Tag Archive for: Google Maps

3 Essential Strategies to Elevate Your Google Maps Ranking

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A prominent Google Maps ranking is crucial for a local business, especially SMBs. Missing out on ranking in these searches means losing significant opportunities to boost lead generation, drive in-store traffic, and, ultimately, enhance conversions and revenue.

Are you aware that an incredible 80% of local searches result in conversions? Utilizing Google Maps for marketing can significantly enhance the impact of your local search. Continue reading to discover our recommended digital marketing strategies and learn how to improve your Google Maps ranking to boost lead generation and increase revenue.

Maximizing Local Search Through Google Maps Marketing

Google Maps reigns as the most preferred map application in the U.S., boasting over 150 million active users. With countless daily searches for services and businesses, a high ranking on Google Maps can significantly enhance your local market presence. Here’s how:

  • Enhanced Engagement Opportunities: A top Google Maps listing offers numerous ways for customers to interact with your brand. It allows potential customers to easily find your location, view photos of your business, and read about your offerings before they even set foot in your store. Moreover, a prominent listing facilitates quicker decision-making for consumers by providing essential information like operating hours, contact details, and direct links to your website. 
  • Local Visibility with High Ratings: Being visible in local searches with good ratings is vital. High ratings not only attract more customers but also build credibility and trust in your brand. They act as social proof, influencing potential customers’ decisions and enhancing your online reputation. Moreover, consistently high ratings can significantly improve your search rankings, making your business more visible to those searching for your services or products.
  • Boosted Business Visibility: Higher rankings directly translate to increased business visibility. This elevated visibility is not just a number game; it’s about being the first choice when potential customers are searching for your services or products. A prominent position on Google Maps means more eyes on your brand, leading to a wider audience reach and potentially a broader customer base.

Strategies for Achieving a Top Ranking on Google Maps

Optimizing your Google Business Profile is a critical step in enhancing your online visibility. The key to this process is ensuring the accuracy and consistency of your business information across various platforms. By maintaining uniformity in your business name, contact details, and operating hours across your Google Maps listing, website, and social media platforms, you significantly improve your visibility in search results. This not only makes it easier for potential customers to find and trust your business but also adds credibility to your brand. Customers often rely on these listings for accurate information, so a well-optimized profile is indispensable in boosting your digital presence.

Transitioning to the recent updates from Google, businesses now have an excellent opportunity to further enhance their listings. The ability to showcase products at the top of their Google Maps listing is a game-changer. This strategic placement significantly increases visibility to potential customers, capturing the attention of those actively searching for your products or services. By effectively utilizing this product placement feature, you create a direct link between what you offer and the needs of your audience. This not only drives traffic to your business but also leads to increased engagement, higher click-through rates, and ultimately, more conversions.

Lastly, the importance of customer reviews in shaping your digital reputation cannot be overstated. Actively managing and responding to both positive and negative reviews is crucial in public perception of your brand. Demonstrating that your business values customer feedback and is committed to quality service builds trust and transparency. Encouraging satisfied customers to leave positive reviews, and thoughtfully addressing any negative feedback, enhances your business’s reputation. This approach not only contributes to higher rankings but also fosters a loyal customer base, making it a vital component of your overall digital marketing strategy.

Final Insights from Onimod Global

As a certified Google partner and 15 years of knowledge and experience in Google’s evolving landscape, Onimod Global offers comprehensive digital marketing solutions, including optimizing your Google Business Profile and enhancing your overall digital presence.

Our partnership with Google provides us with unique insights and advanced tools, allowing us to tailor our strategies effectively. Our digital marketing knowledge spans from SEO, social media marketing, to paid media strategies, all meticulously crafted to propel your business to new heights. This collaboration helps ensure that we are always at the forefront of digital trends, providing you with cutting-edge solutions that are both innovative and effective.

If you’re looking to enhance your digital presence, contact us today.

Google Maps Marketing Strategy 101

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Google Maps is one of the first things that people think of when you hear the phrase “local SEO.” When we think of any business that will have what I need, whether it’s furniture or food or office supplies, Google Maps is the go to. I know that the search results have plenty of information to pick the best option with Google reviews, star ratings, photos, and location information.

We’re here to give an overview of Google My Business and how you can move up in Google Maps rankings. These tools will give your Google My Business posts the ability to get additional reach locally. 

 

Google My Business Overview

First thing’s first, you need a Google My Business listing. Here is a simple checklist with everything you’ll need to include: 

  • You’re using your legal business name
  • You’ve chosen the primary category most relevant to your business and have added additional categories (if applicable)
  • Correct address is shown (if you’re not a service area business)
  • Address is hidden if you’re an service area business and service areas have been designated
  • Hours of operation have been added
  • Local phone number is being used
  • Website link is correct 
  • Appointment link has been added (if applicable)
  • Products have been added (if retail)
  • Services have been added (if you offer services)
  • Applicable attributes have been added
  • Business description has been added
  • Opening date has been added

This is going to be the first impression anyone has of your business, so it’s important to have all information accurate and up to date. Mike Blumenthal even coined the phrase “Google My Business is your new homepage” back in 2015.

