How to Make Money with Google Maps: 7 Proven Methods Plus 2 Creative Strategies for 2025

Method 1: Google Maps Optimization and GMB Management

The first method is Google Maps optimization, specifically focusing on Google My Business (GMB) profile enhancement. Basically, you are going to help businesses improve their visibility on Google Maps, but it's not something directly related to traditional SEO. The aim is much more to enhance Google My Business profiles by:

• Writing better descriptions with relevant keywords
• Adding high-quality photos of products and services
• Optimizing business hours and contact information
• Selecting the right business categories from the 4,000+ available options

This Google My Business optimization service can easily generate $200-500 per client, as businesses understand the direct impact on their local search visibility. For advanced strategies on improving Google Maps rankings, you can also reference this guide on boosting your Google Maps ranking and dominating the local map pack.

As a consequence, some companies upload hundreds or even thousands of photos on their profile. At some point, there is no use doing that for your ranking. However, it's still useful for internet users - it provides them with more data to make a better purchasing decision.

Method 2: Local SEO for Google Maps

Number two is local SEO for Google Maps. This is something a bit more specific than the previous one. You can offer your local SEO services to boost a business's rankings on Google Maps. There are lots of different ranking factors, and among them we can list:

• The business name - meaning whether we decide to add some keywords to the business name or not. But in that case, we have to pay attention to Google's guidelines.
• The reviews - I'm going to talk about this later on in the video.
• Google Maps citations - A citation can be defined as, well, a citation of the business name on another platform.

But the number one ranking factor is the primary business category. The choice of the primary activity is not as easy as you might expect. First of all, there are over 4,000 categories listed on Google Maps. We'll leave you a link in the description if you want to know them all.

For example, let's assume you are a restaurant. Is it more relevant for you to be defined as a restaurant, or is it better to define yourself as a race restaurant, as an Asian restaurant, as a pizza restaurant, as a Swiss restaurant? Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah - you get the idea.

There are some categories which can help you get more visibility than others. So if you are an SEO expert, this is a profitable service you can offer. I can target Romanian restaurants and simply tell them that it's more profitable for them to choose another category as a primary category.

I mean, I can click on filter and make sure that I'm looking for Romanian restaurants only. So I check "main activity only," I click on filter, then I can export my data. If you want to try out this tool for Google Maps lead generation, the name is Scrap.io. Founded in 2021, Scrap.io has indexed over 200 million businesses and processes 5,000 queries per minute, making it the only solution that allows extracting all Google Maps listings at country scale in just two clicks.

For a comprehensive guide on extracting contact information, check out their detailed tutorial on how to find email addresses from Google Maps. I will talk about it later on, but you can already find the link in the description as well.

Method 3: Customize Your Own Map

Number three: you can customize your own map. It can be used for events, travel itineraries, or specific locations. You can even incorporate fancy markers or personalized descriptions, among other things.

Method 4: Profile Management and Updates

Number four: you can assist businesses in filling in and updating their Google Maps profile with accurate and detailed information, such as addresses, phone numbers, business hours - and that's only a few.

It's a bit silly to say, but the more comprehensive the profile is, the more likely the company can attract customers. And you will be surprised by how many companies forget to add some details.

For example, there are around 2,000 ice skating rinks in the United States, but I might decide to only target zoos who don't have a website. And it seems like one company out of five don't have a website. This might be a pretty profitable market for Google Maps business optimization.

Same thing as we have done previously - once it is done, I can export my data, then I can download my results in a CSV or Excel file.

Method 5: Google Maps Review Management

Number five is Google Maps review management. We said earlier that reviews are one of the top ranking factors related to local SEO. But to be much more specific, there are three things you need to take into account:

• The first one is the rating - meaning the average rating. It makes sense.
• The second one is the number of reviews - one more time, the highest number of reviews, the better.
• And the last one are the keywords your customers write when publishing their comments online. Reputation can make or break a business.

So you can help companies manage customer reviews on Google Maps. It includes monitoring reviews, reporting fake reviews, responding to both positive and negative comments, and so on. For detailed strategies on increasing review volume, check out these 10 proven tips to get customers to leave more Google reviews.

The good news is that Scrap.io can allow you to target your leads based on their reviews. I'm looking for insurance attorneys in the United States. I can filter my data based on the number of reviews or between a minimum and a maximum rating.

For example, let's assume I want to target attorneys with a pretty bad rating - so from one to three, or maybe from one to 2.5. Here we go, I click on filter and I've got my list.

Method 6: Google Street View Virtual Tours

Another thing you can do is create virtual tours for businesses using Google Street View technology. It allows users to be virtually inside the venue and to explore it in a 360-degree view.

