If you are considering a Google Maps campaign, it's natural to start with the question of how much these ads cost. However, you also need to know how these ads work before you decide whether a Google Maps campaign would be right for your business.
Google Maps ads are similar to the standard Google Search ads, but there are several important differences. These differences can offer significant benefits if the Google Maps ads are utilized correctly. Thankfully, it is fairly easy to set up an account and create an optimized campaign.
Read on to learn more about how much Google Maps ads cost and how they work.
Table of Contents
What Google Maps ads are
How much do Google Maps ads cost?
How these ads work
The benefits of Google Maps ads
More foot traffic
Greater visibility
The functionality of Maps ads
Inventory search
Custom business profile
Ongoing promotions
Featured reviews
Promoted pins
Getting started with Google Maps ads
Create a Google Business Profile
Set up a Google Ads account
Create search ads with location function
Set location targeting
Create a bidding strategy based around your location
Check how your ads are performing
Final thoughts on Google Maps ads
What Google Maps ads are
If you've ever used Google Maps ads before, you've no doubt noticed that there is a search bar that lets you search for nearby locations. For example, you can search for "grocery store" and the map would show you several nearby grocery stores.
In the standard Google Search functionality, you will often see several promoted search results that appear before the other results. This same type of ad is available in Google Maps.
When someone in your business's area searches for whatever type of business you have, you can pay to have your business's listing appear on top of the Google Maps search results.
How much do Google Maps ads cost?
You pay for Google Maps ads when a prospective customer clicks on your ad. You do not pay per impression as you do with some other types of Google ads.
The average cost per click (CPC) for a Google Maps ad is around $3. If you are advertising your law firm, however, your CPC may be around $50. This is because legal keywords are extremely competitive, which makes them expensive.
Google Maps ad campaigns cost more per click for certain keywords and locations than for others. If you are located in a big city, you will have to pay a premium because there will be more competition for your chosen keywords.
How these ads work
Your promoted listing can show up at the top of the Maps search results in both the Maps app and on the desktop Google Maps website. Your ad can even show up at the top of the mobile Google Search results.
With some types of ads, you pay per impression. However, you will pay per click with Google Maps ads. This seems quite straightforward, but there are actually several types of clicks with Google Maps ads.
The various types of clicks include click-to-call, location detail, direct, and website clicks. You will pay slightly different amounts for each type.
The benefits of Google Maps ads
Google Maps ads are one of the most effective types of local search ads. They are vital if you run a business with a brick-and-mortar location that requires customers to visit to purchase products or services.
For example, a Google Maps ad campaign would be a great idea if you own a restaurant or a store. However, Google Maps ads would be a waste if your business is completely online.
There are two huge benefits that your business can see from a Maps ad campaign. First, your business can get more foot traffic. Secondly, your business will have greater visibility among potential customers in your area.
More foot traffic
The most obvious benefit that a Google Maps campaign can offer is more store visits. If people see your business's location first, they will be more likely to visit you as opposed to your competitors.
Keep in mind that customers will be seeing information about your business when they are primed to make a purchase. This means that most of the additional foot traffic will consist of highly motivated buyers.
Greater visibility
Most people think only of the increased foot traffic that they could see from a Maps ad campaign. However, your brand would also have much greater visibility. Even better, this increased visibility would be from people in the surrounding area who are interested in the sort of products or services that your business provides.
Even if someone who sees your Maps ad does not come in that day, they will now be aware of your business. This means that there is a far greater chance that they will come by at some point. When considering whether a Maps campaign would be right for your business, be sure to keep this in mind.
The functionality of Maps ads
Your Maps ad contains several components. These include the inventory search function, your custom business profile, any ongoing promotions your company may be running, featured customer reviews, and promoted pins.
While you don't have to include all of this functionality in your listing, it is a good idea to make use of these features. Each feature can be used to promote your business, so it is worth taking the time to create content for your ad.
Inventory search
The inventory search function is one of the most impressive aspects of Google Maps ads. To use this function, you must have uploaded your store's inventory to Google Shopping.
Potential customers who are interested in your business will be able to see your current inventory. It is important that you keep your inventory up to date in Google Shopping if you plan on including inventory search functionality in your ads.
In addition to displaying your store's inventory, you can also show customers info about in-store pickup options. You will even be able to link customers to your site, where you could make a sale (if you have an online storefront).
Remember that this feature is only designed for businesses that have a brick and mortar location.
Custom business profile
While the other features are optional, your business must at least have a custom business profile if you are advertising on Google Maps. You will have to create this profile in Google Business, not Google Maps. However, the profile will be linked to your Maps ad.
Customers that click on your ad in Maps will be able to see info about your business. This info is pulled from your company's Google Business profile.
You should include your business's contact info, such as its phone number and email address, in this profile. You will also want to include your business's hours of operation.
Finally, you should include some professional pictures of both the outside and the interior of your business.
If your business offers a live chat feature, you may want to use Google's new Business Messages feature. This allows customers to start a conversation with your business from Google Maps.
