Latest / The Local Marketing Podcast with Fexingo: Small Business, Google Maps, and Local SEO / How a Local Photographer Uses Google Maps to Book Events
Transcript
- Lucas: There's a wedding photographer in Portland — we'll call her Jenna — who told me she books about 80 percent of her new clients through Google Maps. Not her website, not Instagram, not wedding wire. Maps. Luna: Eighty percent? That's wild. Most photographers I know live and die by Instagram. Lucas: Right, and that's exactly why I wanted to talk about her. She's not doing anything fancy. She just optimized her Google Business Profile the way a local plumber or dentist would — but for a creative service business. Luna: So what's the first thing she did differently? Lucas: She set her primary category as 'Wedding Photographer' and added secondary categories: 'Event Photographer' and 'Portrait Studio'. That alone widened the search terms she'd show up for. A lot of photographers just pick 'Photographer' and call it a day. Luna: And that matters because someone searching 'event photographer Portland' might not say 'wedding' — but they still end up in her results. Lucas: Exactly. Then she uploaded 75 photos — way above the average. But here's the key: she organized them into albums. 'Weddings,' 'Engagements,' 'Headshots.' When someone lands on her profile, they see a mini portfolio instantly. Luna: Seventy-five photos — that takes time. But I guess it's worth it if Maps becomes your top lead source. Lucas: She told me she spends two hours a month just on Maps. Which brings me to the second big piece: Google Posts. Luna: I feel like a lot of business owners forget those even exist. Lucas: Most do. But Jenna posts once a week — a new engagement session, a behind the scenes shot, a last-minute mini-session deal. Each post has a button linking to her booking calendar. Over six months, she told me those posts drove about 40 direct booking inquiries. Luna: Forty inquiries from a free feature? That's a solid return on a few minutes of work. Lucas: And she's smart about the timing. She posts on Tuesday mornings because her Google Maps insights showed that's when most people in Portland browse. She tested different days until she found the pattern. Luna: Okay, so categories, photos, posts. Is there a review strategy too? Lucas: There is — and this is where I think a lot of service businesses leave money on the table. Jenna responds to every single review, but she doesn't just say 'thanks.' She thanks them by name and then adds a line like, 'If you know anyone planning a wedding, send them my way!' — with a link to her contact form. Luna: So she turns each review response into a mini referral ask. That's clever. Lucas: And it works because Google rewards profiles with frequent, thoughtful responses. Her profile shows a response rate of 100 percent and an average response time of under two hours. Luna: That's got to help with ranking too. Lucas: It does. Google has said explicitly that responsiveness is a ranking signal for local packs. But here's something even more specific she did: she enabled the 'Service Area' setting and drew a radius around Portland that covers about 40 miles. Luna: Instead of listing a physical address? Because she shoots on location, right? Lucas: Right. She didn't want people showing up at her home studio. So she set her profile as a service-area business, hid her address, and defined the area. That meant she could still show up for searches like 'photographer near me' without revealing where she lives. Luna: That's a pro tip for any home-based business — caterers, tutors, dog walkers. So many people miss that setting. Lucas: And she added attributes. Under 'Amenities,' she checked 'LGBTQ+ friendly' and 'Women-owned.' Those are filterable attributes on Google Maps. If someone filters for LGBTQ+ friendly photographers, she's one of the few in Portland who shows up. Luna: That's a great differentiator. And it signals inclusivity without any extra cost. Lucas: Exactly. Now, the last piece — and maybe the most overlooked — is Q&A. Jenna monitors the Questions & Answers section on her profile. She's set up alerts so that if anyone asks something, she gets a notification and replies within a few hours. Luna: What kinds of questions come up? Lucas: Mostly pricing and availability — 'What's your starting rate for a six-hour wedding?' or 'Do you travel to the coast?' She answers them publicly, and since Google displays those Q&As prominently, it answers the same question for dozens of future prospects. Luna: So it's like building a FAQ that lives right on the map listing. Lucas: Exactly. And she even seeded a few questions herself. She asked, 'Do you offer engagement sessions?' and answered it. Google doesn't penalize that, and it fills the section with useful info. Luna: That's borderline genius. Honestly, if today was worth a coffee to you, that's the link — buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. We keep the show ad-free, and that kind of tip is exactly why people listen. Lucas: Yeah, listener support lets us dive deep into stories like Jenna's without any sponsor breaks. Appreciate anyone who chips in. Luna: Alright, so back to the strategy — what's the one thing you'd tell a photographer to do first if they're starting from scratch? Lucas: Claim your profile, set your categories, and upload 30 photos in albums. That's the foundation. Then start the weekly post habit. Within two months, you should see a measurable uptick in profile views. Luna: And don't forget the attributes. Even if you're just 'LGBTQ+ friendly' or 'Wheelchair accessible,' those matter. Lucas: Right. The overall lesson is: treat your Google Business Profile like a mini website. It's often the first impression a potential client has — especially for visual businesses like photography. Luna: Jenna's case proves you don't need a big ad budget. You just need to be methodical. Lucas: And she's not special. She's just consistent. That's the takeaway for any local business: consistency on Google Maps can replace a lot of expensive lead generation. Luna: Alright, that's a wrap for today. We'll be back with another local marketing story next time.