[Guide] How to Grow and Engage Your Audience with Entry Points for Google’s Business Messages

93% of all online experiences begin with a search engine. Each search is an opportunity for you to acquire new customers.

But standing out from billions of Google searches is a major challenge. That’s why you need to engage prospects right at the beginning of their discovery.

Start building relationships where your find high intent prospects are: in the search engine.

This guide helps you understand the various entry points you can use to direct users into a Google’s Business Messages chat conversation with you.

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The key takeaways:

Recent online shopping trends
Google’s Business Messages as your next messaging channel
Paid entry points to start talking to prospects via GBM
Organic entry points to leverage
Owned entry points to direct prospects into a GBM conversation

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Online Shopping Starts With a Search Engine

You need to connect with customers where they already are. 93% of all online experiences begin with a search engine. Google’s Business Messages combines organic search, websites, and Google Maps for a seamless cross-channel experience on mobile devices.

Google’s Business Messages enables customers to contact you on their own terms. When they need or want to. Whether it’s Google Maps or Search, your brand is at their fingertips to get product suggestions, content, and information.

Google’s Business Messages enables your business to automate a real-time messaging experience your customers love.

✅ Reach 4B consumers on Search & Maps via Android & IOS

✅ Personalize recommendations at scale to grow sales

✅ Automate pre-purchase questions to drive conversions

✅ Leverage 30 days free re-engagement to boost LTV

✅ Automate FAQs to reduce manual input and costs

✅ Capture first party insights for marketing & product

Entry Points to Bring Prospects Into Google's Business Messages

Entry points are surfaces where a prospect discovers your marketing chatbot and enters into a conversation with your brand. It’s how you can bring customers into a Google’s Business Messages chat experience.

It’s crucial to use as many entry points as possible to get the most value from your Google’s Business Messages channel.

Entry points allow your business to acquire more leads and nurture them at every stage of the funnel. The more high intent audience members your business has, the more valuable your audience is.

Download the Guide to get access to a Google's Business Messages entry point infographic.

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Paid Entry Points

Standalone Ad and Ad Extension

Direct customers into Google’s Business Messages with a standalone paid advertisement on Google. Standalone ads are especially powerful as both the headline AND Chat button direct users to a private chat experience in Google’s Business Messages.

You can also apply an ad extension to an existing text ad. Insert a ‘send message’ button or chat icon to your ads and enable prospects to easily connect with your business once they discovered you. Turn every discovery on search into a meaningful conversation within Google’s most popular products.

Organic Entry Points

Organic entry points are surfaces where prospects can start conversations with Business Messages chatbots.

You can launch non-local and location-based entry point groups, each of which enables multiple entry points.

Non-local entry points encompass all entry points that don’t rely on locations. Location-based entry points include entry points that rely on locations.

Location-based: Google Search Placesheet

The placesheet is the small bar at the bottom of Google Search when someone searches for a specific brand or location.

Using the placesheet, customers can instantly jump into a conversation after searching for your business and seeing a CTA to send a message. Having this available increases the ROI of search marketing as people have one more way of finding and connecting with you.

Location-based: Google Maps

When users search for location-specific queries or your brand, they will be able to start a dialogue with your brand.

When your business secures featured snippets in organic search, users can select the “Chat” option. Sitelinks will also display an option to speak with a brand on Google’s Business Messages.

Non-local: Google Search Featured Snippets

The featured snippets entry point enables conversations when prospects search for your business’ contact details.

When users find your contact details through Search, a chat button will appear under your profile, and once prospects click the button, they will be automatically directed into a private chat with your brand.

Download the guide at the top of the page and unlock images for each entry point.

Non-local: Google Search Sitelinks

The sitelinks entry point enables conversations with your agent when sitelinks appear in Search.

Sitelinks are links from the same domain that are clustered together under a web result. They save prospects time and allow them to quickly find the information they’re looking for.

Want to know more about how to convert searches into customers? Watch this in-depth webinar and learn everything you need to know about Google's Business Messages as a messaging channel.

Watch the webinar here

Owned Entry Points

Web widgets

Web widgets on your websites give customers a conversation entry point into your bot on Google’s Business Messages.

Help customers easily discover and connect with your business directly through your website. You can increase the number of meaningful conversations you have with customers within Google’s most popular products.

URL

The URL entry point enables conversations from URLs in messages, links, or websites.

Adding a link to an email or a website button gives customers an easy conversation entry point into your bot on Google’s Business Messages.

Launch Strategy

Follow these best practices to grow your GBM audience faster with entry points.

✅ Map the entry points on this impact/effort matrix. Things to keep in mind are the creative needed and teams involved.

✅ Go after quick wins and low hanging fruit first.

✅ Involve relevant teams at your company as early as possible to avoid delays.

✅ Personalize conversation flows based on the entry points to engage customers more and maximize performance.

✅ Monitor which entry points have biggest impact on audience growth and double down on high performers.

Want to convert searches into actual customers via Google’s Business Messages?

Talk to a conversational marketing expert at Spectrm for free to review your use case.