Local SEO guide for EV charging stations

The ban on new petrol and diesel cars has been pushed back to 2035, but there’s still reason for optimism for businesses and locations that provide electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. More than 452,000 plug-in hybrid and battery-powered electric cars were registered in 2023 — a 41% rise on the previous year.

An increase of EVs on the road means more publicly accessible charging points are needed to keep drivers on the move. But how does the current infrastructure add up? At the end of December 2023, 53,906 EV charging points were sited across 31,056 charging locations in the UK.

Amplifying your presence in Google’s local search results is essential for supermarkets, motorway service stations, restaurants, leisure centres, and other locations with EV charging stations installed.

Why is local SEO important for EV charging stations?

Optimising your local SEO helps increase your charging location visibility, attract more customers, and establish your EV charging station as trustworthy for EV drivers. For this reason, information like your hours of operation and the number of charging ports available must correspond with the online data. Google is the world’s biggest search platform and the one that drivers looking for EV charging stations will turn to while on the road.

Google also provides the chance to enhance business opportunities and boost revenue. For instance, a fast-food outlet that offers a rapid charging point could entice a driver in for a bite to eat while they wait for their vehicle to top up.

No plug-in hybrid or EV driver wants to experience range anxiety, so your business information must be accurate and up-to-date. While your website is your primary online presence, one of the easiest and most effective ways to improve local SEO for EV charging stations is through your Google Business Profile (GBP). It can help you get your business and charging station(s) in front of nearby consumers by ranking high on Google Maps and in search. However, positive GBP performance doesn’t happen by chance.

In many ways, it’s similar to charging an EV — you’ve got to keep powering it up, or it will gradually lose traction. Worse still, if your profile is displaying incorrect information, it could come to a complete stop. When customers and online searchers flag the anomalies to Google, it can suspend your listing and remove it from the SERPs. Remember, Google wants to help its users by showing them profiles fuelled with fresh, relevant, and truthful content.

Let’s discover how you can maximise the potential of your GBPs so your EV charging stations are located ahead of your competitors.

Does Google have any official guidelines on profiles for EV charging stations?

An EV charging station isn’t always a business's primary function. For example, a supermarket’s primary function is to provide an organised store where customers can purchase food, beverages, and household products. In this case, an EV charging station would be added to the existing GBP. Alternatively, if your EV charging station is the primary function of your business, you’ll need to create and validate a new profile.

Either way, you’ll need to gather and input every bit of invaluable data for EV drivers searching for a charge point. From the types of chargers you have to the payment methods you accept, make it easy for customers to decide if your charging point is the one they need. Customers can even see the real-time availability of your charging points through Google Points.

While there are no specific guidelines on GBPs for EV charging stations, Google requires you to claim and verify your business before your profile can go live. After you’ve created a GBP account, Google will forward a postcard to your business address that contains a code for you to enter online. This proves you’re the business owner and can “claim the business”.

Verification proves to Google that you’re an actual establishment. It can be requested via phone, text, e-mail, or a video recording. This can be problematic for businesses that can’t fulfil a particular method.

As EV charging marketers typically have to deal with multiple locations, you can use Google’s bulk upload and bulk verification functionalities for 10 or more EV charging stations. You’ll need Google Business management software like Mirador Local to efficiently oversee and update your GBPs.

Tips for EV charging stations’ Google Business Profiles

Have a clear business title

Google prefers it when businesses use the exact name of their business as it appears in the real world on their storefront signage or website. However, charging network brands like Alfa Power, InstaVolt, and GeniePoint add “Charging Station” to the end of their business name.

This doesn’t strictly adhere to Google’s wishes but integrating this popular search term (with an average of 31,000 searches monthly) can boost your local rankings without being penalised.

Another reason for including this keyword is to help users unfamiliar with EV services and technology understand these locations. For instance, “InstaVolt” could have different connotations depending on individual perspectives. Conversely, it’s sensible to assume every online user knows that McDonald’s is a fast-food restaurant, so there’s no need to title each of their listings “McDonald’s Fast Food Restaurant.”

Steer clear of including extraneous information like location details or adjectives like “best” or “cheapest”.

‍

Ensure the location and address are accurate

Don’t frustrate plug-in hybrid and EV drivers with incorrect locations and addresses. They want to quickly locate the most convenient public charging station nearby without worrying about draining their already-low battery further. 

Many EV charging stations are based in the parking areas of high-traffic locations like multi-storey car parks, airports, supermarkets, business parks, and hotels. A GBP listing usually needs its own address, but the local SERPs show that electric charging stations can use another facility’s address.

To illustrate this point, an InstaVolt charging station in Manchester uses Lime Square Retail Park as its address. Additionally, businesses hosting a charging station can have a link on their listings publicising this feature — essentially offering free online marketing for that specific charge point.

