Google Earth now showing Local Business Ads
Google AdWords Local Business Ads have been a great source of inventory for those wishing to reach a local audience. They are primary shown on maps.google.com (formerly local.google.com).
Recently, Google has begun to show those ads on Google Earth 4.0Â (recently released).
Here’s a screenshot of maps.google.com for “Utica, NY hotel”. Note the custom Best Western Icon in the map itself.
As one can see, there’s a custom Best Western Icon in both the ad and on the map. This feature has also been added to Google Earth. Here’s a screenshot of Google Earth for the same query.
Â
The biggest problem facing local companies is good inventory. It was common a year and a half ago for many properties to give preference to national companies (highest bidders) on local properties. Over time, the engines are starting to give some preference to local based companies on local properties.
The Google Earth expansion of additional inventory for local businesses is welcome. We all knew that Google was going to add advertising to Earth eventually. At least when the advertising has arrived, its relevant to the search result.
R.H. Donnelley acquires LocalLaunch
First, let me thank everyone who has called, IMed, emailed, posted, and sent SMS congratulations. It’s very much appreciated.
If the above sentence doesn’t make sense, the press release can be found here: http://www.locallaunch.com/rhd-locallaunch.aspx
There seem to be a few concerns about my role in the internet marketing community, and I wanted to clarify at once.
1. I am retaining my co-moderator status at WebmasterWorld of both the Google AdWords and Local Search Forums.
2. I will continue to speak (and attend) industry events. The next time I will be speaking is September 28th at SES Local in Denver.
3. I will definitely be in Vegas for Pubcon.
4. I will continue to update the blog (however often that may be).
There’s discussion about the acquisition at WebmasterWorld, and I’m sure Greg Sterling will have a more comprehensive post about the subject soon.
Use Day Parting to Increase Your Business
Show your ad when people are more likely to buy (eCommerce)
Show your ad when your office is actually open (for small businesses)
Generate new businesses only when you want more business
Stop wasting your internet marketing dollars by showing your ad 24/7. Is your businesses open 24/7? If yes, then by all means show your ad 24/7. However, are there times of the day or week when businesses is slower than normal? Are you a business with regular 9-6 hours, but late Thursday night and Friday afternoon the phone just stops ringing? There is a solution…
Time sensitive offers.
Drilling Down into Geographic Keywords
When trying to reach a geographic audience, one must understand all of the geographic variations that searchers use to surf the web. Understanding these permutations will help target your online efforts at the appropriate geographic level.
If you play in the PPC (pay per click) arena, these are the types of keywords that will help you take advantage of the “long tail” and drill down into very specific geographic queries. First, lets take a look at the geographic keywords, and then we’ll examine the implementation techniques.
Windows Live Expo Launches
Windows Live Expo has finally moved past beta into a full launch. It looks to combine aspects of traditional classifieds (things for sale), a dating site (find people), Craigslist (swap, general listings), and areas for job hunters. Some very interesting things are on the horizon for Expo and MSN.
Google’s Local Search Lags Behind other Properties
Want to know where people visit on the Google network? Hitwise has just released updated stats from their visitor tracking. Read more
Google adds Maps to Main Search Results
Google has often included vertical search results within it’s main results. Often these are from Google Base or Google Local. Google has recently added a new twist on this feature and started showing map results when the search is an explicit business name.
If you want to check to see if a map comes up for your business, the first thing is to do an explicit search of ‘Your Business Name’ and ‘Your City’. If you don’t see a map in the results, there seem to be two different answers. The first is that your business is not listed in Google Local (more on how to be listed below). The second is that there are many locations and Google isn’t quite sure which results to display. Results for Wal-mart, Target, Starbucks did not bring up a map in Google Search.
Let’s first look at the three types of results Google may show on a local query.
Ads are sponsored listings through Google AdWords.
Local results are from Google Local or Google Base.
Organic results are from the natural listings.
Now, let’s take a more in depth look at the possible inventory.
When you see a result like this in the ‘local ad space’ from above, this is a prompt to do a search on Google Base. Listings can be either hand submitted or feed submitted to Google Base.
When you see results with many addresses in them, Google is pulling these listings from Google Local. One can get into Google local by submitting a business directly (requires a pin number to be mailed to you, and then verification. Often takes 4-8 weeks for the entire process to be completed.) or by submitting a feed.
This is the brand new result that Google is now showing. If your business is not in Google Local, it appears that a map will not show for your business. To ensure your business will show up for these results, you need to submit your business to Google Local (or use a service, discussed below).
This is a local.google.com search result. By searching through Google Local, one can determine if your business is in their index. What is interesting about Google local is that a submission may not show up exactly as you submitted it to Google. Basically, Google looks at all the sources it has for a particular business, does some algorithm magic, and then displays what it thinks are the proper results.
In most cases, this works fairly well. However, if you move, change your business phone number, or any information, often the new information will not be shown because in it’s ranking formula, your new information looks incorrect as there is so much other information that is telling Google it’s still the old information.
