Google Maps: Yes, Your Business Listing Can STILL Impact Sales

Posted on:

August 3, 2016

As you read this, a potential customer in your local area is on Google looking for a contractor who offers HVAC repair or installation services. The homeowner using Google likely typed in a search phrase like, “furnace repair Philadelphia.” Among the assortment of results, they were almost certainly shown a small map and the names of 3 HVAC contractors and their contact information. Hopefully your listing showed up. Some of your top competitors did – guaranteed.

Your business listing and rank in Google Maps can impact your revenue and new customer growth. No doubt, customers are still finding service providers in their hometowns just by looking at these map results. Creating your Google Maps business profile is free. But, setting up your account and keeping your listing current and accurate requires some work and know-how on your end.

If your business has been around for a few years, it is likely that Google Maps already has your basic information (name, business type, address and phone number), as well as a map of your address ready for display. The catch is that the information could be a few years old and might have the wrong address or phone number, or could be missing your Web address. If so, you might as well be pointing potential customers away from your business.

Google Maps should be a part of your marketing efforts. It’s a “no-brainer” in today’s market. It is a free resource, but you should expect to invest an hour or two to claim your account and get it populated with the information you want. The rewards are well worth the effort.

Three steps you should take right away to get more business from Google:

Confirm that your business is listed. Go to Google Maps and type in your business name or business type and your zip code or city name. If you don’t see your business in the map, you may need to set up your page.
If your info is already listed, make sure it’s accurate. Review your listing carefully for any errors like old phone numbers. If there are errors, look for a link on the page that prompts you to fix or update information.
Build up your positive reviews. Recent customers will often leave reviews on your listing and it’s important to monitor these and follow up when necessary. It always helps to encourage your customers to leave positive reviews, whether that be in person after rendering services, or a link on your Website where they can review your business. (Tip: For advice on dealing with negative reviews, read last month’s blog post here: hvac-blog.acca.org/lemons-lemonade-turn-negative-reviews-positive-results)

Hopefully these tips come in handy. While some of them may seem simple, there are still many HVAC companies who have ignored Google Maps in recent years. Part of that is because Google tends to only show businesses in their hometowns, but there could still be a large market of potential customers looking for your services in your hometown. Make sure you’re doing whatever you can to convert those users to customers by following the tips in this month’s blog post.

Author
Recent Posts

Brian Kraff

President at Market Hardware, Inc.

Brian is a co-founder of Market Hardware. He is a member of the ‘club’ of Internet media executives who are tapped into the daily changes of how the internet affects all small businesses. Brian is a frequent speaker at Industry and Association tradeshow conferences. He was an integral part of the group of marketing experts who pioneered the pay-per-click model in 1996, the pay-per-lead model in 1997, and has been at the forefront of getting customers from the Web ever since. Prior to founding Market Hardware, Brian was the founder and CEO of eStudentLoan, the world's largest comparison marketplace for student loans. His role as a Founder and Chairman of 13 Colonies Software (now part of Interwoven/Autonomy) was a highlight of his experience in the Enterprise Web Content Management space. Brian has a B.A. from Cornell University and an MBA from Columbia Business School.