There’s also the “Located in” option above the address, where you can add the specific public space or business where your electric charging station is installed. For example, “Located in: McDonald’s”. " If the “Located in” descriptor is wrong, log into your GBP account and edit it under the “Location and areas” field. Ensure your business address follows Google’s guidelines and click “Save” once finished.

There are instances where the business address is correct, but the pin on Google Maps is in the wrong position. From your GBP account, you can manually adjust the pin on Google Maps so it’s showing in the correct location to help EV drivers pinpoint the exact whereabouts of your station. Click “Adjust” and move the map until the pin is on your business location. Then, click “Done” and “Save.” 

Google usually reviews manual pin placements for quality and reliability before publishing changes. Allow 24-48 hours for the location status updates in your GBP dashboard.

Include a support phone number

From power outages and payment system failures to electric car owners using the wrong charging adaptor, you must ensure a smooth and efficient experience at your charging station.

Because EV technology enables a simple plug-in charge-and-go situation, EV charging stations are rarely crewed (unlike petrol stations).

You must include a customer support number in GBP listings to get the driver and charger back up and running as quickly as possible. A small problem with your EV charging point can rapidly become substantial if you don’t address the fault or user error. Frustrated customers and a backlog of electric vehicles waiting to use the facility will impact your reputation for all the wrong reasons.

Choose the correct category

Categories are used to describe the nature of your business. Select “EV Charging Station” as your primary category to ensure your charging station is categorised correctly and ranks for your most valuable searches.

Answer Q&As

The Q&A feature can help existing and potential customers understand more about your EV charging station and what it offers, enhancing your business’s local marketing profile. As a business owner, you must respond to legitimate questions ASAP to deter random people from answering them incorrectly. This helps avoid confusion by quickly supplying customers with accurate information and signalling to Google that your GBP is active and relevant. 

Remember, you’re well within your rights as the business owner to pose and answer questions. Avoid self-promotion questions and focus on providing information that benefits the user. For example, “Where can I wait for my car to be charged?” and “How powerful are your car chargers?”.

Use Google Posts

Create Google Posts to publish updates about your EV charging station, like changes to opening hours, installation of new EV connector types, and charging speeds. Perhaps you run an off-peak discounting scheme to alleviate the issue of long queues or have partnered with the business in which your EV charge point is located. Why not collaborate with the nearby burger joint to run a “Recharge for a free upgrade to large” campaign?

Microblogging this type of persuasive content through Google Posts effectively builds brand awareness, gains greater visibility in local search, and adds value to the customer experience. Embedding optimised images and videos can also be instrumental, particularly if the content helps customers overcome common user errors preventing them from charging their EVs. An example is a video demonstrating to users how to activate the charging session so they can begin charging.

Regularly publishing fresh content stops your GBP from becoming stale and signals to Google that your station is open and ready to empower customers. Typical EV charging brands with multiple charge points across the UK can post in bulk to listings using the Mirador Local all-in-one data management tool.

List accurate opening hours

Don’t irk your customers or increase their range anxiety by displaying inaccurate opening hours. Most EV stations are open 24 hours a day, but some will have strict opening and closing times depending on their location. For instance, an EV charging station based in a shopping centre car park that’s locked overnight will have limited hours.

For context, Google’s guidelines state that petrol stations and EV charging brands should list the hours of operation that their pumps or charge points are available. If your charging stations’ opening times are subject to change during Christmas, New Year, and other public holidays, you’ll need to update this across all your business locations. 

Consider linking to the business website

Each GBP listing you create allows you to include a website link. However, knowing whether to link to the corporate website or a local landing page for EV charging brands with multiple business locations can be tricky. Logically, when a local consumer clicks on the “Website” button on a listing, they’re yearning for additional location-specific information.

InstaVolt is an EV charging station brand fulfilling the customer’s need for rich, deeper information about the location of interest. Click on the “Website” option on any of their GBPs, and it will take you to a page about that specific charging station, like the one below.

It features information like its unique what3words address, opening hours, and details about the chargers (connector, max power, and pricing).

Start-ups or owners acquiring chains that didn’t previously have a cohesive local strategy could encounter issues like duplicate local listings and no local pages to direct searchers to.

While linking to your corporate site is better than nothing, we suggest linking to a speciality page as it increases the profile’s relevance for the term and boosts your local rankings.

For example, Virta could link to the “Hotel & Destinations” page to target keywords such as “hotel with electric charging stations” and promote hotels that house its electric charging facilities. This also helps differentiate each location’s GBP.

Take clear photos and videos of the charging station

Uploading high-quality photos and videos is worthwhile to help customers identify your EV charging point and give them an idea of what to expect. As many EV charge points are in vast car parks, you can also illustrate the proximity and relationship of your station to the largest anchor business nearby. From the charging station’s interior to available amenities (convenience store, toilet facilities, etc), think about how to help potential customers learn about the location-specific charging station.