How does one get their business into Google Local?
There are a few ways. The first is to submit to the Google Business Center. This requires you to first submit your information. Then, Google will email you a pin number (takes 4-6 weeks). Then you must input your pin number into the account your created. Finally, when Google re-compiles their local index, your business will be listed.
The second way is to submit to Google Base. You can login with your Google account and create a listing all about your business. In about 6 weeks, that information will be submitted to Google Local. Again, once the index is recompiled, then your business will be listed.
The last way is to use a Business Distribution Service. Such a service will take your business information and submit it to many local search properties (such as Yahoo Local, Superpages, Judy’s Book, etc). The leader in business data distribution is
RegisterLocal. There, you can create a profile of your business, track all kinds of results (such as phone calls, map views, etc), and even use it for a marketing landing page so that you can see the effectiveness of internet marketing for your business.
Verizon Offers Pay Per Call Solution
Verizon has launched a PPCall solution, however, it is a bit different than the other offerings on the market.
Verizon is building static ads with static phone numbers. However, those wishing phone calls are still bidding in an auction style for those leads. Sound confusing? It’s really not, it’s just a different model.
Basically, Verizon is going to build ads that they determine have high call rates.
Those wishing the phone calls will bid (like PPC) for those calls.
Depending on who is the highest bidder at the time of the call, Verizon will route the call to that bidder.
What this does is take the complexity of building ads, testing call rates, etc out of the hands of the advertisers. The only complexity left for the advertiser is the actual budget and bidding.
Verizon will take on the responsibility of optimizing the ads, showing them in various appropriate locations, and just pass the phone call to the highest bidder.
Simple model for the advertiser. Some complex call routing behind the scenes by Verizon. Ad optimization without the customer service of talking to advertises about creatives.
It is an interesting model, and on the surface, it seems like a fairly easy one to implement. It will be interesting to watch the adoption rate for this product.
More information from MSNBC.
Google Launches New Ad Format to Empower Local Businesses
Google has launched a new ad format type specifically for local businesses. This is a very important change in thinking about local web properties. In the past, prominent ad space has been reserved for the highest bidder, which is often accomplished by national presences, regardless if they are a local business or not. This has been a problem when it comes to migrating local SME onto the web. With the allocation of premium ad space for local businesses (those with a physical address), Google is helping to empower the small business to find success on it’s local property.
I have spoken at several conferences that both search engines, and other local properties, such as IYPs and Newspapers, need to be focused on empowering agencies and small businesses to find premium ad space. In the US, these SMEs represent upto 22 million clients and several billions of ad dollars. They are a force to be embraced, not to be discouraged for the quick national ad dollar.
This move by Google is a very forward thinking one on allocating this space to businesses with local presences. Yes, a national (local) chain, can outbid local businesses in many occasions, however, this gives many service based industries placement they have never enjoyed before.
Below is a screenshot of the new ad format as it appears on Google Local:
The ads have a few properties associated with them:
- A Custom Icon List (the icon can be seen on the left in the blue sponsored links – the full list is below).
- A Custom logo (125×125 max size 20k) can be attached to the ad.
- A Click on the ad opens the sponsored link in the middle of the Google Local page, yet, does not count as an actual ad click (This is PPC advertising).
- The Click on the ad in the middle of the map leads to the advertiser website, and this is counted as a click.
Here’s the full icon list:
Display Properties:
What is interesting about these ads, is that you can now create an AdGroup with only a small business ad (more information below on creating these ads), and yet receive distribution across all of Google’s Properties.
- On Google.com and Search Partners, your ad will show as a traditional AdWords ad (and like geo targeted ads, it will have the city name below the ad).
- On local.google.com, the ad will have the above characteristics.
Quality Control:
To help control the quality of local business ads, and to ensure these businesses do exist, before one can create a business ad, they must be listed in Google Local. This is a good move by Google in ensuring that these are in fact local businesses. However, getting into Google Local can be difficult for many small businesses.
To get your information into Google Local, one has four options:
- One can sign up through the Google Business Center. The biggest issues with this route is that a pin number is mailed to you. You must receive the mailer and then input the pin number into Google Local. According to Google Local, it takes around six weeks for information to be included in Google Local. This means there around a two month time lapse between entering your information and appearing on Google Local (Google Business Center Information).
- One can send a feed to Google Base. There are two issues with this approach. The feed must be properly formatted, and FTPed correctly. Google Base has been so overwhelmed with response that the FTP is often down. Once your information is in Google Base, it takes approximately two weeks for them to approve local business listings, and then according to their emails, another six weeks to be included in Google Local. Again, a two month wait time.
- Once can send a Small Business Feed through Froogle. The same formatting issues above apply, however, the upload time seems quite efficient. Google claims this method can take upto six weeks to include information as well, however, we often see a 2-4 day turnaround in new information being included.
