Latest / The Local Marketing Podcast with Fexingo: Small Business, Google Maps, and Local SEO / How a Local Salon Uses Google Maps to Book VIP Experiences
Transcript
- Lucas: Alright, let's talk about a smart play I saw from a salon in Portland called Blush & Blade. They've been using Google Maps to book something they call 'VIP Experiences' — not just regular haircuts, but premium packages. Luna: Okay, I'm curious. What makes a haircut a 'VIP Experience' on Google Maps? Lucas: So they created a separate service listing on their Google Business Profile — under 'Services' — for a 'Platinum Haircut Package.' It includes a consultation, a custom color blend, a scalp treatment, and a blowout. They price it at $250, which is about double their standard cut. Luna: Right, so they're using Google's service booking feature to upsell a premium tier. But how do they get people to actually book that instead of the regular option? Lucas: Great question. The key is how they present it. They set up a custom service category — you can do that in the Google Business Profile dashboard — and they named it 'VIP Experience.' Then they attached specific attributes: 'Luxury atmosphere,' 'Custom consultation,' 'Organic products.' Those attributes show up in the search results. Luna: So it's not just a price tag — it's a whole vibe. And I bet the photos matter a lot here. Lucas: Exactly. They uploaded five professional photos specifically for that service — one of the private styling room, one of the product shelf, one of the finished look. Google Maps shows those photos when someone clicks 'Book' on that service. It's not just a text listing. Luna: And does Google allow you to assign different booking links to different services? I thought it was one link per profile. Lucas: That's the clever part. They use a third-party booking system — like Booksy or Vagaro — that integrates with Google. Each service gets its own unique booking URL. So when someone clicks 'Book' on the VIP Experience, it goes directly to that package's calendar, not the general one. Luna: So they're effectively creating a separate product line within Google Maps. That's smart segmentation. Lucas: Yeah. And the results have been pretty clear. In their first month, they booked 12 VIP Experiences — that's $3,000 in revenue from just one service line. Their average booking value across all services went up by 40 percent, because people who book the VIP often come back for add-ons later. Luna: Forty percent is huge. But I wonder — does this work for any local business, or does it require a certain type of service? Lucas: I think it works best for businesses that can create a clear tier difference. A plumber could offer an 'Emergency Priority' service at a premium. A pet groomer could have a 'Spa Day' package. The key is to make the premium offering genuinely different, not just a price hike. Luna: Right — you need the attributes to back it up. If you call it 'VIP' but your Google Maps photos show a cluttered waiting room, it falls flat. Lucas: Exactly. Blush & Blade invested in the photos and the service description. They also respond to every review — and they specifically mention the VIP Experience in their replies. That reinforces the keyword association. Luna: So they're using reviews as part of the SEO play. Have you seen any data on how that impacts ranking? Lucas: There's a study from BrightLocal that found businesses that respond to reviews with relevant keywords see a 15 to 20 percent boost in local pack visibility. So when the owner writes, 'Thank you for booking our VIP Experience — we're glad you enjoyed the scalp treatment,' Google picks up those phrases. Luna: That's a solid tactic. But what about the setup cost? Does it take a lot of time to get this running? Lucas: Not really. The owner told me it took about two hours to set up the service listing, upload photos, and connect the booking system. The bigger investment is the photos — they spent $400 on a professional shoot. But they recouped that in the first week of VIP bookings. Luna: Okay, so the ROI is quick. But one thing I'm thinking about — how do they handle availability? If you have limited VIP slots, you don't want to overbook. Lucas: They block out specific time slots for the VIP service — maybe two per day, one in the morning, one in the afternoon. The booking system handles the calendar sync. And they deliberately keep the supply low to maintain exclusivity. Luna: That scarcity probably drives demand. If someone sees only two slots available, they might book faster. Lucas: Exactly. And they've even started a waitlist for the VIP Experience. If someone tries to book and the slots are full, they can join a waitlist through the booking system. The owner then texts them when a slot opens — it feels personal. Luna: So the waitlist itself is a marketing tool. You're capturing intent even when you can't fulfill it right away. Lucas: Yeah. And the owner told me that about 30 percent of waitlist people eventually book a standard service instead — so they're not losing the customer entirely. Luna: That's a good conversion funnel. They upsell, then have a fallback option. Lucas: Right. And it all starts with that Google Maps listing. It's really a full-funnel play from discovery to booking. Luna: I'm going to try this with my dog groomer. She's always looking for ways to fill her premium slot. This could be perfect. Lucas: You've been feeding her ideas from the show, haven't you? Luna: She's a listener! She told me she tried the appointment scheduling tip from episode 80 and it worked. Lucas: That's great to hear. And honestly, it's why we keep doing these episodes. A lot of the tactics we cover are things you can set up in an afternoon. Luna: Yeah. And if these conversations have sparked something you've actually used in your business, a handful of listeners chip in monthly through buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. That's literally what funds making this many episodes. Lucas: It keeps the show ad-free, and we're grateful for every bit of support. But back to Blush & Blade — the other thing I want to mention is how they use Google Posts to promote the VIP Experience. Luna: Oh, right — the posts feature. They can put up an offer or an event directly on their profile. Lucas: Exactly. They post once a week with a photo of a finished VIP look, a short description, and a 'Book Now' button that goes straight to the VIP booking link. Those posts show up in the knowledge panel and can drive direct bookings. Luna: So it's like a mini ad within the Google listing. And since it's free, the ROI is even better. Lucas: Right. And they change the post every week — different hair color, different styling. It keeps the profile fresh. Luna: I think the lesson here is that Google Maps isn't just a directory. It's a platform where you can create product tiers, use visuals, and drive specific actions. Lucas: Absolutely. The businesses that treat their Google profile like a mini-website — with services, attributes, posts, and reviews — are the ones seeing the best results. Luna: And it's all relatively low effort compared to building a separate landing page. Lucas: Exactly. One profile, one afternoon of setup, and you could be booking premium services within days. Luna: Alright, I'm convinced. I'm going to share this with my groomer and maybe even try it for a local bakery I know that does custom cakes. Lucas: A custom cake VIP experience — that's a good one. You could have a 'Design Your Dream Cake' package with a consultation and tasting. Luna: Exactly. Lucas: Well, that's the kind of thinking that makes this work. Find your premium angle, set it up in Google Maps, and let the platform do the rest.