Leveraging Google Business Profile ads for local marketing success

There seems to be an endless stream of tools available to digital marketers looking to develop or improve their local search strategies. Many of these tools offer extensive solutions but few are as powerful as Google Business Profile ads—that is, the combination of Google Business Profile and Google Ads. Integrating these two Google features together provides you—the marketer— with a cost-effective and efficient strategy for improving the quality and quantity of leads for your client.

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Want to learn how to take advantage of these tools? Keep reading to learn why the combination of Google Business Profile and Google Ads is so powerful for marketers and find out exactly how to integrate the two for a GMB ads strategy that converts.

Let's get into it.

Can you actually run ads with a Google Business Profile?

Absolutely. Setting up Google Business Profile ads is a simple process (step-by-step instructions are provided later in this article).

Linking your accounts can make your ads much simpler to promote on Google partner websites and platforms such as Search, Google Maps, YouTube, and Gmail. Incorporate this method into your advertising strategy to improve your client's local visibility and to help them find qualified leads who are more likely to buy whatever it is they're selling.

Just make sure before you start that you’ve verified your business with Google and that you’re using the same email address on all Google platforms. If you’re not set up on the same email address, delete your Google Business Profile and start over with the correct email address, or merge your Google accounts together.

What are the benefits of using Google Business Profile and Google Ads together?

Using Google Business Profile and Google Ads together can provide several benefits that make your local search strategy more effective, especially when you incorporate high-value keywords and SEO strategy.

1. Enhanced visibility

Combining Google Ads and Google Business Profile helps your business to show up in local map results when potential customers search for related keywords or browse maps in your area. It also gives the business an opportunity to appear in sponsored listings, which are ads displayed at the top or bottom of search results. This combination improves exposure to potential customers through both organic search results and paid advertising.

2. Increased Click-through Rates

Running ads on Google Business Profile means that you're displaying your advertisements to users who are actively searching for local services on Google. With that, you've got a higher potential for reaching customers who are likely to engage with your clients' businesses, or better yet, make a purchase.

When you target users who are specifically searching for local services, the chances of improving your click-through rates increase, and thus, so does the potential for converting ad viewers into actual paying customers.

3. Targeted local advertising

Digital marketers can select specific geographic areas for their advertisements to show when using Google Ads. This feature helps businesses build a database of local leads. It can also help ensure that they're able to make the most of their advertising budget, not wasting ad spend on internet users who aren't local or who are unlikely to buy.

When Google Ads and Google Business Profile are integrated, it's easier for businesses and digital marketers to display ads with accurate, up-to-date business info like location address, phone number, hours, and reviews.

4. Improved Local Relevance

By linking your GBP to your Google Ads account, your ads are displayed according to where users are and what they're searching for. It lets you target your ads at those searching for products or services nearby. Moreover, this ensures your ads appear during trending searches in your client's locale.

Using local ads in your marketing approach allows your client to connect more efficiently with potential customers.

5. Enhanced Local Insights

Running ads on Google Business Profile allows businesses to gather data and gain insights about customer behavior and preferences at the local level.

The data collected when you run Google Business Profile ads an help you and other businesses optimize advertising efforts, improve customer targeting, and ultimately drive more relevant traffic and conversions.

6. Improved ROI

Combining the features of Google Ads and GBP lets you increase your return on investment (ROI) by giving you access to a wider audience. It also helps you better allocate your ad spend, giving you an opportunity to focus on higher-value keywords and location.

7. Heightened local presence

Using both platforms gives your local search strategy a more holistic approach. It helps you give your client's business a more consistent presence in Google search results and on other Google applications. The end result? Your client will have a larger online presence both on Google and off.

How to connect Google Business Profile and Google Ads

Linking your Google Business Profile to Google Ads is a simple process that allows you to provide consumers with essential business information in your ads, such as your address and map location, making it easier for potential customers to find your stores. Follow these steps to connect them:

1. Setting up a brand-new account:

1. From the onboarding information, Google will detect if you have a Google Business Profile and offer it for selection.
2. Click "Link" and choose the identified accounts you want to link.
3. Select the data you want to import.
4. Click "Next" to review your selection and finalize the link.

2. In existing accounts:

1. Sign in to your Google Ads account.
2. Click the "Tools & Settings" icon, and under "Setup," click "Linked accounts."
3. Find "Google Business Profile" under "From Google" and click "Details for new links."
4. Click "Link a Google Business Profile" and follow the steps in the process.

You can easily manage additional accounts by clicking "Manage & link" under "Your linked accounts and products" and following the steps.

Setting up location extensions for ads with GBP

To set up Google Ads location extensions with a Google Business Profile, follow these steps:

1. Create a Google Business Profile account and add your business locations (bonus points if you organize your multiple locations with location groups).
2. In Google Ads, link the Google Ads account to the Google Business Profile account. Google Ads will automatically create a location extension for each address in your Google Business Profile account.
3. Please note that each Google Business Profile account can only be linked to one Google Ads account. If you have multiple Google Ads accounts, you'll need to create separate Google Business Profile accounts for each one.
4. From Search Ads 360, sync the Google Ads account to enable location extensions for your ads.

One thing to note

By default, all campaigns in the Google Ads account will be eligible to display any Google listings information and location extension from your Google Business Profile account. However, you have the option to prevent certain campaigns or ad groups from showing location extensions or set up filters to display specific location extensions.

You can do this in Google Ads, but using Search Ads 360 bulk sheets can help you efficiently manage location extensions across multiple Google Ads engine accounts and large groups of campaigns and ad groups.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to put a business ad on Google?

The cost of putting a business ad on Google Ads can vary depending on several factors, including industry, customer lifecycle, current trends, and how well you manage your account. For example, Small businesses in industries like real estate, home services, and healthcare may spend around $1,000 to $3,000 per month on Google Ads (Wordstream) while other businesses can spend between $9,000 to $10,000 (HawkSEM).

How much should a small business spend on Google Ads?

The ideal Google Ads budget for small businesses can start as low as $1,000 and go all the way up to $10,000 per month (WebFX). However, something to keep in mind is that a typical small local business budget would often have a budget somewhere in the $2,500 to $7,500 per month range (Digital Position).