INTRODUCTION
According to Statista Google Maps is the most downloaded navigation app in the United States with more than 21 million downloads.
In addition to its navigation feature, Google Maps integrates with Google Business profiles, which gives users access to detailed information about local businesses, such as hours, a description and customer ratings. Businesses also can advertise on Google Maps to make their company more visible to individuals using the platform.
Following are some tips your retail or hospitality business can use to advertise on Google Maps.
CLAIM OR CREATE YOUR GOOGLE BUSINESS PROFILE
Before you can run ads on Google Maps, your hospitality or retail business needs a verified Google Business Profile. To create a new business account, sign in to your existing Google account or create a new one using your business email domain.
Then create a profile by entering the name of your business–if you see your business listed, you can claim it or request ownership or access. Add a business category that best describes your business (e.g., hotel, motel, resort hotel, store, clothing store, etc.) and click “Next.” From here, enter your business location and hours (if applicable), phone number and website URL. Google Maps will display this information in search results.
Click “Finish” and select the verification option that works best for your business. You can add additional details to your profile once it’s created, such as amenities, photos and a description of your hospitality or retail business. Make sure to keep all information on your business profile up to date, so it displays appropriately in your Google Maps ads.
Your business will also need a Google Ads account to advertise on Google Maps.
SET UP A PERFORMANCE MAX CAMPAIGN ON GOOGLE
Use your Google Ads account to launch a performance max campaign (formally known as a local campaign) to promote your business on Google Maps and across the Google Network including its search and display networks, Gmail and more.
Start by enabling location assets (formerly location extensions) for your Google Ads account. Select “Assets” from the “Campaigns” menu and choose “Location” from the available assets. Attach your company’s business profile to allow Google to incorporate that information in the ad.
Then you can create your campaign. Select “Local store visits and promotions” as your campaign objective. Then click on “Performance Max” as the campaign type and choose your conversion goals. You can select “contact” to show your ads to potential guests and customers who are more likely to contact you or “directions request” to show your ads to people who are more likely looking for directions to a business like yours.
From there, assign the location you’d like to use for the campaign if you have multiple locations for your store or manage multiple properties in a hotel group. Set up bidding and choose whether to target new customers or equally target new and repeat customers.
Under campaign settings, select the language you’d like to use (English is the default), set start and end dates and then determine if you’d like Google to help create assets. Select “text assets” to allow Google to use content from your landing page, domain or ads in combination with the assets you provide. Check “Final URL” to send traffic to the most relevant URLs on your site.
CREATE ASSETS AND LAUNCH YOUR AD CAMPAIGN
Use Google AI to generate images, enhance existing assets or write text for your ads. Enter the final URL, or the desired destination for your ads, in the “asset generation” tab to enable this option.
Next, create an asset group, which will work alongside the AI components you enabled (if you selected these options). Enter your final URL and add up to 15 headlines (30-character max), up to five long headlines (up to 90 characters each) and up to five descriptions (one short 60-character description and four 90-character descriptions).
Make sure these elements are relevant to your business and incorporate keywords people would likely use to find a business like yours. For instance, you may include terms like “downtown hotel” or “clothing store” in your headlines or descriptions depending on what you offer.
You also should add up to 20 images, up to five logos, your business name and up to five videos. Click the “?” symbol next to each asset type to view dimension guidelines so you can adhere to Google’s standards and best practices. If you don’t have a video, Google will automatically create one for you in most cases.
Google will show various combinations of all of your assets to help optimize your campaign, so it’s best to add multiple versions of each type of asset. You also can add a call-to-action, such as “Book now” or “Shop now” and additional assets like prices or promotions. Previews of your ads will appear as you add assets so you can see what they look like before you move on to the next step.
Add signals to give Google an idea of the people you want to reach. Enter words or phrases people are likely to use to search for businesses like yours in the search themes section and/or add first-party data in the audience signal area. Google will use these as starting points to discover potential guests and customers.
Finally, add your custom budget or use Google’s recommended budget and review a summary of your campaign before you launch. Make sure to monitor your ads frequently and adjust your assets as needed.