Latest / The Local Marketing Podcast with Fexingo: Small Business, Google Maps, and Local SEO / How a Local Bookstore Uses Google Maps for Community Events
Transcript
- Lucas: So Luna, I’ve been digging into how local businesses use Google Maps for event promotion, and I found a really solid case — a small independent bookstore in Portland called 'Pages & Pints'. Luna: Okay, I love a good bookstore story. What did they do? Lucas: They decided to treat their Google Business Profile less like a static listing and more like a community calendar. The owner, Sarah, told me she was frustrated that foot traffic was inconsistent — busy on Saturday morning, dead by Tuesday afternoon. So she started posting events weekly. Luna: What kind of events are we talking? Author signings? Lucas: Exactly. Author signings, but also storytime for kids, a mystery book club that meets every other Wednesday, and even a monthly 'blind date with a book' night where you pick a wrapped book based on a few clues. She posted each event as a Google Post on her Business Profile with a photo, the time, and a short description. Luna: And that drove people in? I mean, how many people actually see those posts? Lucas: Good question. She started tracking. Before she started posting events, her Google Maps profile was getting maybe 300 views per week. Within three months of consistent event posting — at least two events per week — that number jumped to about 850 views per week. And more importantly, store visits increased about 40 percent year-over-year. Luna: Forty percent — that’s not nothing. Was she doing anything else to promote those events? Lucas: She also used the Q&A feature on Google Maps. She noticed people were searching things like 'Is there a book club here?' or 'Do you have events for kids?' So she proactively added answers to those questions — and even pinned a couple of frequently asked ones. That way, when someone searched 'bookstore events Portland,' her profile showed up with those answers. Luna: Ah, that’s smart. So the Q&A becomes a kind of SEO play. She’s basically feeding Google the keywords people are actually typing. Lucas: Exactly. And she didn’t stop there. She also encouraged attendees to leave reviews mentioning the event. So a review might say 'Loved the mystery book club — great discussion!' That text then shows up in her profile and reinforces the event theme. Luna: I bet that helped with the 'event' related searches. So what was her biggest lesson? Lucas: Consistency. She told me that the first month she posted sporadically — maybe one event every two weeks — and saw almost no change. It wasn’t until she committed to posting at least two events per week, every week, that the metrics shifted. Google seems to reward profiles that are actively updated with fresh content. Luna: That makes sense. It’s like a blog — you have to keep the feed alive. Did she use any specific types of photos? Lucas: She did. For each event, she uploaded a photo of the actual event in progress — not a generic stock image. So for storytime, she’d have a shot of kids sitting on the floor with the reader. For the book club, a shot of the group around a table. Those photos got more engagement — more clicks and views — than the text-only posts. Luna: Because it feels real. People want to see what they’re signing up for. So this is a blueprint for any local business that runs recurring events — not just bookstores. Lucas: Right. A yoga studio, a bar with trivia night, a library. The key is to treat Google Maps as a dynamic calendar, not a static sign. Sarah also told me she checks the Google Maps Insights tab weekly to see how many people are clicking through to her website or asking for directions. Luna: So she’s using the data to double down on what works. Did she try any paid promotion on Google? Lucas: Not yet. She’s keeping it organic for now because the free tools are already driving enough traffic. She said her cost per acquisition from these event posts is basically zero — just her time to take a photo and write a quick description. Luna: That’s the beauty of local SEO when it’s done right. A little effort, big return. I’m curious — did she see any impact on her Google Maps ranking beyond the event searches? Lucas: Yes, actually. Her overall ranking for generic terms like 'bookstore Portland' improved slightly, probably because the increased activity signals relevance. Google also started showing her profile in the 'events near me' search results, which brought in new customers who hadn’t been to the store before. Luna: That’s a nice halo effect. So for any local business owner listening, the takeaway is: if you host events, make sure they’re posted on your Google Business Profile at least twice a week, with real photos and details in the Q&A. Lucas: And respond to every review that mentions an event — even if it’s just a quick 'Glad you enjoyed the book club!' That engagement loop helps too. So I think this is a perfect example of using a free tool to build community and drive foot traffic. Luna: Yeah, and speaking of community — Lucas, I know this podcast is ad-free, and that’s something we hear from listeners a lot. They appreciate that we don’t have commercial breaks. A handful of listeners actually chip in monthly through buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo, and that’s what keeps these episodes coming. Lucas: Yeah, it’s a small group, but it makes a big difference. It means we can keep focusing on practical, actionable content without worrying about sponsors. So if these marketing conversations have sparked something you’ve actually used, that’s the kind of support that keeps it going. Luna: Right. Okay, back to bookstores. One thing I wanted to ask — did Sarah use any special offers or coupons in her event posts? Lucas: She experimented with a '10 percent off any book during the event' offer as a Google Post, and it worked well for the first couple of times. But she found that the events themselves were enough of a draw — people came for the experience, not the discount. So she phased out the offers. Luna: Interesting. So it’s really about the community aspect. That’s a great lesson for any business: don’t undervalue the power of gathering people around a shared interest. Lucas: Exactly. And Google Maps is the perfect platform to broadcast that gathering. So if you’re a local business owner, start by listing your next three events on your profile, take a real photo, and see what happens. Luna: I’m actually going to check out Pages & Pints next time I’m in Portland. Sounds like my kind of place. Lucas: Same. And if you try this strategy, let us know — we’d love to hear how it goes. That’s it for this episode of The Local Marketing Podcast.