Course Overview
Google Maps Ads capture customers at the highest-intent moment in their purchase journey: when they’re searching for a business like yours right now, near them, ready to act. For local businesses — restaurants, service providers, retail stores, medical practices — this channel often delivers the best cost-per-new-customer of any digital advertising.
This course covers everything from Google Business Profile optimization to running Local Services Ads and Performance Max campaigns, with specific focus on how AI tools are transforming local search advertising in 2026.
What You’ll Learn
- How Google Maps and local search advertising actually works
- Google Business Profile optimization that improves both organic and paid visibility
- Setting up and running Local Services Ads (the pay-per-lead model)
- Performance Max for local goals: configuration, asset creation, and optimization
- How to track true conversions: calls, directions, store visits, and bookings
- Using AI to scale local ad management across multiple locations
Who This Course Is For
- Local business owners: restaurants, retailers, service businesses, healthcare
- Multi-location businesses managing regional advertising
- Marketing managers overseeing local search advertising budgets
- Agencies handling local clients across multiple verticals
Curriculum
Lesson 1: The Local Search Advertising Ecosystem
How Google Maps results work and the difference between the organic Local Pack, Local Services Ads, and Google Search Ads. Why your Google Business Profile is the foundation of every local campaign. Understanding local intent and how to capture it.
Lesson 2: Google Business Profile Mastery
Complete GBP optimization checklist: categories, services, photos, posts, Q&A, and review management. How GBP signals affect both your Maps ranking and paid ad Quality Score. Quick wins that improve visibility within days.
Lesson 3: Local Services Ads — The Pay-Per-Lead Model
How LSA qualification and verification works for your category. Setting up your service area, categories, and budget. Managing leads and reviews inside the LSA platform. Why LSAs often outperform traditional search ads for service businesses.
Lesson 4: Performance Max for Local Goals
Configuring PMAX specifically for local conversion objectives. Asset group strategy for local businesses including creative, copy, and audience signals. How to feed the algorithm the right data to optimize for your location.
Lesson 5: Conversion Tracking for Local Businesses
Setting up call tracking and form submission measurement. Measuring direction requests and store visit conversions. Integrating with booking systems and CRMs. Why local attribution differs from e-commerce and how to report on true ROI.
Lesson 6: AI-Powered Local Advertising at Scale
Managing multi-location campaigns with AI automation. Automated GBP posting, review response, and local content. How Zeus’s local advertising agents continuously maintain and optimize campaigns across locations without manual intervention.