Latest / The Local Marketing Podcast with Fexingo: Small Business, Google Maps, and Local SEO / How a Local Florist Uses Google Maps to Beat Flower Delivery Apps
Transcript
- Lucas: There's a florist in Portland, Oregon — she's been on the same corner for twelve years. And last Valentine's Day, she told me something that stopped me cold. Luna: What'd she say? Lucas: She said, 'I lost about a third of my holiday orders to the apps — 1-800-Flowers, FTD, the whole crew.' But here's the thing — she's not giving up. She's using Google Maps to fight back. Luna: Wait — the actual Google Maps listing, like the one people see when they search 'florist near me'? Lucas: Exactly. And she's not just filling out her hours and hoping for the best. She's treating her Google Maps listing like a storefront window — updating it multiple times a week with fresh photos, special offers, and inventory updates. Luna: So she's basically using Google Maps Updates the way a bakery uses Instagram Stories? Lucas: That's the analogy. But the difference is, when someone searches 'florist Portland' on Google Maps, they see those updates instantly — right in the search results. They don't have to follow her, they don't have to opt in. If her listing is relevant, the update shows up. Luna: And that's huge for same-day delivery. The apps have a whole logistics network behind them. How does a single florist compete on speed? Lucas: She uses what she calls 'Fresh Cut Friday' — every Friday morning, she posts a photo of her most striking arrangement with a caption like 'Just arrived — only 12 available. Call us for same-day delivery within five miles.' No middleman, no commission. Just her phone number and a promise. Luna: Does it work? Lucas: She says each Fresh Cut Friday post generates about eight to ten phone orders — and roughly half of those are from new customers who found her on Maps. She tracks it by asking every caller how they heard about her. Luna: That's not bad for a few minutes of work. But what about the Q&A section? I feel like most businesses ignore that. Lucas: She doesn't. She monitors it daily. Someone asked last month, 'Can you do a mixed bouquet with no roses?' — she answered within two hours with a photo of a rose-free arrangement. That question now shows up as a FAQ for anyone viewing her listing. Luna: And it's permanent searchable content. So the next person searching 'no-rose bouquet Portland' might see that Q&A and call her instead of an app. Lucas: Exactly. And she also uses Google Maps attributes strategically. She's marked herself as 'Women-owned' and 'Wheelchair accessible' — both of which are filterable attributes in Maps searches. If someone filters by women-owned florists, she's one of the few that show up. Luna: I love that. Most florists don't even realize those attributes exist. They fill in their phone number and stop. Lucas: Right. And the other piece is Google Maps Insights — the analytics dashboard that shows how many people view your listing, request directions, or call you. She checks it weekly. She noticed that when she posts a photo on a Tuesday, calls spike that Wednesday. So she started scheduling posts for Tuesdays. Luna: Data-driven flower arranging — I'm here for it. But let's talk about the elephant in the room: reviews. The apps have thousands. How many reviews does she have? Lucas: About a hundred and twenty — but they're almost all five-star, and she replies to every single one. She uses the responses to mention specific arrangements. 'Thank you for the kind words about the sunflower arrangement — we love doing those.' That keyword repetition signals relevance to Google's algorithm. Luna: So the reviews themselves become part of her SEO. That's smart. Lucas: And she's also using Google Maps Posts — the feature where you can add an event or offer to your listing. Before Mother's Day, she posted a 'Pre-order and get 10 percent off' offer. It stayed on her listing for the full week leading up to the holiday. Luna: Did that work better than the Fresh Cut Friday stuff? Lucas: She said the Mother's Day post drove about twenty-five pre-orders — which is significant for a shop that size. And here's the kicker: she spent zero dollars on ads. The apps spend millions. She spent her time. Luna: But time is money. Is this sustainable for a solo florist who's also arranging bouquets and managing deliveries? Lucas: She dedicates thirty minutes on Tuesday and thirty minutes on Friday — one hour a week total. Most of that is taking photos and writing short captions. She told me, 'I'd rather spend an hour on Maps than pay thirty percent commission to an app.' Luna: And she's right. The apps take a huge cut. Let's do the math — if she sells a fifty-dollar bouquet on an app, she might keep thirty-five dollars. On her own, through Maps, she keeps the full fifty. Lucas: Plus repeat customers. Because once someone finds her on Maps and has a good experience, they come back. She has a loyalty card — physical, old-school — but she also sends a follow-up text asking for a Google Review. That's how she grew from fifty reviews to a hundred and twenty in a year. Luna: So the loop is: Maps Update drives a call, call becomes a sale, sale generates a review, review improves ranking, ranking brings more visibility. It's a flywheel. Lucas: Exactly. And she's not unique — any local business can do this. But florists have a natural advantage: their product is visual and seasonal. A photo of a fresh peony arrangement in April is way more compelling than a stock photo. Luna: That's a good point. What about businesses that don't have visually appealing products? Like an accountant or a plumber? Lucas: They can still use Updates — but they need to focus on before and after photos, or 'we just fixed this sink' shots. Or they can post testimonials as images. The key is freshness — Google rewards listings that show recent activity. Luna: So it's not just about having a listing. It's about being an active participant in your own listing. Lucas: Yes. And Google's algorithm notices. There's a known correlation between frequent photo uploads and higher local pack rankings. I've seen studies that show businesses that post weekly photos are 40 percent more likely to appear in the top three of the local pack. Luna: That's a huge stat. Do you have a source for that? Lucas: Whitespark did a survey a couple years ago — and BrightLocal's local search ranking factors report consistently puts 'photo count' as a top-ten factor. It's not definitive, but the pattern holds. Luna: Alright, so back to the florist. What's one thing she does that almost no one else does? Lucas: She uses Google Maps to post 'sold out' updates. When a popular arrangement sells out, she posts a photo of the empty shelf with a caption: 'Sunflower arrangement sold out for today — check back tomorrow.' It sounds counterintuitive, but it creates urgency. Luna: That's brilliant. It signals that her stuff is in demand. And it keeps people checking back. Lucas: Right. And the next day, when she posts that the sunflowers are back, people who saw the sold-out post might be more motivated to call. She says she gets a mini spike in calls every time she does that cycle. Luna: I'm going to start recommending that to every local business I talk to. It's such a low-effort tactic. Lucas: One more thing — her Google Maps listing includes a link to her own website for ordering. She doesn't send people to a third-party platform. She built a simple WordPress site with a WooCommerce cart. So the entire journey — Maps to website to purchase — stays in her ecosystem. Luna: No middleman. No commission. I love it. Lucas: And honestly, if today's episode gave you one idea you can use — whether you're a florist or a plumber or a coffee shop owner — that's the kind of practical takeaway we try to deliver every week. And if it was worth a coffee to you, you know the drill: buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. That's buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Keeps the show ad-free and independent. Luna: Yeah, listener support is what lets us keep digging into these specific case studies instead of chasing clicks. Appreciate everyone who chips in. Lucas: Alright — back to the florist. One last stat: she told me that in the past six months, her Google Maps listing has generated over two hundred and fifty calls — and she attributes about sixty percent of those to her weekly Updates. That's not bad for an hour a week. Luna: Not bad at all. And she's not a tech expert — she's a florist who decided to experiment. That's the takeaway: you don't need a marketing degree. You just need a phone with a camera and thirty minutes twice a week. Lucas: And a willingness to answer the phone when it rings. Because people are still calling — even in the app age. Next week, we're going to look at how a local hardware store uses Google Maps to compete with Home Depot. That one's wild. Luna: Can't wait. See you then.