You read that right… Google is offering businesses the ability to promote their business for FREE on Google Maps. This is big, though there are stipulations.

As a way of offering assistance to small businesses that are in the process of reopening after the COVID-19 lockdown, Google is offering promoted pins to smart campaign advertisers completely free of charge. In fact, some smart campaign advertisers using Google My Business (GMB) may already be benefiting. It is expected that this program will be fully rolled out and available in the next couple of weeks. This promotion will run through September 2020.

How to Take Advantage

This promotion is, for now, only available to advertisers using Google Ads smart campaign. That means double the incentive and double the reason to advertise with Google Ads right now.

What are Promoted Pins in Google Maps?

Promoted Pins on Google Maps helps businesses stand out in Maps by highlighting specific services and unique offerings such as virtual consultations or curbside pickup.

Why Advertise on Google

If you’re going to pay for advertising Google Ads should be one of your first stops/considerations. There are many benefits to advertising on with Google. Some of those include:

1. Google Ads AKA Google Adwords

2. Increase Brand Awareness

3. Options – Google Search Results, Gmail, Google Partners, etc.

4. Retargeting/Remarketing

5. Edge Out the Competition

Google Ads AKA Google Adwords

Google Ads, formerly known as Google Adwords, is an online advertising network owned by Google. While SEO is crucial to the success of a website, for those in the process of boosting their rankings Google Ads may be a great option as advertisers can pay to have their website listed at the top of the search results or map.

Increase Brand Awareness

There are approximately 3.5 billion searches on Google every. single. day. Do we have your attention yet? Advertising on Google can help you reach tons of new potential customers along with increasing your brand awareness. Here’s the thing. Not everyone is your customer. Even after you’ve defined your target audience only a portion of them may convert right now. However, building brand awareness of your company and the products or services you offer increases the chances that those who are aware of your brand may convert later on when they do need what you’re offering.

Options

Advertising with Google gives you an immense number of options for where your ad will show. Perhaps you want your ad to appear at the top of the search results. Maybe your ads would be more effective in Gmail. In addition to the obvious options in the Google network (i.e. Google search, Gmail, YouTube, etc.) you can also opt to have your ads displayed throughout their partner network. There are over 2 million websites and 650,000 apps in the Google Display Network.

Retargeting/Remarketing

Have you ever visited a website and then began seeing advertisements for their company, product or service all over the internet? You got caught in their spider web. That’s right, they have a code embedded on their website to track you and retarget or remarket to you. You see by visiting their website you’ve expressed some interest and as a way of bringing you back in and hopefully convert you to a paying customer, they’re now bombarding you with retargeting ads. This secret weapon is both powerful and underutilized. This alone is enough to make any advertiser strongly consider Google Ads. The benefit is there.

Edge Out the Competition

Your competition, your real competition, is likely employing every weapon in their arsenal to edge you out – including using Google Maps to their advantage. Take a competitive stance and gain traction through advertising. While you can rank for keywords organically on your website through blogging, for instance, it takes time to get there. Paying for Google Ads to show your result at the top for a certain keyword or phrase can also put you in the coveted top spot.

Whether you’re looking to take advantage of the free promotion Google is offering to small businesses or are interested in Google Advertising, one thing is certain: it takes work. Many businesses end up hiring a marketing agency for their advertising needs as a result. Google Ads means having a clear understanding of who your target audience is. It also means conducting keyword research and understanding what keywords and phrases may be optimal for your budget and goals. There are courses that you can take to gain a better understanding, and even get certified. However, they are extremely arduous and time-consuming. In the end, Google Ads is worth it though.

With Google offering smart campaign users the ability to promote their business through promoted pins for free, that’s essentially double the value for your advertising budget right now. This is a great time to dive into Google Ads and explore the possibilities. The Return on Investment (ROI) you get from advertising with Google can make your other marketing efforts go even further and help you gain greater visibility and drive more traffic to your website.