33 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}
33 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}

What % of traffic goes through Google Maps rather than SEO?

by Andrew Loucks
28 replies
Hi guys,

I've been getting into local consulting and can do all the keyword research, optimization and what not. A small problem however is that when doing keyword research for local clients, I cannot honestly say how important Google maps optimization is versus the organic results below.

Most stats say:
the first organic result gets 41-45% of the searchers
the second organic result gets 11-18%

so on and so forth, but none of the studies I've seen consider local queries where Google Maps are listed.

So anyone know what percentage of traffic Google Maps is gobbling up?
#google #maps #seo #traffic
  • Profile picture of the author barryoz
    Andrew,
    Thats a very good question ,i hope someone knows the answer,its been worring me for quite a while
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2656748].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author James Foster
    I don't think there is any hard and fast rule on this.

    Naturally if the map is at the top of the page it's going to get more clicks then if it's below the fold...
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2656807].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Scott Voss
    The bottom line is that the Google Places listing in the 10-box IS very important.

    But that doesn't take away from the value that you provide to your clients in the organic results below the places listings. If anything, having your client in those listings and in several of the organic results below will help make them more credible to the searcher.

    I haven't seen any numbers on this yet, but it shouldn't be something to worry about. It is an opportunity for you to offer more than one service.

    Think of it like McDonalds... (I know, I make some odd analogies sometimes) They know that some people really prefer Egg McMuffins over the Big Mac. So, which should they sell? BOTH!!

    -Scott
    Signature
    Get My FREE Report on Getting Clients for Your Offline Marketing Business [No pesky opt-ins!!]

    WSO: Find Low Competition Markets for Your Offline Marketing Services [$7]
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2656827].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Andrew Loucks
      Hey, thanks a bunch for the replies guys.

      It's just that i've worked on a rather in-depth proposal rubric for my more discerning clients (37 pages currently) and I get their customer acquisition and lifetime values and use that along with conservative traffic numbers to come up with my pricing.

      I'm thinking maybe a bundling of the two would be wise, I use market samurai to make sure I know how difficult it will be to rank them in the organic but Google Maps rankings seem less predictable to me.

      Anyone know a good service for outsourcing the Google Maps or can estimate the amount of work it takes to rank in a medium-competitive local market (eg. calgary carpet cleaning)?

      Thanks again, I'm sort-of thinking out loud. I mostly just read these forums haha
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2657568].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Andrew Loucks
        Hey guys,

        So I was talking with Kevin McKillop (of localvideomethod.com) and Andy Kelly (theofflinegoldmine.com) and between them the consensus was that Google Maps is more in the range of Adwords in terms of traffic as they are generally less relevant/targeted.

        I'll keep looking to see what I can find and hopefully get some real analytics for everyone in the coming months.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2659123].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author jsherloc
    Hi Andrew,

    In my own experiences, I have seen both sides at play. In some industries, people seem to avoid the "maps" like the plague. You can't really make any generalizations, as it is really all over the board. (how convenient for us SEO's, especially us SEO's that like to track things until we go insane).

    In most local markets, you really should have no problem dominating the front page (maps, organic, ppc, blended - video,press releases,etc), provided that your clients are compensating you fairly for your work. And we all know that some business owners want the world for nothing overnight.

    So to answer your question, I'd say its a "toss-up".


    - Jim
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2659390].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Andrew Loucks
      Thanks jsherloc,

      I sort-of look at it like SEO and look at:

      1) How many reviews they have
      2) How many citations they have
      3) How well they've fleshed out their descriptions and keywords in there

      I've gotten quite a few of the Google Maps-centric WSOs so it wouldn't be a problem to optimise I just wanted to know their value going in.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2661857].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author TE2
        When a google maps box appears on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP), that maps box and its links IS/ARE the first ORGANIC LISTING(s).

        Similar ratios apply the same as when there is no maps box.