This service is particularly lucrative, with many photographers earning $300-1,200 per virtual tour project for local businesses. The demand is especially high for:

• Restaurants and cafes wanting to showcase their ambiance
• Hotels and accommodations displaying their rooms
• Retail stores highlighting their product displays
• Event venues showing their spaces

Method 7: Advanced Google Maps Marketing Consulting

In overall, you can provide consultations to businesses on how to leverage Google Maps as a marketing tool. It includes tips on using features like local ads, extensions to monitor competitors' keywords, and a lot of other things we have already talked about in this video.

If I am a Google Maps ads expert, I might want to target companies who are used to utilizing ad pixels on their website, for example. And I can filter my data based on this criteria as well. In that case, I will get fewer results but much more targeted ones for my Google Maps marketing services.

Two Creative Monetization Strategies

We can also explore two creative ways to make money with Google Maps.

Strategy 1: Affiliate Marketing Integration

The first one is to link Google Maps with affiliate marketing. It makes sense because a lot of different industries are related to one another. So you can perfectly promote products or services as an affiliate marketer. The key here is to find businesses with affiliate programs that aren't saturated yet.

Strategy 2: Dropshipping Supplier Discovery

Secondly, you can use Google Maps for dropshipping supplier discovery. Google Maps can help you find local suppliers or wholesalers very easily. Then you can negotiate dropshipping agreements and provide genuine local products to your customers.

If you type "shop" or "wholesaler" within the activity input, you might be surprised - you will find out how many specialized stores you can retrieve.

Getting Started with Scrap.io for Google Maps Lead Generation

All you need to do is create your account - so you click on "login" and you click "sign up now." Once it is done, you will have access to your dashboard and you will be able to automatically collect your leads.

Why Scrap.io for your Google Maps money-making business?

• ✅ Extract data from over 200 million businesses indexed
• ✅ Filter before extraction (pay only for useful contacts)
• ✅ 4,000+ Google Maps categories available
• ✅ Completely legal and GDPR compliant
• ✅ Real-time data extraction with up-to-date information
• ✅ Advanced filtering system including email presence, website status, and review metrics
• ✅ API included in all subscription plans for automation via Make.com integration

The platform offers different pricing tiers starting from €49/month for the Basic plan (10,000 export credits) up to €499/month for the Company plan (100,000 export credits) with country-level extraction capabilities.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you really make money with Google Maps?

Yes, absolutely! Google Maps offers multiple monetization opportunities ranging from $100 to $500 per day. The key is providing valuable services to local businesses who need help with their online presence and lead generation.

What are the 4,000+ Google Maps business categories?

Google Maps contains over 4,000 different business categories, from basic ones like "restaurant" to very specific ones like "Romanian restaurant" or "ice skating rink." Choosing the right primary category is crucial for local SEO success, as it's the number one ranking factor for Google Maps visibility.

Is using tools like Scrap.io legal and ethical?

Yes, Scrap.io is completely legal and GDPR compliant. The platform only extracts publicly available data from Google Maps, which is authorized by US and European laws for commercial use. The company operates from the UK and follows strict data protection guidelines. For more detailed information about the legality of Google Maps scraping, you can read this comprehensive guide: Is it allowed to scrape Google Maps?

How much can I earn from Google Maps optimization services?

Earnings vary depending on the service:

• GMB optimization: $200-500 per client
• Virtual tours: $300-1,200 per project
• Review management: $100-300 monthly per client
• Local SEO consulting: $500-2,000 per client

Do I need technical experience to start?

No technical experience is required! Most Google Maps money-making methods rely on understanding local business needs rather than coding skills. Tools like Scrap.io are designed to be user-friendly with no coding required - everything can be done in just two clicks.

What's the difference between Google Maps scraping and GMB optimization?

Google Maps scraping (using tools like Scrap.io) involves extracting business data for lead generation purposes. GMB optimization focuses on improving individual business profiles to rank higher in local search results. Both are complementary services you can offer. For a detailed tutorial on the data extraction process, see this guide on how to find email addresses from Google Maps.

How do I find businesses that need Google Maps services?

Use Google Maps itself to identify prospects! Look for businesses with:

• Incomplete profiles missing photos or descriptions
• Low review counts or poor ratings
• No website or outdated contact information
• Poor visibility in local search results

Is the 62% statistic about unanswered calls accurate?

Yes, studies consistently show that 62% of incoming calls to local businesses go unanswered. This represents a massive opportunity for automated response systems and lead capture services - one of the most profitable Google Maps-related businesses.

Final Thoughts

Please remember that the success of these methods depends on a lot of factors - depends on your dedication, your creativity, and your ethical practices. With the right approach, these Google Maps monetization strategies can generate substantial passive income ranging from $100 to $500 per day. So I can only encourage you to use these methods wisely and to make good use of them.

If you want to use Scrap.io for your Google Maps lead generation business, your 7 days trial is waiting you below.