hit the submit button at the bottom of the page. Google will now send a letter to the physical location of your business so that you can verify the location. Once this happens, boom, your business is now listed on google and verified for all to see!

Don’t celebrate yet though. Although your business is viewable to your customers in the local area, your competitors can still appear at the top of the google maps listing meaning they could be getting more leads than you.

What’s that? You want to be at the top of the google listing instead? We don’t blame you, however, you’re going to need Google Ads to help you to reach that top spot.

How Do I Advertise My Business On Google Maps?

To run Google Ads, you need to set up a Google Ads account or simply contact Tao Digital and we can set one of them up for you.

If you prefer to do it yourself, then make sure that you use the same email address for ‘Google My Business’ and your Google Ads account. Next, sign into Google Ads and head to ‘Ad extensions’.

Once here, find the drop-down menu and select ‘Location extensions’. Select ‘Google My Business’ to check if your location is correct and click ‘Finish’. With your location extension set up, you can now add ‘Call extensions’ to allow users to see your phone number and ring your business.

Once your extensions are set up, you will need to target specific locations related to your business and bid by location. Head to ‘Keywords and Targeting’ and select ‘Locations’, now you can select your desired locations and adjust your bids with ‘Bid Adjustment’.

It is crucial when using Google Ads to get your keywords right. Your choice of keywords will be a huge factor in the success of your ads, so make sure to research what your customers are searching for and use the data to optimise your ads.

Google suggest using around 5-20 keywords per ad group and it is your job to decide whether you use general keywords and reach more people or use more specific keywords if you have a specific customer in mind that you want to target.

Once you have chosen your keywords and set up extensions, you are ready to launch your first Google Maps Advertising campaign. To track performance, you will want to head over to the ‘Campaigns’ tab.

Here, you will need to click on ‘Segment’ and ‘Click Type’ to see different metrics to measure the performance of your ads.

How Much Does It Cost To Advertise On Google Maps?

Seeing as Google Ads works based off an auction, it is difficult to give an exact estimate on the cost. Depending on your industry it could range from £0.01 to £150+ but ultimately, it depends on a variety of factors such as how much your competitors are bidding for the keywords you want to bid on. 

In order to make sure you don’t go burning money on ads, it is required to we suggest you have a solid understanding of how the Google auction, Bid Types and Quality Score works.

So now you know a little more about Google Maps Advertising, whether it is right for you depends on your goals and the nature of your business.

However, if your business has a physical location and you want to stay on top of your competition and increase visibility to potential online customers, Google Maps Advertising could be the answer to your problems.

If you want to find out more information or would like assistance with Google Advertising, please get in touch below.