        Regards,

        John
        Signature
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2663094].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author MarkR
          Similar ratios apply the same as when there is no maps box.
          I think the question is "how many people click on the 1st, 2nd, etc. organic listing, versus click the 1st, 2nd, etc. Places listing? Am I right?

          I'm dying to know the same thing.

          My experience is that Places gets a good amount of "impressions", but very few click throughs to the site (which is what I'm after). i.e. over that last few months, 771 impressions, 2 click throughs to the website. Sure, some call the phone number, but that's hard to track.

          As an offline consultant, I can get my clients to the top of the Places listings for good, well-searched keywords, but the click throughs are terrible. I have a hard time charging big bucks when I can't show them that that the clicks will come.
          Signature
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2663585].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author Chad Heffelfinger
            Originally Posted by MarkR View Post

            I think the question is "how many people click on the 1st, 2nd, etc. organic listing, versus click the 1st, 2nd, etc. Places listing? Am I right?

            I'm dying to know the same thing.

            My experience is that Places gets a good amount of "impressions", but very few click throughs to the site (which is what I'm after). i.e. over that last few months, 771 impressions, 2 click throughs to the website. Sure, some call the phone number, but that's hard to track.

            As an offline consultant, I can get my clients to the top of the Places listings for good, well-searched keywords, but the click throughs are terrible. I have a hard time charging big bucks when I can't show them that that the clicks will come.
            What spot on the places is your client showing up in? Also, if you don't mind me asking what type of business is it? 2 out of 771 does seem pretty bad, that's why I was asking the questions.
            Signature
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2663782].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author Andrew Loucks
            Originally Posted by MarkR View Post

            I think the question is "how many people click on the 1st, 2nd, etc. organic listing, versus click the 1st, 2nd, etc. Places listing? Am I right?
            My original question was a combination of the two. I wanted to see (or at least, have explained to me) a mapping of click-distribution in local search results when both organic and local maps results are shown.

            Here's a hypothetical example for how it would affect value-based-pricing:

            If I'm optimising for "Tallahassee Dentist" which gets 2900 monthly searches and can expect 30% of searchers to click-through to a top organic result, then that's potentially 750 click-throughs for a client.

            If I then were to look at the average Google Adwords PPC costs-per-click ($0.82/click) then being ranked at the top result is (arguably) worth:

            2900 searches * 30% click-through * $0.82 click value = $713.40/month

            I just don't want to be caught with my pants down and be promising value based on click-through numbers that are no longer relevant with Google Maps results in the mix.
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2665398].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author AndrewCavanagh
              I haven't seen any hard data and my guess is that until google works out a concrete way of making revenue from google maps they won't be too open with that kind of information.

              Yes you should probably be including google maps listing and optimization with your suggestions for businesses you work with.

              That's the simplest way for you to make some extra income and to increase the chances of having your bases covered in the search engines.

              Kindest regards,
              Andrew Cavanagh
              Signature
              Old School Copy Like This Is BACK & Converting Like Crazy!
              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2665677].message }}
              • Profile picture of the author wellsgar
                Just a couple of numbers. No call tracking, so number of direct calls to client is unknown.

                Just my thought, but if I were looking for a B&B I would probably want to look at their site for possible photos. If I needed lawn services, might just call the number.

                Can't tell you about position listing due to multiple KW listings.

                Business Type - Bed and Breakfast
                564 Maps impressions
                50 actions
                - 2- Maps
                - 2 - Driving Directions
                - 46 - Clicks to site (8% click to site)

                Business Type - Lawn Services (this one had a "D" listing for lawn
                382 Maps impressions
                - 2 - Maps
                - 2 - 13 Driving Directions
                - 12 - Clicks to site (3% click to site)

                Hope this helps,

                Gary
                {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2666508].message }}
                • Profile picture of the author BrashImpact
                  Guys... At the end of the day, its really not that relevant unless
                  you are charging BIG MONEY thats result based.

