Imagine a potential customer desperately needs your services: a pipe burst in her kitchen and she needs a plumber as soon as possible. The only problem is she’s never heard of your business. She reaches for her smartphone and googles “plumber near me.”
Your potential customer sees your business with a Google Guarantee badge next to it with stellar reviews and an easy click-to-call feature. She clicks to call and your phone rings with your new customer ready to book your services.
Google Local Services is Google’s next step in digital advertising for small businesses offering local services. By the end of 2017, 30 cities across the nation will be able to use this new advertising stream through Google and gain leads.
Learn more about what Google Local Services is, if your business can benefit from it and how you can prepare for its launch.
What is Google Local Services?
You’re probably familiar with Google AdWords. When you search for something on Google, you see text ads that appear at the top of the search results related to your search query.
By paying for your ad to appear at the top of the search query, it was a quick and efficient way to be at the top of the search results and hopefully grab clicks from users as they search for certain keywords.
Google Local Services takes AdWords to the next level by focusing on the conversion. You only pay for the leads you receive. If your businesses gets 100 views and 10 leads, then you only pay for those 10 leads!
A business must be Google Guaranteed before they can use Google Local Services. Google Guarantee is a badge earned by businesses who meet Google’s strict criteria. The process to be able to use Google Local Services takes approximately two weeks. It’s rigorous but worth the hassle.
Businesses must pass a background check as well as prove their license and insurance documents are accurate and up-to-date. After a business completes these steps, they become Google Guaranteed and their business gets a Google check mark that consumers trust.
Becoming Google Guaranteed means Google is technically partnering with your business. After certification, Google will cover the cost of the invoice for a business if a customer is unsatisfied with their work.
Google Local Services will change the digital advertising marketing for businesses offering local services.
Which Businesses Benefit from Google Home Services?
Currently, Google has limited categories of businesses that can benefit from Google Home Services.
Current Category List:
- Locksmiths
- Plumbers
- Electricians
- HVAC
- Garage door services
Google has not announced if and when it will open up the categories to other options.
Efficiently Manage Your Leads
With AdWords campaigns, tracking your actual leads could be difficult. If a small business is unable to place tracking codes on their website to track conversions from campaigns it could be challenging to see exactly what kind of return you were getting from AdWords.
With Google Local Services, you see exactly how many leads your business received from your ad. Put your business where your potential customers are already looking.
Google Local Services ads are easily managed from an Android or iOS app or the AdWords dashboard. Looking for leads? Turn the ads on and watch the leads come in. Have plenty of leads or hit your monthly budget? Turn the ads off for a later time.
This tool makes it easy to efficiently manage leads and save all data right in the AdWords dashboard for effective and accurate reporting. No more guessing how many leads your digital advertising dollars accrued. You’ll have the exact number.
How Can Your Business Prepare for Google Local Services?
Google hasn’t been very clear about when exactly they’re rolling out Google Local Services to new cities. However, the platform was only in five cities in July 2017 and by December 2017 it had rolled out to seventeen cities. Your city could soon have this feature.
- Become Google Guaranteed
The process of becoming Google Guaranteed is lengthy. Complete the process now and you’ll be ready to start running ads when it becomes available in your area.
- Create Digital Advertising Strategy
Create your digital advertising strategy and budget now before the rush to set up these ads become available. Determine where your advertising dollars are going now and how you want to spend them in 2018.
- Find an Agency
Find a reputable digital agency that you trust. Google Local Services is a new feature, however certain digital agencies are experienced in Google advertising and are preparing for this new ad type.
A digital agency will be able to help you through the process of becoming Google Guaranteed, creating your digital advertising strategy and managing your campaigns for you. Find the agency you want to work with now and save stress later when you’re ready to launch the ads.
How Does Google Local Services Affect Your Marketing Strategy
If your business is already running AdWords campaigns, this is the next step in lead generation. Instead of guessing how many leads you’re getting, you’ll actually know.
This is the perfect time to consider digital advertising if your business hasn’t run any type of Google ad before. This affordable digital advertising option will help small business connect to the right customer at the right time and get more leads.
If Google Local Services hasn’t come to your area yet or is just about to launch, now is the perfect time to plan your first campaign. Be one of the first businesses in your area to become Google Guaranteed and start your Google Local Services ads as soon as it launches.
Contact a trusted digital marketing expert to discuss your digital advertising. Visit our Google Local Services page to learn more about what we offer.
Sources:
https://www.google.com/adwords/local-services-ads/
https://support.google.com/adwords/answer/6224841?hl=en
https://support.google.com/adwords/answer/7501778?hl=en&ref_topic=6224863
