Increase footfall with Google Ads
Increase footfall with Google Ads
Key take-aways
Think you can only use online ads to drive people to a website? Think again. If you have a physical shop, you can also use Google Ads to bring more customers to your store. Research shows that 50% of customers who searched locally on their smartphone visited a shop within a day, as did 34% who searched on a desktop.
With online resources like Google Maps, it’s easier than ever for potential customers to jump online and find a local business the moment that they’re ready to visit in person. Is yours one of the businesses they’ll be able to find?
Read on to find out how you can optimise your Google Ads campaigns to increase visits to your store.
1. Pinpoint your location on the map
2. Reach local customers with location targeting
3. Show your address with location extensions
4. Draw visitors to your door with location extension targeting
What is Google Ads?
Google Ads, formerly known as Google AdWords, is an advertising service by Google that allows businesses to display ads on Google search results and its advertising network.
Try Google Ads nowWith location extension targeting, your ad will be displayed to consumers who are in the vicinity of your store.
1. Pinpoint your location on the map
To increase footfall to your store, make sure that people can find your business both online and on the street.
How do you do this? Ensure that your business is showing up on Google Maps, and verify your location on your Business Profile. It's free to set up a Business Profile listing and verify your location, and once you do this, searchers will be able to get directions to your store. On top of that, link your Google Ads account to your Google Business Profile account so you can take advantage of other Google Ads features.
How to advertise to locals in your region
You can advertise on Google Maps with Google Ads in order to attract local customers.
Read More2. Reach local customers with location targeting
If your goal is to boost in-store traffic, and your shop is located in Yogyakarta, for example, it might not make sense to show ads across the whole of Indonesia. If you do this, you’d be spending your advertising budget to reach people who might not be willing to travel to you.
Instead, you could use the Google Ads location targeting feature. This option lets you limit the areas your ad is shown in, meaning you'll show your ads only to people currently near your business. For businesses with physical locations, location targeting allows you to draw new customers in at the perfect moment, and spend your ad budget more effectively. Explore more about location targeting.
3. Show your address with location extensions
Some searchers might want to immediately visit your business, instead of browsing your website first. To cater to these customers, use location extensions to show your address in your ad and give directions to your business through Google Maps. On supported devices, these extensions can also show how close a user is to your business.
4. Draw visitors to your door with location extension targeting
Targeting by location extension is different than regular location targeting. With the regular targeting, your ads will show only in the areas you set, according to your normal bid amounts. With extension targeting, your ad can appear in a wider area, but you can also select a closer physical radius around your shop, and set a higher bid on searches performed within it.
Your bid amount will adjust automatically and you’ll be much more likely to show up when someone searches for what you offer right when they’re close enough to visit.
Find out more about how to set up location extension targeting for your ads.
Summary
Don’t underestimate what online advertising can do to help your business increase shop traffic. When you create a Google Ads campaign that helps people to find you both on their screens and on the street, you essentially put yourself on the map as a go-to destination.