                  I would reccomend installing it in the package and using
                  a taxing fee to do it... like $200 U.S. for Maps.

                  Spend your time showing the client how to create and use the back
                  end funnel, and more IMPORTANTLY how they can capitalize
                  with the Target Leads once they are generated. At the end of the
                  day, business owners want Results and ROI, nothing else. They dont
                  care how you do it as long as its ethical.

                  I see way to many offliners who get the system for lead generation, but
                  lack the skill in the Sales and Conversion area. You have to be able to
                  teach the Student (Your Business Owner) how to maximize results.

                  Example: I just finished a marketing package for a Massage company here
                  in Idaho. In less than 7 days, sales are up 600%, the funnel is filling fast,
                  and the referrals, and Repeat business is already happening.

                  Was able to Charge 1100.00 U.S up front and Get 25 Gift Certificates with each
                  cert worth 1 hour massage and $60 value. In the meantime educating the
                  owner has allowed us to do 2 things, Get a Killer Testimony, and 2ndly
                  the owner is already referring new clients into us.

                  Next month we are building 2 simple local lead generation pages for 2 targeted
                  local keywords. Business owner has already agreed to Lease each site for $ 100 bucks a month each.

                  Spend Time on the SALES CONVERSION PROCESS and less time on data driven metrics, at the end of the day... Business Owners Want Results

                  To your continued success
                  Robert Nelson
                  Signature

                  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2667216].message }}
                  • Profile picture of the author MarkR
                    Gary, thanks. Those were some of the hard numbers I was looking for.

                    I wonder what a searcher's thought process is for which Places listing they click on, if any. All they have to go by is the location, the phone number and website name for the most part. Given the lack of differentiation, I would guess they just start at the A position. There is less of a decision to be made with Places versus the organic listings. It would make an interesting study.
                    Signature
                    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2667890].message }}
                    • Profile picture of the author TJ Kazunga
                      I find that my clients clicks to website averages between 10% and 20%. Pretty good if you compare to paid advertising.

                      I also find them very relevant - look for a local plumber and there you go, a list of local plumbers.

                      Also, with the new features that Google are releasing, like the Tags, the listing are becoming even more noticeable.

                      I really recommend it as another string to add to the bow, no doubt...
                      Signature

                      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2679268].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author Bronwyn and Keith
              Hi Andrew

              If you don't want to get caught with your pants down start talking about results rather than numbers.

              Results meaning placements inside the 1, 3 or 7 boxes that Google allows.

              Our clients get loads of phone calls from the Google Places entries we put up for them --- How do we know?

              We get them to ask the caller where they heard about the business.

              What that does is consolidate our skill-set in our clients mind.

              What does that do for us? It gets us paid every month.

              Regards

              Bronwyn and Keith

              Originally Posted by Andrew Loucks View Post

              My original question was a combination of the two. I wanted to see (or at least, have explained to me) a mapping of click-distribution in local search results when both organic and local maps results are shown.

              Here's a hypothetical example for how it would affect value-based-pricing:

              If I'm optimising for "Tallahassee Dentist" which gets 2900 monthly searches and can expect 30% of searchers to click-through to a top organic result, then that's potentially 750 click-throughs for a client.

              If I then were to look at the average Google Adwords PPC costs-per-click ($0.82/click) then being ranked at the top result is (arguably) worth:

              2900 searches * 30% click-through * $0.82 click value = $713.40/month

              I just don't want to be caught with my pants down and be promising value based on click-through numbers that are no longer relevant with Google Maps results in the mix.
              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2684809].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author jsherloc
    I have noticed the EXACT same type of thing that Mark does. My Places CTR's seem to do pretty poorly for many of the contracting/certain services (plumbing, auto repair). As stated, I believe often times people just want the number and simply have no desire to "browse" the client's site in any way. I am working on incorporating call tracking into just about every one of my clients' campaigns, so I'm hoping to be able confirm these results by comparing the phone calls and the CTR's.