 

Increasing Google Maps Rankings

Now that the basics are out of the way, you can begin a strategy for increasing your Google Maps rankings. Although marketing on Google Maps is free, you can boost your business’ visibility in search results with local search ads. 

With the use of these ads, you can push your business listing to the top of search queries for keywords relevant to your business. Google Maps ads use location targeting, so the most relevant audience in your near vicinity will show up for location-relevant searches. These ads appear in desktop and mobile searches. We recommend implementing these ads into your Google Ads strategy if you haven’t already done so. 

 

More From Onimod Global

As trusted Google experts, our team is here to help with holistic digital marketing strategies including all Google Ads, because our goal is to make your business more successful. To get in contact with an audit on your digital presence, get in touch with us here. 

What You Should Know About New Google Maps Local Search Ads

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In response to the recent Google Performance Summit, Google made several announcements on how their services will be changing in the months to come. One of the most important announcements included the introduction of new local search advertisements through Google Maps.

What’s The Difference?

Google already provides location based advertisement options in addition to the Google My Business platform, so what exactly is so special about these new local search ads? Well, these new ads will be available in several new formats including:

  • Promoted Pins
  • In-Store Promotions
  • Customizable Business Pages
  • Local Inventory Search

All of these options are meant to drive foot traffic to a physical location. Now, you may be wondering why businesses would be interested in brick-and-mortar stores when e-commerce is on the rise.

Google revealed during their summit that 75% of people who conduct a location based search on their mobile device will then visit that location within 24 hours with 28% of these visits resulting in a purchase.

Bridging The Gap

Clearly, mobile is not be the only concern. What advertisers should focus on is utilizing mobile in order to drive physical visits and purchases. To do this, the business must first be visible in every form possible across the Internet.

These new local search ads will facilitate this need of visibility by providing another dynamic platform on which consumers can find your business. While this new form of local search ads will not make all of your advertising dreams come true, it is certainly a useful tool to have in your arsenal of digital marketing services.

Process Pending

These new ads are only available in a beta form, and are not available to all advertisers. As such, there is little information currently available about these new ads, but one thing that we do know is how Google chooses which local search ads do and do not show through Google Maps.

Google has provided the following factors in regard to what will affect new ad rankings:

  • Location
  • Interests
  • Query Text
  • Search/Browsing History
  • Behaviors
  • Time of Day
  • Demographics

More From Onimod Global

For more information on the industry of digital marketing, please visit the Onimod Global News Page. Our content creation specialists are constantly producing new and engaging articles that keep you informed of the latest and greatest trends within the digital marketing world. Enjoy!

Google My Business Posting Update: How This Impacts Search Results

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Google has recently announced that there is a “posts function” now available to businesses registered with their Google My Business program. There appears to be plenty of benefits with the addition of this function, especially for local businesses who frequently compete for higher search rankings. Essentially, this post will explain the importance of Google My Business for local businesses and how this new posting update can impact organic search results.

Google My Business Overview
Google My Business from a general standpoint is a program that gives businesses the capability to be found by visitors on the Google Maps system. In more technical terms, Google describes their Google My Business program as a “free and easy-to-use tool for businesses and organizations to manage their online presence across Google, including Search and Maps. By verifying business information, you can both help customers find you and tell them the story of your business.” Some major benefits of utilizing this tool include interaction with customers, expanding presence, information management, and mobile responsiveness. Therefore, Google My Business clearly helps local businesses increase their online visibility and is ultimately a small investment that can lead to high rewards.

Posts Function Information
With the implementation of this new posts update in Google My Business, there are multiple ways businesses can take advantage of this tool. According to an article from Search Engine Land, this update will give businesses the ability to “share daily specials, promote events happening, showcase top products, and provide more options to connect with customers directly.” Users also have the capability to add images and call to action buttons to help increase post engagement. It should also be noted that posts have the potential to show up in both the Google search and map results.

Impact on Search Results
One of the more important aspects of this Google My Business update is it’s correlation with better search results. According to a case study analysis from a Search Engine Land article, “Posting on Google My Business was found to have a mild impact on rankings and do help improve local SEO for small businesses.” It was also found that since it’s launch, posting on Google My Business has been “surprisingly underutilized by businesses and agencies,” but that pattern is expected to change soon. In the end, using this new posting feature on Google My Business appears to be a “no brainier” for any local business out there. And at Onimod Global we have been implementing this practice with some of our clients, as their organic search rankings have started to increase over time because of this feature.

Contact Us: For more information regarding digital marketing expertise, visit the Onimod Global Website. We provide weekly news updates on the latest in the world of digital marketing. Enjoy!