- One can use a feed distributor (such as RegisterLocal.com) to send out business information to many local web properties (including Google Local) at a single time. This approach has advantages as it gets you into many web properties, leaves the headaches with feed distribution to someone else, but also lets you easily update your small business data on many local properties at once.
Creating Your Local Business Ad:
Within your AdWords account, navigate to the AdGroup you wish to create a Local Business Ad. You will now see three ad types you can create (Text Ad, Image Ad, Local Business Ad). Click on the Local Business Ad.
The first step is to find your information in Google Local. You’ll be presented with a screen that includes business name, street address, city, state, zip, and country. Fill out this information and have Google search for possible matches.
If you find a match, then proceed to filling out the full information. If you don’t find a match, try searching again. If you can’t find your business listing, you’ll have to submit it to Google Local first (see information above on getting your information into Google Local).
Once you find your ad, you now have a few options:
- Create your ad (same character limits as a text ad).
- Add your phone number (this is optional). However, the phone number you display does not have to match what Google has on file. This allows one to make sure the most upto date phone number is displayed. It also gives advertisers an opportunity to use a unique phone number to track their ad’s effectiveness.
- Choose a map icon (full icon list above).
- Choose your destination page.
- Upload an image. The use of a graphical logo can significantly increase both CTRs and branding. The logo must be 125×125 (max size of 20k), and be in a .gif, .jpg, or .png format.
Once the information is filled out, save your work.
This is Keyword Based Advertising:
Unlike many local web advertisements that are based on channels or categories, these ads are keyword triggered. You’ll want to review the AdGroup that contains your Local Business Ad to ensure you have a robust universe of keywords that will trigger your ad.
It is also important to note that Google Local will only show one ad type at a time, and they are giving priority to Local Business Ads. What this means is that if there are no Local Business ads, then Google will show appropriate text ads. If there is even a single Local Business Ad, then Local Business Ads will show. If you’re the only one with a Local Business Ad, yours will be the only ad on the page.
Overview:
I’m elated to see Google take this step towards giving premium placement to local advertisers. I also think web searchers will very much enjoy this additional information on Google Local. Most national ads are not relevant to local based searches. This change ensures that local businesses are receiving excellent exposure while searchers are receiving information relevant to their search. A win-win situation for everyone involved.
Hopefully, this will start a new trend in local advertising placement that will carry over to other advertising providers. Google took the first step, now it’s time for the others to follow in assisting 22 million SMEs with billions of dollars to spend, to migrate from offline advertising to successful online marketing.
Skype Toolbar allows Local Searching
Skype (owned by eBay) has partnered with several local directories to allow localized search through their toolbar.
The countries available are:
- Brazil
- Finland
- Norway
- U.K.
- Denmark
- Germany
- Sweden
While this is mostly European, it does have some very interesting applications in the future of Pay Per Call:
Have you tried the toolbar on our local search partners� websites? If you do, you�ll notice that the telephone numbers on their sites aren�t just highlighted � they�re transformed into call buttons.
Is Skype and eBay testing out the possibilities of pay per call?
Are they just trying to give additional features to users?
Are they ‘enhancing’ the user experience with eBay and Skype products to maintain loyalty?
Does the toolbar collect other information about users (maybe for more targeted eBay ads)?
All of these questions are just speculation at present, however, eBay paid 2.6 billion for Skype and stockholders will want to see a return on those dollars.
With rumors surrounding Google Talk and Google PPCall; rumors of Yahoo testing PPCall; rumors of more instant messengers becoming VOIP friendly; and of course, Google Base as a possible competitor – eBay must stay on top of the constantly changing internet climate with new offers.
I suspect this is just the first of several announcements eBay and Skype will make towards the local marketing arena. Local auctions, local shopping, local phone numbers, call capability, and local search – it seems eBay is looking to test its foray into the local marketing arena – which will only grow over time.
If this is a success (even very moderately), expect USA and Canada to be added in the short term.
The longer term vision I can see eBay and Skype having is a more seamless user experience. Local search with the toolbar (i.e. replace phone books). Call with Skype (i.e. replace telephones). Bring a seamless local search user experience to the web. This may very well be the wave of the future, and it’s being brought to us by eBay.
Who will eBay compete with? It’s difficult to say. It could be they aren’t seeing it as competition and just leading the web in new features.
The VOIP arena is heating up between Vonage, Skype, and local cable providers such as RCN. Skype’s new local search addition makes them a clear leader in this area – for now.
Google AdWords
Seminars for Success
Learn about Google AdWords from experts hand selected by Google.
These seminars will educate advertisers on the creation and management of successful AdWords campaigns.
Upcoming Seminars:
Phoenix AdWords Seminars April 14th & 15th
Chicago AdWords Seminars April 29th & 30th
Vancouver AdWords Seminars May 5th & 6th
Denver AdWords Seminars May 18th & 19th
Minneapolis AdWords Seminars May 26th & 27th
Learn More about the Seminars:
Seminar Information
Official Google Seminar Page
Suggest a new city
Brad Geddes
Leslie Clark
Other Memberships
