Over the past couple of years, we have witnessed the impact of Google, and especially on small businesses. Google is a platform that offers a variety of services to business owners, including where start-ups and other small enterprises can figure out the intricacies of business advertising.

Google offers a myriad of ways entrepreneurs can boost the visibility of their small businesses and gain a competitive advantage against renowned brands and other established companies. However, today we are going to focus on one of the most effective ways to showcase your business to the world – Google Maps.

What is Google Maps?

Google maps is a platform that allows potential clients to connect to your business and find a roadmap that leads straight to your doorstep. With google maps, customers are one click away from gaining access to your business information including telephone numbers, website, and address. Considering there is a ton of other similar businesses in your locality, the importance of higher rankings on Google Maps cannot be over-emphasized. 

Here is How Google Maps Comes into Play

Times have changed and so is our browsing experience. When you conduct a google search for the word laundry, you will see a plethora of different information about the laundry industry. Among them will be a list of businesses in the locality offering laundry and other related services. There you will see a map with the various pinned locations for the different laundry service providers. Also, you will find a description of each business, indicating their location, telephone numbers, business hours, website, and other relevant information, as well as the links to the business.

So, how does this feature favor small businesses?

Google maps showcases businesses depending on the searcher’s locality. It is only in instances where no related business is listed on the platform, that Google Maps will display businesses that are further away from your location. As such, this is good news to start-up and other small business entrepreneurs as they get to rank higher in the local search as compared to renowned brands.

The Importance of Google Maps To Your Small Business

In a bid to ensure customer satisfaction, businesses are doing everything in their power to bring their products and services closer to home. It is no wonder we are in a digital era where the number of online consumers is at a steady incline.

Google maps is one of those strategies built to familiarize consumers with businesses in their locality, minimizing the need to search directory pages as well as go around asking for recommendations to a certain business.

Google maps is essential for small businesses. Here’s why;

• It allows potential customers to find your business. 
• Google maps eliminates the need to browse countless pages on a company’s website to find contact information.
• It generates actual leads as potential clients have direct contact with the business.
• Your competitors are doing so.

How to Make Your Business Appear On Google Maps

Consumers have readily embraced the use of online platforms to reach businesses and service providers. From finding a reputable HVAC technician to getting to know when the local cake shop will close, Google Maps is an invaluable platform, and especially to small businesses.

For your business to appear on Google Maps, you need to do the following;

• Set up a business profile 

The first step any entrepreneur willing to boost their brand’s visibility should do is to set up a profile with Google My Business. The process is simple and straightforward, where you input the basic details of your business including the business name, location, address, nature of the business, and hours of operation. 

• Add photos of your business 

In the e-commerce industry, since consumers are not walking into a brick and mortar establishment, they need proof of business. What other way to prove your legitimacy on online platforms other than showing them pictures of your business?

Photos are essential on Google Maps. Upload photos of the business premises, your products and rename them accordingly. A 1537483img.png photo can be renamed as clean-shirt-at-kestin-laundromat.png to ensure Google’s algorithm displays more accurate results.

• Get customer reviews

Once you have served your clients and are sure they are content with your product, ask them to leave reviews on your social media platforms.

Garnering more reviews than your competitors is what places you at the top on Google Maps. Whether they are positive or negative reviews, always respond to clients by thanking them or addressing their concerns as soon as possible. It is through connecting with your clients that further escalates your rankings.

• Get listed on online business directories

The whole point of getting listed on online business directories is to establish your business as an authority, which sits well with Google. The same applies to being listed or reviewed on other websites. Such listings help to build the reputation of the business, allowing Google to rank the business higher in specific search terms. That way, your business will not only appear on the first results pages, but your business will rank top on Google maps.