How Google Maps Pinpoints Your Ideal Customers and Lets Them Find You

For decades, the question marketers and growth-minded businesses have asked themselves is, “How do I get to the top of Google?” Because of the influx of algorithm updates and the elusive hacks it takes to work your way to that enviable position, the answer to this question has been a moving target since it was first pondered. And now, Google Maps is becoming a bigger piece of marketer’s objective than before. As you’ll find later, one of the new goals might be, more specifically, “Why should I show up in Google Maps?”

Part of the reason for this is because the way we use the internet, and what we use it for, have evolved. In 2010, just 5% of the world’s web traffic was attributed to mobile. Today, the number is tenfold -- more than half of all traffic comes from a mobile device. As mobile use exploded, Google responded by changing the way the search engine results page is organized.

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Google My Business and More

Google My Business is one way Google evolved its results page and provided the first step in letting customers find you. Google My Business provides a small map with multiple geographically relevant search results at the top of the page. This was specifically designed with mobile usability in mind for local customers looking for specific places or services. Google Maps is a vital part of this infrastructure as it points searchers directly to what they need.

For example, if you type in something like “Best Thai Food in Dallas,” you’re seconds away from setting a reservation, and you can navigate to the restaurant from our mobile device without having to leave the Google homepage.

Why You Should Pay Closer Attention to Google My Business and Google Maps:

• Google My Business appears at the top of the search engine results page. In other words, it is the answer if you’re wondering how to get to the top of Google.
• More than 50% of Google searches on mobile are with the intent to find information on a business, service, or product. That’s where Google Maps comes in.
• Google’s focus continues to be on local, mobile results. Your hours of operation, business reviews and more can all be found by local users right on Google.

How Is Google Maps the Ultimate Business Growth Hack?

With the lions share of all search traffic, and with millions of people using its free Maps application for navigation, live traffic updates and finding local business information, Google Maps is a vital part of any current SEO strategy. Let’s say we’re looking for a car repair shop in Austin, Texas, while we’re visiting our relatives there. Google’s location tracking services are so intuitive that you don’t have to type in your location: “car repair services.”

If you searched for “car repair services” now, you’d see a snippet at the top of the page with three nearby and top-rated locations. Appearing in what’s known as Google Local 3-Pack attracts attention to your brand and encourages people to engage with you, but you have to compete to get there.

While the exact recipe for getting there is complicated, reviews, local SEO ranking and citation management can all help give you the SEO juice to land there: One Firefly can look at your current marketing efforts and figure out how we can best help you. Our Review Champ service aggregates positive online reviews and propels them to the top of displayed reviews. Our locally focused blog articles help Google make the connection when a customer types in “best home electronics integrator in [your city].” We also make sure that you have consistent information, like name, address and phone number (called the NAP by us marketers) listed everywhere you’re mentioned to get the most leverage from your SEO efforts.

At One Firefly, we incorporate content marketing strategies with Google Maps in mind to help bolster our client’s success in the ever-changing world of SEO. Call us today at 877.334.1144 to speak with one of the One Firefly digital marketing pros or fill out our contact form to get started. We can’t wait to hear from you!