Hey, everyone! It’s Tom here with this Online World.
I hope you’re all having a fantastic day today! In this video, we’re diving into how you can make money with Google Maps. Whether you’re looking to make $100 a day, $1,000 a month, or even a full-time income with just Google Maps, these kinds of side hustle videos are all over YouTube right now.
But can you really turn a free tool like Google Maps into a serious income source? And what kind of side hustle are these content creators even talking about? Well, in this video, I’m shedding some light on this unique side hustle, along with some red flags these content creators aren’t talking about, and better alternatives you can use to potentially turn Google Maps into a massive income source for yourself. Don’t miss this one! Let’s get to it.
Making Money With Google Maps
Overview of the Google Maps Side Hustle
Alright, so let’s start by covering how this side hustle works and what many of these content creators are talking about. The main idea here is to use Google Maps to find local businesses in your city, especially small businesses in service-based industries like hair salons, barber shops, plumbers, and roofers.
From there, you collect business contact information and pitch local SEO services to them.
Step 1: Pick a City and Business Niche
People often pick the United States because it’s a lucrative market, but any country will work. Once you pick a location, you search for service-based businesses on Google Maps, like a hair salon, barber shop, plumber, roofer, etc. This will bring up a list of businesses in your chosen city that offer these services.
Step 2: Collect Business Contact Information
Start gathering details about these businesses such as their name, email address, phone number, and social media pages. Build a database of local business leads that you can use to pitch SEO services.
Step 3: Offer Local SEO Services
The main service these videos suggest offering is local business citations. This helps businesses rank higher in local searches. You’ll promise to get positive mentions and reviews around the web, driving more visitors and customers to the business.
Step 4: Outsource the Work to Fiverr
In some videos, creators suggest outsourcing this process by hiring people on Fiverr. You can offer local SEO services, and once you get paid by the business owner, you simply buy a local citation service on Fiverr. This method is known as “drop servicing,” where you get paid for a service and then pay someone else to fulfill it.
Step 5: Additional Services
These videos also suggest offering other services like growing the business’s social media accounts, sometimes by purchasing followers on social media platforms, which seems like an easy way to boost accounts quickly.
Red Flags in the Google Maps Side Hustle
Massive Cold Outreach Effort
One of the major red flags in this side hustle is the amount of cold outreach you’ll need to do. Let’s say you send 100 emails and get a 5% response rate—that’s still a lot of effort for just a few replies. Then, you’ll need to negotiate rates, services, and land paying clients, which can take up a lot of time without guaranteed results.
Local Citations Are Only One Piece of the Puzzle
Local citations might not provide great results for the business owner. Local SEO is very complex and involves factors like reviews, backlinks, website performance, and more. By simply buying cheap citations from Fiverr, you’re hoping they work without really knowing if they’ll deliver the promised results.
Fake Followers Are a Scam
Offering to grow a business’s social media accounts using purchased followers is a huge red flag. This violates the terms and services of most platforms and leads to fake followers that won’t bring any real value to the business. It could even hurt the business’s reputation.
Why SEO and Digital Marketing Get a Bad Reputation
Unfortunately, this Google Maps side hustle approach is a great example of why SEO and digital marketing sometimes get a bad reputation. You’re promising business owners great results, but in reality, you may be under-delivering or even doing something that harms their business.
Better Alternative to Try
Focus on a Specific Digital Marketing Niche
While the idea of using Google Maps to find local business owners is clever, you can make it work better in the long run by specializing in one area of digital marketing. Whether that’s social media management, local citations, or comprehensive local SEO services, find a niche and become an expert in it.
Build a Professional Website
As you build your agency, it’s essential to have a professional website to showcase your services and testimonials. You can use platforms like Shopify, Wix, or WordPress to create a simple and effective website.
Leverage Testimonials and Get Your First Clients
When starting out, getting some clients and testimonials is key to growing your agency. This might involve offering discounted or free services at first, or working with friends or family who own businesses. Building a portfolio will help you land paying clients in the future.
Networking and In-Person Connections
Physical networking is crucial in building relationships with business owners. Attend networking events, talk to local business owners, and always look for opportunities to make meaningful connections in person.
Conclusion
I know this style of video is different from my usual approach, but I wanted to debunk some of the myths around these Google Maps side hustle videos. There’s a lot of misleading advice out there, promising quick and easy profits. But as someone who’s worked in SEO and digital marketing, I can tell you that this method of drop servicing is not sustainable. You’re not providing true value to the business owners, and this could end up hurting their businesses.
If you’re serious about starting a business in SEO or digital marketing, you need to learn the right way to do things. There are many free resources available—courses on LinkedIn, Google, and YouTube—that can help you get started. It’s a lot of work, but it can be incredibly rewarding when done properly.
Thanks for watching! Let me know your thoughts and feedback in the comments. And as always, don’t forget to check out thisonlineworld.com for more unique ways to make and save money. Catch you guys in the next one!
