How to Get Your Parking Facility On Google Maps
3.6 min read
Published on Parking Industry Insights
Google has become every parking operator's best friend. Why? Google offers a platform to promote your location where your customers spend most of their time—online. However, having an online presence without capitalizing on local SEO could detriment your parking operations success.
Local SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a location-based marketing technique that can be used to ensure a parking lot is visible on online maps such as Google Maps. But it is only one piece of the puzzle.
So how do you get your parking facility on Google Maps? It's simple. Setting up a fully optimized and verified location with Google is required. This, in turn, will enable drivers to request directions to your parking facility.
To have your location appear in top search results, it is important to ensure your listing is accurate and up-to-date with information such as; the location address, contact information, days and hours of operation, quality photographs, and additional amenities and services offered. The more information you provide on your listing, the more maps your location will appear on.
It is also essential to include a link to an SEO-friendly parking information webpage that provides customers with details about your parking facility. Similar to your location on Google, the webpage should consist of your parking lot address, rates, amenities and high-quality photos so that customers know exactly what to expect when visiting your facility.
But it doesn't stop there. Customer reviews are imperative to a fully optimized location listing that is often overlooked. Responding to reviews posted on your listing, whether good or bad, will help eliminate the risk of your location not showing in Google, thus not appearing on maps and in-car navigation systems. This is because Google is committed to displaying information that it believes is accurate and suitable to recommend to its users. Deciding on an escalation matrix with your parking service provider will ensure that reviews are promptly addressed.
Your facility can be well lit, have easy-to-follow signage, and offer various amenities. However, if it is not fully optimized for Google, the likelihood of potential customers not finding your location is high.
In addition to registering your location with Google Maps, it's essential to do the same with additional online maps such as Waze and Bing and a variety of in-car navigation systems. This will ensure your parking program captures as much of the market as possible. Working alongside a parking operator that is fully equipped with an in-house digital marketing team to set up and maintain your location on various online maps will ensure your parking occupancy rates and revenue streams remain high.
References
Carchesio, C. (2022, March 18). 5 ways to maximize your parking revenue and location search visibility. Parking Industry. Retrieved May 24, 2022, from https://www.parkingindustry.ca/parking-management/5-ways-to-maximize-your-parking-revenue-and-location-search-visibility?rq=marketing
Lato, M. (2022, March 18). How to get your parking lot on Google. Parking Industry. Retrieved May 24, 2022, from https://www.parkingindustry.ca/parking-management/how-to-get-your-parking-lot-on-google
Marketing & Communications Specialist, Precise ParkLink