Did you know that more than 50% of all searches made on Google annually are via mobile devices? And nearly a third of those searches are location related!
Local Search Ads will now be designed to be more visible at the moment a consumer searches for a business to meet their needs, whether it is a nearby gas station, grocery store, pharmacy, or other local business. Although Google introduced Local Ads on Google Maps in 2013, this new look is something special! Promoted Pins will now include a brand logo so that consumers will recognize the business right away on a map. This is a pretty big advantage for advertisers who want to get noticed amongst the many competing locations on Google Maps. Other features such as in-store promotions, customizable business pages, and local inventory search will also be included.
Where Can I Find These Ads?
Whether you are using the Google Maps app, Google Maps mobile, desktop and tablet sites, or Google.com Expanded Maps Results, the new Local Search Ads will be visible to you. A single purple ad label will appear at the top of the list above the organic results on the Google Maps app. Within Google Maps on a desktop, a maximum of two purple ad labels will take the top spots in the search results.
How Does Google Choose an Ad?
There could be tons of stores near your potential customers’ location that they are looking for but only one or two spots for those ads. So how does Google make the decision of what ad to show? There are lots of factors! Google wants to show the most relevant ad to the searcher, which means they consider a lot of different things when choosing the ad to be displayed. All of these things are factors when Google is carefully selecting the proper ad for the consumer who is searching for a Local business.
When Is It All Taking Place?
Google has not set a release date for when all of these changes will take place. The new Local Search Ads are currently still in the works, but are expected to make their debut to more advertisers and marketers in the next three months. Keep your eyes peeled for these changes as they are sure to change the way Local businesses attract their customers!
Businesses have a great opportunity to expand their brand awareness to potential customers who are searching on their mobile phones and tablets for things to do, places to shop, or the best restaurants to eat at. At their recent Performance Summit in May, Google shared a lot of big changes that are coming, including how Local Search results will be updated in Google Maps on both desktop and mobile, with the strongest emphasis being on mobile. Google wants to help businesses with physical locations capitalize on these opportunities.