    - Jim
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2663881].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author MarkR
      Chad, actually those numbers are for my own website design service company LOL. I didn't want to share my client's numbers. Although my clients in automotive repair, construction, senior care, etc. etc. all get dismal click throughs. These are Places listings blinged out with reviews, videos, coupons, etc. Most of these Places listings are either in the A or B spots.

      Jim, thanks. I was afraid of that. I'm a numbers freak and try to run the business by the numbers. I'd like to hear other offliners say what their impression-click to website ratios are. I'm afraid you and I are the norm
      Signature
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2664600].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author smjames
    Hey Jim - do you mind sharing what call tracking service you are using?
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2664605].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author jsherloc
    Hi smjames,

    I've tried several different popular options out there. Most will give you the option (maybe I shouldn't say MOST, depending on where you live I should say) to choose either a 1-800 # or use a local #.

    I'd say the most popular ones in the industry would be:

    Kall8

    ifbyphone

    mongoose metrics

    These companies have reasonable plans, and smaller packages too.

    Hope that helps,

    - Jim
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2664673].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Chad Heffelfinger
    Mark, thanks for the response. That's fine not giving your clients numbers, no problem, I understand completely. I didn't care about specifics as much as if it was a odd industry or niche, but I guess not. I guess maybe this is more normal than we all would hope. I guess phone tracking needs to ba added to these types.
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2664878].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author reilly3000
    Guys, take this from somebody who's got an ifbyphone account, a kall8 number, and is a marchex call analytics whitelabel parnter:

    CALL TRACKING IS BAD!

    Why do you ask?

    1. its a great way to kill your local seo efforts quickly. I have discussed this personally with Ed Reese, Mary Bowling, Mike Blumenthal, and David Mihm. I have seen it work. The tracking number causes data confusion and can get the site out of the 7 box within days. You have to use the same tracking number universally if you want good rankings in google places.

    2. It is NOT good for clients. I've tried billing based on calls, and watched an incredible threat on Andrew Shotland's LocalSEOGuide.com for almost a year about Yext. The fact of the matter is that there is MORE spam on the phone than online, and if your clients get that insight and accountability, you'll be having to debate about call quality on every lead. Not worth it.

    Now, there are some techniques with javascript image replacement to use call tracking numbers successfully and not kill local SEO efforts, but try to deploy these in high budget accounts, not where the business owner is just scaping by to make ends meet. Trust me on this.
    Signature

    Nothing for sale here :)

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2684316].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author jsherloc
    Very useful insights reilly!

    The way I have been using call tracking is using the image of the # on the actual sites/landers that I own and am driving traffic to (via seo, ppc, etc). You bring up a solid point about the data confusion issue in regards to Google Places call tracking though, and one I should have actually addressed earlier in the thread when mentioning some of the tracking companies. And now that I think about it...this does lead to some interesting tracking issues for the real question at hand.

    You would definetly not want to put in a local number you just bought directly in text on your clients' Google Places page/your clients main site they own/vertical directories/citations, etc as it will certainly be "good bye 7 pack". Unless, as you mentioned, you used the same number for EVERTHING, FROM THE VERY BEGINNING. And I'd imagine this is almost impossible for most people here, as most businesses usually have SOME type of web presence (even the online yp, etc) / citations they've gained over the years. You throw a new number into the mix and Google will probably be all "Oh no you didn't!"

    I actually would not be surprised if Google is looking into "the weight" of these citations, and trying to come up with a solution for the small-medium sized businesses out there that want to successfully and safely implement call tracking directly.

    - Jim
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2684415].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author newbie2011
    Hey

    What is the benefit of Google maps optimization? How it affect the SEO?
    Signature
    Free Brochure Templates | Word Templates
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2684572].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author gourab
    Very important things about google maps,Thanks.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2686241].message }}

Trending Topics