When you look for a dentist, a bike repair shop or a plumber, you often type “near me” or the name of a town. Google then shows a map at the top with businesses in the area. Many people look at that map first and only then at the regular search results.
If you are not on it, you miss customers who are already ready to call or visit. In this article you will read how to reach the top in your region with local ads and a strong business profile. You will also read how to measure what it delivers.
Why the map matters so much
Local searchers are often in a hurry. They want a solution now, and preferably close by. On the map they see the distance, opening hours, reviews and a call button at a glance.
That makes the step to getting in touch very small. Nobody has to read a website. A tap on the call button or the directions button is enough.
For you as a local business, that is an opportunity. You do not have to compete with national players. You compete with businesses in your own region, and that is where you can make a difference.
How local ads work in Google Maps
There are two ways to appear on the map. You can combine them.
- Free listing: your Google Business Profile appears in the local results. Whether you rank high depends on relevance, distance and prominence.
- Paid ad: through Google Ads, your business can stand out more in the search results and on the map. You usually pay per click or per action.
The free listing is your foundation. The ad is the accelerator. Without a good profile, the ad works less well, because after the click people see nothing convincing.
A location extension is an extra line under your ad showing your address and distance. This extension takes its details from your business profile. That is why the link between the two is so important.
Get your Google Business Profile in order first
Your Google Business Profile is your digital shop sign. Check it before you spend any budget. An ad that points to a half-completed profile is a waste of your money.
Go through these points:
- Choose the right primary category and add suitable secondary categories.
- Check your name, address and phone number. They must match your website.
- Enter your opening hours, including public holidays and exceptional days.
- Add genuine photos of your premises, your team and your work.
- Describe your services and products briefly and concretely.
- Ask satisfied customers for a review and reply to every rating.
Reviews carry a lot of weight. People compare stars and read comments. A friendly reply to a critical review shows that you take your customers seriously.
Link your business profile to Google Ads
Once your profile is correct, connect it to your Google Ads account. You do this in Google Ads under assets, also known as extensions. There you choose location and give access to your profile.
After that, your ad can show your address. On mobile, people also see a button to call or start directions. This turns a search into a phone call or a visit in a single tap.
Also add a call extension with your phone number. Show it only during your opening hours. That way you do not pay for clicks from people you cannot help anyway.
Pay attention to your keywords too. Local searchers use words such as “nearby”, “near me” or the name of a town. Combine these with your service, for example “physiotherapist Amersfoort”. Add negative keywords for searches you do not want, such as “vacancy” or “course”. A negative keyword is a search term for which your ad is deliberately not shown.
Match your reach to your service area
Advertising across the whole of the Netherlands is usually a waste for a local business. Choose only the towns or the radius where you actually work.
In Google Ads you set locations. You can choose towns, postcode areas or a radius around your premises. Pay attention to the setting for who you reach. If you choose people who are located in your area, you mainly get local searchers. If you also choose people who show interest in that area, you also reach people who are only searching for it, such as tourists or people planning to move.
Then you fine-tune with bids:
- Raise your bid for locations close to your business. That is where the chance of winning a customer is greatest.
- Lower your bid for towns that are further away. The journey is longer and the chance is smaller.
- Exclude areas where you do not work or where you do not want customers.
After a few weeks, look at your report by location. You will then see which towns bring in customers and which only cost money. Adjust your settings accordingly.
Measure calls and directions
For local businesses, a large share of customers do not come through a form. They call or they drop by. If you only measure forms on your website, you see only part of your results. You may then wrongly conclude that your ads deliver little.
So set up these actions as conversions. A conversion is an action that has value for your business:
- Calls made directly from your ad.
- Clicks on the phone number on your website.
- Direction requests from your ad or business profile.
- Submitted forms and quote requests.
Do not give every action the same value. A two-second phone call is worth less than a two-minute conversation. You can set a minimum call duration, so that only genuine conversations count.
Also ask your team to note how new customers found you. It is not perfect, but it complements the figures. Visits and phone calls in particular cannot all be measured automatically.
An example from practice
Suppose you have an installation company in Amersfoort and work within a radius of about twenty kilometres. You currently advertise on “plumber” across the whole of the Netherlands. You get many clicks from other provinces and few genuine enquiries.
You change three things. You limit your area to Amersfoort and the surrounding towns. You link your business profile and switch on location and call extensions. And you measure phone calls and direction requests as conversions.
After a few weeks you see that most calls come from two towns right next to your office. There you raise your bid. A village on the edge of your area produces many clicks but few conversations. There you lower your bid. Your budget now goes to the places your customers actually come from.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a physical shop to advertise in Google Maps?
No, not always. Businesses that visit customers at home can also have a business profile. You then indicate the area in which you work and can hide your address. Google does have rules for location extensions, so check what is possible for your situation.
How much budget do I need for local ads?
That depends on your industry, your region and the competition. In a small area you often need less budget than nationally, because you only reach a limited number of people. Start with an amount you can comfortably spare, measure for a few weeks and then scale up what works.
Is a good business profile enough, or do I need ads as well?
A good profile is the foundation and only costs time. For many businesses it already brings in customers. Ads help if you want to become visible faster, operate in a busy market or are launching a new service. The combination usually works best.
Book a free 30-minute introductory call
Do you want to know how visible your business currently is on the map? And what you can improve in your profile, your ads and your measurement? Then book a free 30-minute introductory call with Adventio Marketing in Amersfoort.
Together we will look at your current situation and give you concrete, honest tips. No obligations. Get in touch with us and we will arrange a time that suits you.