Ongoing promotions
If your business is running any promotions, you can display info about these promotions in your Google Ads. This can help drive bargain-conscious foot traffic to your store. Relatively few businesses take advantage of this Google Ads feature, so displaying ongoing promotions could help your business stand out.
If you do take advantage of this feature, be sure to keep the info in your Google Ads listing up to date. It would certainly leave a bad impression if a customer was to come to your store after seeing info about a promotion, only to be told that your store is no longer running this promotion.
Featured reviews
It's a good idea to accumulate reviews before creating a Maps campaign in Google Ads. This is because customers will see your business's rating and quotes from reviews when they click on your listing.
Of course, you need to make ensure that your business has a positive rating if you are going to be creating a Maps campaign through Google Ads.
While you cannot control what rating customers give your business, it's a good idea to respond to any negative reviews. This at least shows prospective customers that you are addressing any problems your business may have.
Promoted pins
The majority of Google ads impressions in Maps are in the form of promoted search results within the app. However, you can also incorporate promoted pins in your Google Ads campaign.
A promoted pin will show up next to the pins of other search results on the map itself. However, it is displayed as a large square rather than the oval shape of regular pins. This helps promoted pins stand out.
This is helpful if customers are looking at the map, not at the search results. If a prospective customers clicks on your promoted pin, they will see the same info about your business that they would see if they clicked on your promoted business listing.
Getting started with Google Maps ads
Create a Google Business Profile
The first step when getting started with Google ads on Maps is creating a Google Business profile. This is a good idea even if you are not planning to run local search ads. Remember that you will need to use the same business email address when setting up your Google Ads account.
Set up a Google Ads account
Next, you will need to set up a Google Ads account. Of course, you will need a Google Ads account to run any Google Ads campaign. not just a local search ads campaign.
As Google Search ads and Google Ads on Maps are linked, you will need to already have a Google Search ad campaign before you can set up a Maps campaign. This is because the location extension in Google Ads requires this.
Create search ads with location function
After you have set up your Google Business profile and your Google Ads account, it's time to create your search ads. These search ads will become ads in Maps when you enable the location function.
The location extensions will display important info about your business to people who have not yet clicked on one of your Google ads. This info includes your business's address, its phone number, a marker, and even how far it is from the user's location to your business's location.
Turning on the location extension is easily completed in the Google Ads dashboard. On the left-hand side of the dashboard, click then menu and select Ads and Extensions. The location extension is located under the Automated Extensions section at the bottom of the Google Ads and extensions page.
You will see a menu called Location. Select Create ad extension and apply the extension to your Google My Business profile.
Set location targeting
After you've enabled the location extension, you will need to set up location targeting so that your Google Maps ads work. This allows you to ensure that your Maps ads only appear to users who are close to your business.
If not for accurate location targeting, you would waste your Google ads budget serving ads to people many miles away.
There are two ways to set up location targeting for Google Maps advertising. First, you can set up your campaign to target users within a predefined area, such as a city.
Alternatively, you may want to target users within a certain radius of your business. For example, you may want to target users within 10 miles of your shop. The Google Maps app will send data about the user's location to ensure that your ads only display to these users.
If you find that your local search ad isn't getting the results you want, you may want to try switching the location targeting mode first. This is quick and easy, which means that you can start analyzing your new results almost immediately.
Create a bidding strategy based around your location
Your bid is the price that you are willing to pay for a click. Your bid will compete against bids from other businesses in the same area and industry.
For example, if you are running a pizza place in Chicago you will have to outbid other pizza places in the Chicago area to get ad space. You can adjust bids based on the percentage you want to increase or decrease the bid.
If you have experience using Google Ads, you likely already know the basics about creating a bidding strategy. If you don't have experience, you should know that your bidding strategy will help your figure out your individual Google ads pricing.
This will determine your total Google ads cost. As Google ads pricing varies, your Google ads costs will fluctuate based on your bidding strategy. The end goal is to get the most clicks for the least money.
You can also bid different amounts for different areas. The most important part of your bidding strategy involves deciding which areas you want to bid more for and which you do not want to pay as much for.
Many businesses simply bid more for clicks from areas that are closest to their locations. However, you may want to focus your bidding strategy around bidding more for clicks from customers in affluent areas. This is especially important if you run a high-end restaurant or sell luxury items.
Check how your ads are performing
It is extremely unlikely that you will get your bidding strategy and ad content exactly right the first time around. Even experienced advertising professionals need to continuously tweak their campaigns to get the best results. Of course, you need to check your campaigns to see which areas need to be tweaked.
Google Ads offers in-depth analytics. Simply log into your Google Ads account and click Campaigns in the menu on the left hand menu panel. This will show you important statistics like cost per conversion, your average CPC, and impressions.
If you're an advanced Google Ads user, you will likely want to take a deeper look. To do so, go to the Ads & extensions page and click extensions. You will then be able to see data from the location extension.
Final thoughts on Google Maps ads
In conclusion, any brick and mortar business should consider using Google Ads on Maps. The ads have numerous powerful features. Also, the campaigns are easy to set up and easy to tweak once they are up and running.
Sources: Wordstream | Shopify |