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From local secret to tourist destination: how Google My Business helped launch a gift shop

Goals
  • Appear in Google Search listings
  • Allow customers to easily search for and find the business website and social channels
  • Drive foot-traffic to a strictly bricks-and-mortar retail business
Approach
  • Signed-up to Google My Business and created a business profile
  • Added the address, opening hours, and regularly posted images
  • Used the Google My Business Insights reporting tool to learn which search terms should be used on the business website
Results
  • A higher Google search ranking position with the Business Profile appearing on the right-hand side of results
  • Responding to every review brings customer interaction into the shop’s online presence, giving measurable results
  • 104 reviews with a 4.9-star average
  • Over 15,000 photo views
For a small business owner, climbing up search rankings is vital – and that was made easy with Google’s hints and tips. For us, it happened very quickly.

- Claire Chapman, The Glamorous Owl

About the company

Retail

business

104

Google reviews

+8.9k

Monthly views on Google Search and Maps

About the goals

When Claire Chapman first opened The Glamorous Owl gift shop, she knew she didn't want to sell online. So her marketing strategy needed to drive traffic to her bricks-and-mortar business. While a website and social media presence made some headway, her quirky gift shop wasn't turning up in search engine listings. This meant that unless a customer already knew her business existed, they'd be unlikely to stumble across it during an online search.

Approach

Registering with Google My Business was the first step. By listing her shop on Google Maps and adding key details such as opening times, Claire boosted her business’s online visibility. She then used the Google My Business Insights reporting tool to show which search terms led customers to find her shop. This helped her identify popular phrases like 'handmade jewellery in Newcastle' to add to her web copy which, in turn, helped to increase the ranking of its website in the organic results.

Local Results

Local results appear for people who search for businesses and places near their location. They're shown in a number of places across Maps and Search. For example, you'll probably see local results if you search for "Italian restaurant" from your mobile device. Google will try to show you the kind of nearby restaurant that you'd like to visit.

Learn more

Results

With a much higher Google Search ranking, The Glamorous Owl now attracts locals and tourists alike. Google reviews allow previous customers to share their experiences of the shop, while a rotation of photos makes that all-important first impression – before customers have even set foot in the store. What’s more, as Claire responds to every review, she brings customer interaction into the shop’s online presence, giving measurable results.

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