Have you been looking for a way to generate more sales and foot traffic for your bar or auto dealership? Then you might want to consider investing in a Google Maps Promoted Pin.
What Are Google Maps Promoted Pins?
When users perform a search on Google Maps, they see a selection of red pins that can lead them to the shops, office buildings, or landmarks they wish to find. On specific searches, they may also notice one or two purple pins.
Those purple markers are “Promoted Pins” paid for by local businesses.
These Promoted Pins help retailers stand out from the competition on the Google Maps application. However, that’s not all they do. They also allow business owners to do the following:
- Offer coupons to Google users based on their search terms
- Create custom pages to take users to when they click on the ad
- Let users browse through current inventory before visiting the store
In simple terms, Promoted Pins are PPC ads crafted for Google Maps that give local businesses the ability to drive sales and generate foot traffic.
How to Set Up a Promoted Pin on Google Maps
Now that you know a bit more about Google Maps Promoted Pins, you are probably wondering how you can set one up for your auto dealership, bar, or clothing store. Fortunately, the process is relatively straightforward. All you have to do is follow these four steps:
1. Create a Business Listing with Google
Before you can add a Promoted Pin to Maps, you have to create and verify your business with Google. You can do so by following these steps:
- Go to the Google My Business page and hit “Manage Now”
- Enter the name of your business and tap “Next”
- Add your business location and click “Next”
- Select your business category and hit “Next”
- Add your phone number or website URL and tap “Next”
- Complete the sign-up process by clicking “Finish”
- Select one of the verification options offered by Google
- Follow the instructions to verify your business
Creating your business listing shouldn’t take you any more than five to ten minutes. However, it may take Google a few weeks to verify your location.
2. Turn On Location Extensions in Google Ads
Once Google verifies your business, you can connect an Ads account and enable location extensions. To complete this step in the process, all you need to do is take the following actions:
- Log into your Google Ads account using the same email address you used to sign up for Google My Business
- Navigate to the “Ad Extensions” tab
- Select “Location Extensions” from the drop-down menu
- Select your Google My Business account and double-check the address
- Hit the “Finish” button to complete the process
From start to finish, enabling location extensions in your Google Ads account should take just a few minutes.
3. Select Your Target Location
Having enabled location extensions in your account, you must next select specific areas to target with your ads by following these steps:
- Log into your Google Ads account
- Go to the “Keywords & Targeting” tab
- Select “Locations” and choose the areas you wish to target
- Hit the “Finish” button to complete the process
While choosing your target locations, you will also need to select your bid adjustments. To do so, all you have to do is put a value between -90% and +900% in the edit panel.
4. Choose Your Keywords
The last step in setting up your Promoted Pin on Google Maps is selecting your keywords. The exact terms you choose will depend on the nature of your business and the demographics of your customers. However, Google typically recommends using a mix of 5-20 general and specific keywords per ad group.
How to Maximize the Return on Your Promoted Pin Investment
When you spend money on a Google Maps Promoted Pin, you expect to generate a positive return on your investment. You can make sure you do by following these easy tips:
- Offer Incentives: Google users are more likely to come to your business if you have a deal to offer them.
- Use an Appealing Image: Your Promoted Pin will come with an associated image. The more visually appealing it is, the more likely you are to drive foot traffic to your store.
- Narrow Your Focus: When selecting your target areas, it is usually best to stay local. The closer users are to your store, the more likely they are to pay you a visit.
By following these tips, you can ensure your investment in Promoted Pins generates as many sales as possible.
Need a Little Help? Contact the Experts at FZA Digital
If you need a little help setting up a Promoted Pin or optimizing your next ad campaign, please do not hesitate to reach out to the experienced team of marketers at FZA Digital. You can reach us by filling in our contact form or giving us a call at (424) 229-2923.