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Understanding Google My Business & Local Search

Google Offers Beta – Status Update

Google Offer’s Beta in Portland started on June 1 and there have been 5 deals in total to this point. Here is a summary of the deals to date:

Date Co./URL Deal % off Purchase 

Window

Avail. Sold
6/1 Floyd’s Coffee $3 for $10 work of food 70% 15 hrs 2000 1709
6/2 Uptown Billiards $10 for $200 worth of Pool 50% 15 hrs 500 95
6/3 Karam Lebansese $8 for $16 of Lebanese Food 50% 15 hrs 500 500
6/4 Celebrity Tan $10 for $39 Spray Tan 74% 39 hrs NA 157
6/6 Portland Pedicab $45 for a $90 3 brewery pub tour 50% 23 hrs 700 26
6/7 Le Bistro Montage $4 for $10 of Cajun-style Brunch 60% 23 hrs 2000 706
6/8 Mt. Tabor Dental $59 for a $421 dental package 85% 23 hrs 300 51
6/9 Malu Day Spa $30 for a $75 spa package 60% 23 hrs 600 39
6/10 Mississippi Studios & Bar Bar $7 for $20 towards food, drinks or an advance show ticket 65% 23 hrs 5000 1189
6/11 Fulcrum Fitness $45 for one month of unlimited boot camp sessions f($254 value) 82% 47 hrs 500

Other than the first deal at Floyd’s the volume has been very low to moderate. On the ground anecdotal evidence indicated that Floyd’s was not that busy so it is not unlikely that being the first deal, that many of the offers purchased were by those in the industry assessing Google’s product. I guess Floyd’s won’t mind. Rocky Agrawal also noted that “the early ones get benefit of local press. All 4 tv stations and newspapers covered the story.”

In a conversation with one of the participants they shared with some interesting factoids:
– They were paying Google 50% of the proceeds. “Same as Groupon”. It doesn’t appear that the value of deals will improve anytime soon.
– The rep servicing the account did visit but is stationed in Los Angeles NOT in Portland
– Google Offers Business Sales and Support has a forward facing number – 866-954-5152

Replicating Groupon’s success will not be quick and it will not be easy for Google. Not only do you need a sales force but you need a great list of subscribers and popular businesses willing to give incredible discounts. Clearly Google is not anywhere near there yet if you take the sales number as an indicator. How long it will take will be interesting to see.