Our take on the Google Store Locator
Google offers a free location solution called “Locator Plus”, so some companies integrate a map on their website to make it easier to find points of sale.
The intention is laudable, but it is clear that Locator Plus has certain limitations. Here we detail them and give our opinion about Google Store Locator.
How it works?
The purpose of the tool is to help users find their establishments more easily. Locator Plus is therefore a Google Maps map that lists a company's points of sale.
These are pinned on the map and listed with the corresponding address next to them. There is also a search bar to locate an establishment using, for example, the postal code.
Locator Plus, Google's Store Locator.
Google offers this service for free, but it requires real work to implement. Adding Locator Plus to your site is technical and hard work. You have to integrate a code and follow a procedure that is not always easy.
Bad SEO Optimization
The technical aspect of the Store Locator, especially its SEO, is key because it is what will allow you to express your full potential, making your stores appear in the search results. Your store locator thus becomes a true engine for web-to-store traffic.
However, Locator Plus is not optimized in terms of SEO. This is its main weakness: it does not include most of the essential features for good positioning in search results.
Here are some examples of the missing items: If you want to know more, you can read our Store Locator article.
No pages per property
An optimized store locator includes a page dedicated to each point of sale, with SEO content designed to provide detailed information about each store (opening hours, phone number, address, services, etc.).
This is not the case with Locator Plus. The Google Store Locator has only one page (the map), so there is very little content per store, which is very negative for SEO, as well as having repercussions for your franchise or chain of stores.
no internal links
Without content, it's difficult to link your Store Locator to other key pages on your site. A shame, because it's what allows your local pages to get a piece of your SEO.
No custom dynamic URLs for your properties
In an optimized Store Locator, URLs contain geographic information about each property. This is very important for ranking, as Google is watching these indications closely.
Another element that penalizes Locator Plus. Especially since it doesn't include micro and metadata, i.e. schema.org tags and breadcrumbs.
No specific URL for Store Locator
Therefore, Google Store Locator will not be able to appear directly in the search results. Only the users I see will be able to use your site first, which limits its impact.
A basic solution
Locator Plus is not a suitable point-of-sale solution. Google Store Locator is for companies with limited resources. It's functional but very basic. The results will be limited and you can't expect it to be an engine for web-to-store traffic.
Also, it is not possible to customize the layout or displayed content. Parameters to take into account for the image of your brand.
Want an optimized store locator to boost your online visibility strategy? So Locator Plus is not the ideal sun. If your expectations are much lower, it might work for you.
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