Latest / The Local Marketing Podcast with Fexingo: Small Business, Google Maps, and Local SEO / How a Laundromat Tops Local Maps Without Paid Ads
Transcript
- Lucas: There's a laundromat in Austin, Texas, called Suds on South First. It's a single location, no website worth mentioning, no paid ads — and yet it consistently sits in the top three Google Maps results for 'laundry service' and 'wash and fold' in the city. Luna: Wait — a laundromat? With no paid ads? How is that possible when every dry cleaner in town is probably running Google Local Services ads? Lucas: That's exactly what I wanted to dig into. I spoke to the owner, a guy named Marcus, and he walked me through exactly three things he does. None of them cost money. They just cost attention — maybe 15 minutes a day. Luna: Okay, what's the first one? Lucas: He chose his Google Business Profile category with surgical precision. Most laundromats pick 'Laundry' or 'Dry Cleaner' — but 'Dry Cleaner' is an insanely competitive category in Austin. Marcus picked 'Laundromat' as his primary category and 'Self-Service Laundry' as a secondary one. That immediately narrowed the field. Luna: So he's not competing for the same search terms that all the big dry-cleaning chains are going after. He owns a smaller pond. Lucas: Exactly. And the second tactic is photo posting. Marcus posts at least one original photo to his Google Business Profile every 72 hours. Not stock photos — real shots of his machines, the folding tables, even a picture of a customer's dog waiting outside. BrightLocal did a study last year and found that businesses posting 10 or more photos per month get 2.5 times more driving-directions requests than those posting fewer than five. Luna: Two and a half times? That's a massive signal to Google that the business is active and relevant. And it's free. Lucas: It's a freshness signal. Google's algorithm literally treats a profile that posts new photos every few days differently from one that hasn't been touched since the profile was created. The third tactic is review responses. Marcus responds to every single review — positive or negative — within 24 hours. And he doesn't just say 'thanks.' He uses a template that includes location keywords like 'South First Street' or 'Austin laundromat.' Luna: Does that actually help rankings? I've heard conflicting things about whether review responses are a ranking factor. Lucas: Google has never explicitly said it's a ranking factor. But multiple studies — including one from Whitespark — show a strong correlation between response rate and local pack rankings. And Marcus's logic is simple: if a customer takes the time to write a review, and you respond with a specific, keyword-rich reply, Google's crawler sees a conversation happening around that location. It's not a direct signal, but it's context. Luna: So the combo is: pick the right category, post fresh photos regularly, and respond to reviews with location cues. That's a pretty lean playbook. Lucas: And it's replicable. I want to stress that — Marcus didn't do anything that any small business owner couldn't do. The hardest part is consistency. He sets a daily reminder on his phone to snap a photo and upload it. It takes maybe two minutes. Luna: What about businesses outside of services like laundromats? Does this work for, say, a dentist or a law firm? Lucas: Great question. The category strategy is actually more important for professional services. A dentist might be tempted to pick 'Dentist' as the primary category — but there are often subcategories like 'Cosmetic Dentist' or 'Pediatric Dentist' that face less competition. And the photo strategy works for any business that has a physical space. A dentist can post photos of the waiting room, the equipment, the team. A lawyer can post photos of their office building, their conference room, their local coffee shop. Luna: But a law firm probably isn't going to get 2.5 times more driving-directions requests. The intent is different. People search for a lawyer maybe once every few years. Lucas: That's fair. But the principle — sending freshness signals to Google — still applies. For a law firm, the payoff might be in phone calls or website clicks rather than directions. But Google's algorithm is looking for activity. A profile that hasn't changed in six months is essentially invisible compared to one that's updated weekly. Luna: Let's talk about the review response piece. Marcus responds within 24 hours, but a lot of small business owners are afraid of negative reviews. What did he say about that? Lucas: He actually loves negative reviews — as long as they're legitimate. He says a negative review gives him a chance to show future customers how he handles problems. He responds publicly with something like: 'I'm sorry you had a bad experience at our South First location. Please email us at suds so we can make it right.' He takes it offline, but the public response shows accountability. Luna: And it includes the location keyword again. That's smart. One more thing — does he use Google Posts? Those are the little updates that show up below the business name in search results. Lucas: He does, but he says photos drive more engagement. Posts are better for offers and events — like 'Free dryer sheet with every wash on Tuesdays.' But for general ranking, the photo cadence seems to matter more. Luna: Hey Lucas, before we move on — I want to mention something. Shows like this don't run on ads, and that's a deliberate choice. If today's episode was useful to you and you want to keep it ad-free, buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo helps. Even a small amount makes a difference. Lucas: Yeah, absolutely. It's listener support that keeps these conversations going. And we really appreciate it. So back to Marcus — he also mentioned something about Google Q&A. He monitors the questions section of his listing and answers every single one, even if it's the same question about hours or pricing. Luna: Does that actually help? I've seen some SEOs say Q&A is a low-impact signal. Lucas: Direct ranking impact is probably minimal. But here's the thing: if a potential customer sees a question that was asked three years ago with no answer, that's a bad impression. Marcus treats his Google Business Profile like a living storefront. Every unanswered question is like a broken window. Luna: That's a good analogy. So the takeaway for someone listening who owns a small business: audit your Google Business Profile category, start posting photos at least twice a week, respond to every review within a day, and answer every Q&A. All free. All doable. Lucas: And the most important thing is consistency. Marcus didn't do a one-time optimization and then forget it. He built a system. A daily photo reminder, a review response routine, a weekly check-in on Q&A. That's it. Luna: I like that it's not about gaming the system. It's about showing Google — and customers — that you're active and attentive. Lucas: Exactly. And that's a strategy that works for any local business. Whether you're a laundromat in Austin or a dentist in Denver, the same principles apply. Pick your category wisely, post fresh content, and engage with your customers publicly. Luna: Next time you search for a local service on Google Maps, take a look at the top three results. Chances are, they're doing exactly what Marcus is doing. Lucas: And if you want to see Marcus's listing, just search 'Suds on South First' in Austin. You'll see the playbook in action.