Tutorial videos on using each charger type are little nuggets of gold for new EV owners.

Encourage reviews

Manage your business’s reputation by encouraging GBP reviews. EV drivers want to arrive at an EV charging station that delivers what it says online and has received positive feedback from previous chargers. Responding correctly to positive and negative reviews strengthens trust, enhances brand identity, and increases the likelihood of appearing in your ‘Local 3 Pack’.

Express gratitude to users who leave positive feedback, and act on less favourable reviews by owning your mistakes and looking to improve your services. For instance, the bays may need widening to accommodate bigger EVs like the Audi eTron or Tesla X.

It's good practice to repeat what the customer has said so they feel heard. You can then use this platform to provide them with helpful information or exciting news that gets organically shared with a broader audience, like plans to install more charging points. Here’s an example:

“Hi Joe, thank you for taking the time to write a review of our rapid charging station in London. We’re delighted to hear you were satisfied with the efficiency of the InstaVolt app and the speed of the CHAdeMO charger. We’re pleased to announce we’ll be installing two more rapid charging points in March. We hope to see you again soon. Kind regards, the InstaVolt Team.”

Offering discounts on a customer’s next charging session or a free coffee or snack from the on-site café are effective ways to reward and motivate users to leave reviews.

Tips to improve local marketing for EV charging stations

Focus on keywords

Because EV technology is constantly evolving and petrol or diesel drivers are switching to electric, questions are rife in the EV charging space. Use relevant keywords and location-based phrases in your GBP listings (without going into overkill) to increase your visibility for electric charging products and services. For instance, “electric car charging leeds”, “tesco electric charging station”, and “tesla supercharger near Manchester”.

Partner with local businesses

Develop relationships and strategic synergy with other businesses and charities to help promote each other’s services to your target audience. If your EV charging station is situated in the commercial parking space of another company, consider how you can work together. If your charge points are based in a supermarket car park, you could run a “go green” initiative that gives users of your charge point money off sustainable foods in-store.

Cross-promotions can earn you backlinks to your website, positively impact customer perception, and boost local search engine rankings — while resulting in an immediate revenue increase. You can also connect with your local community by hosting events.

These partnerships give you fresh, engaging content that gains exposure to a broader audience and encourages user-generated content (UGC), helping build social proof and attract new customers.

Signage and visibility

Give plug-in hybrid and EV drivers a sign of things to come while they’re on the road with clear, informative, and easily visible signage. This can also draw attention to the charging station when they’re in the area looking for it.

You can also communicate and enforce policies relating to the charging infrastructure and associated parking spaces with signs. For example, airports and motorway service stations may limit the time an EV can occupy a charging space.

Using large fonts and high-contrast colour schemes will improve accessibility for drivers with visual impairments.

Create high-quality content

A successful local marketing strategy for EV charging stations hinges on publishing high-quality content that solves consumers’ problems. You can use many methods and research tools to build authority in the EV space and support your local rankings. Be proactive in establishing your charging station(s) as reliable and trustworthy, whether you use Google Trends, survey your customers to find out what they want, or take inspiration from your competitors.

Don’t just let your content sit on your GBP and website. Share it on social media, send it to local publications, and produce guest blogs for neighbourhood websites. This way, you’re showing your brand cares about its local community and is committed to making it a better place to live.

Examples of EV charging stations doing it right

InstaVolt is a public EV charging network brand doing many things right on its GBPs. Looking at its Nowell Services location in Leeds, it’s provided a full address and advised it’s “located in” the BP (with a clear image of the station also added). Its opening hours are listed, along with a support number should EV drivers using the station need assistance.

The company has also been proactive in responding to reviews. A user stated the station was “only charging at 35kw”. The InstaVolt team explained, “Most of our stations are rated to a max output of 50kw; however, the charging speed is determined by the car and other factors.”

To optimise this profile further, the owner should add this information to its Q&A section, which is currently blank. This would also make for beneficial blog or Google Post content.

The InstaVolt group has a generic review response template it tends to follow. This can backfire as it suggests it’s not taken the time to read and understand each customer’s feedback. A prime example is shown below when a customer left a question within a review asking: “Great to see this facility in Lincoln. Can I charge my Tesla Model Y here?” InstaVolt gave a generic response that’s common across all its profiles and, in doing so, has neglected to answer the user’s question. Other users will see this as unhelpful and a case of InstaVolt not valuing their customers.

Making a positive first impression with your GBP is imperative in today’s digital age, as potential customers like to see how others have fared before they interact.

How Mirador Local can help

Managing multiple GBPs across your electric charging station network is a challenging task. Or it was until Mirador Local came knocking. Manage your Google reviews, update your opening hours, create and schedule Google Posts, and more from a single, easy-to-use dashboard.

Grab a free demo here and learn how we can supercharge your EV charging stations' local SEO strategy.

‍