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: Picture this: a small independent bookstore in Portland, Oregon, called 'Pageturner's Nook.' It's been around for twelve years, but like a lot of local bookstores, it was competing with Amazon and big-box chains. The owner, Sarah Jenkins, realized she couldn't win on price or convenience — but she could win on community. Luna: And she used Google Maps as the main tool to build that community? Lucas: Exactly. She focused on turning her Google Business Profile into an event hub. Instead of just listing her address and hours, she started treating the profile like a mini website for local happenings. The results were pretty striking: within three months, direction requests went up 40 percent, and profile views increased by 25 percent. Luna: That's a big jump for just updating a profile. What did she change specifically? Lucas: Three key things. First, she added the 'event' attribute in her Google Business Profile. That's a simple checkbox that tells Google her business hosts events — it can be found under 'More' in the attributes section. Second, she started posting weekly updates to the Google feed — things like 'Author reading this Saturday at 2 PM' or 'Storytime for kids every Wednesday at 10 AM.' Third, she used the Q&A section proactively. Luna: How do you use Q&A proactively? Usually, it's just customers asking questions. Lucas: Sarah didn't wait for questions. She seeded the Q&A with common ones like 'Do you host book clubs?' and then answered them herself with details. So when a potential customer searched 'bookstore near me with events,' the Q&A already showed relevant answers. That actually boosted her visibility in local search results. Luna: Smart. It's like she's answering the question before it's even asked. Did she see a specific bump in event attendance? Lucas: She told me that her author readings went from averaging 15 attendees to about 35. And the kids' storytime sessions — which used to be hit or miss — now regularly have 20 families showing up. She attributes most of that to the Google Maps visibility. Luna: I love that she's using photos in reviews too. I noticed when I looked up Pageturner's Nook on Google Maps, the reviews had photos of events — not just the storefront. Lucas: Right. She encourages attendees to post photos in their reviews. That creates a feedback loop: new people see lively event photos, they want to come, they attend, post more photos. Google's algorithm also favors profiles with fresh, authentic images. So her profile keeps ranking higher. Luna: And she's not a tech giant — just a local business owner figuring this out. What's the biggest takeaway for other small businesses? Lucas: The biggest takeaway is that Google Maps isn't just for directions — it's a discovery engine for local experiences. If you host events, you need to signal that to Google. Use the event attribute, post regularly, and leverage Q&A. Sarah's case shows that even simple, consistent actions can drive real foot traffic. Luna: If today's episode gave you a practical tip you can use, that's exactly what we aim for. This podcast stays ad-free thanks to listeners who find value in it — if that's you, you can support the show at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Lucas: Yeah, it's a simple way to keep these conversations going without any ads. And it genuinely helps us bring more local business stories like Sarah's. Luna: Absolutely. So back to the tactics — one thing I want to drill into is the frequency of posting. How often was Sarah posting to her Google profile? Lucas: She posted once a week, every Tuesday, to promote the weekend events. That consistency trains both customers and Google's algorithm. She also used the 'event' post type specifically, which allows you to add a date, time, and call to action button like 'Get tickets' or 'Learn more.' Luna: And did she see any difference between regular posts and event posts? I imagine the event posts drive more clicks. Lucas: She tracked that. Event posts had a click-through rate of about 8 percent, compared to her regular update posts at 3 percent. So the event format is definitely more engaging. And Google surfaces event posts differently in search results — they can appear in a carousel for local events. Luna: That's huge. So it's not just about posting — it's about using the right post type. What about the Q&A section? How often did she check it? Lucas: She set a daily reminder to check. But after seeding the initial questions, she only got about two or three real customer questions per month. Still, responding within 24 hours kept her response rate high, which Google rewards. Luna: I think a lot of business owners overlook the Q&A because they don't see immediate value. But Sarah's approach shows it's a subtle signal of engagement. Lucas: Exactly. And she also added event photos to the 'Photos' section of her profile — not just reviews. She created albums like 'Author Events' and 'Storytime Fun.' That organized the visual content and made the profile feel more active. Luna: One thing I'm curious about: did she run any Google Ads or promotions to support the events, or was it all organic? Lucas: All organic. She didn't spend a dime on ads. She focused entirely on optimizing her free Google Business Profile. That's what makes this story so replicable — any local business can do what she did without a marketing budget. Luna: That's inspiring. And it's a reminder that local SEO for events doesn't require complex tools. Just a bit of strategy and consistency. Lucas: Right. So if you're running a local business that hosts workshops, classes, or gatherings, look at your Google Business Profile today. Check if you've added the event attribute. If not, do that first. Then plan to post one event per week. And don't forget to seed a couple of Q&As. Luna: I'd add: look at your reviews and encourage event photos. That visual proof is gold. Alright, let's wrap with a quick takeaway — what's the one thing you want listeners to remember? Lucas: Your Google Maps profile is a community bulletin board, not just a digital storefront. Treat it like one, and your events will start attracting the crowd they deserve.