Want to Get Leads from Google Maps but Don’t Have a Physical Location? Try These Tricks!
Google Maps makes it easier than ever to market a business that has a brick-and-mortar shop, office, or warehouse. But what about all those service-oriented businesses that don’t? How are you supposed to find new local customers on Google Maps if you don’t have a physical location to advertise?
No problem—we’ve got you covered. In this post, we’ll give you everything you need to know to market your service area business and get tons of local leads on Google Maps.
1) What Is a Service Area Business?
Google My Business recognizes that not all businesses can be marketed in the same way. To account for the fact that not every business has a physical location—but nonetheless needs to market locally—they created the category of “Service Area Business”.
Service Area Businesses deliver services to customers located within a geographical area. Typical examples include general contractors, electricians, plumbers, roofers, etc. Some Service Area Businesses, such as auto mechanics, appliance repair technicians, and lawyers, may provide services at both their own business address and at their client’s locations.
Do you provide services at a single fixed address, or do you bring your services to your clients?
2) What’s Your Service Area?
Next, you need to decide where you want to market your business. Google calls this area the service area. However, don’t let the name fool you. Your service area does not mark the area you actually service—it marks the area you want to market to.
Many people mistakenly believe that having a larger service area will bring in more business. But it really depends on what kind of competition you have in your service area. In a densely populated city, you might get more leads by focusing your marketing on a narrower service area like a neighborhood. The opposite goes for rural areas and small towns where spreading a wider net could get more leads.
It’s all about strategy.
3) Get Citations and Build Trust with Google
Every time your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) are listed in an online directory is a citation. The most common citations are Facebook, Google My Business, Yelp, Yellow Pages, Superpages, etc., but there are hundreds of others out there online.
Google will cross-check all the information available about your business online. If everything lines up, it will go a long way to proving your company can be trusted. And that’s a great reason for Google to promote your business in Google Maps!
Research local directories in your area. You may find them through unions, local magazines, or community organizations. Make sure the information is up-to-date and matches both your website and GMB listing.
4) Get More (and more) Reviews!
Your reviews are the icing on the cake of your Google My Business (GMB) listing. Your clients can view them as soon as they find you on Google Maps.
Encourage clients to leave reviews for your services and be sure to respond quickly. The more reviews, the better your ranking. And don’t forget to optimize your reviews with keywords for an extra SEO boost!
5) Optimize and Update Your GMB Listing Often
Think of your GMB listing as equal parts directory listing, business card, and storefront.
Ensure that all the information is compiled correctly and up to date. Google offers the option of social media-like posts on GMB listings. Take the opportunity to inform clients about current specials, changes to services, and other miscellaneous information. You can even set up reminder schedules— Google will prompt you when it’s time for a new post!
6) Consider Paying for Priority Placement in Local Services
Google offers a program called Google Guaranteed. This purchased program is a sort of certification of your service quality. Essentially, Google promises the searcher— their client— a job well done, or they pay them back.
While these sponsored links are a slightly greater expense, you’ll appear more prominently in the Local Services section, and you’ll see the results almost instantly!
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Hi Paul,
Thanks for reading! Yes, you’re paying for SEO services but, at the moment, we’re not managing your Google My Business account. As you know, the problem is that Google does not accept coworking spaces, virtual offices, P.O. boxes, or storage units to be used as addresses on GMB. Because Google will suspend accounts that use these types of locations, we have made it a policy not to manage GMB accounts that use them.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our Google team by calling 1.888.667.7186 ext. 802, or by emailing our Local SEO team at mylocalseo@linknowmedia.com.
Thanks!