Understanding Google My Business & Local Search
Is Google AdWords Testing a New Local Adwords Display Type?
In July, Google upgraded AdWords to allow advertisers to add the full address to their search ads through location extensions. It appears that they are now testing a new ad layout similar to the one developed for Local Listing Ads.
Tim Coleman of A Second Opinion, sent along this screen shot from last week of a search for “garage door repair denver” that displays a new local AdWords ad type. (Click the image to view larger)
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Has anyone else seen this type of Ad?
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Comments
15 Comments
I saw an example earlier in the week where there was a star next to the listing and hovering over brought up “featured” ad text. I wonder if people will intuitively know these 1, 2 and 3 markers relate to locations on the map, would be some interesting eye tracking research.
@Michael – the ‘featured’ star ratings are based on high page scores for PPC.
@Michael I posted a computer generated heatmap of the Local Listing Ads.
@Jono Thanks!
@Mike – I saw a similar listing for a “san diego dentist”. I am not talking about the LLA’s above the 7-pak, rather down the right column. I saw 2-4 blue flags paired with local addresses above the AdWords listings. It was the first time I have ever seen this. If you do the search now you will not see the listing that i saw earlier this week though, nor will you see the listing for the “garage door repair denver”. I wonder if the LLA’s are being tested running down the right column? Personally I would want my LLA to be above the map!
Nice Post!
Kyle Kazak | Kazak Media
[…] 20, 2009 at 1:00pm ET by Greg Sterling Mike Blumenthal received a screenshot that seems to show a test of a new presentation of Google local/geotargeted AdWords. […]
[…] der besseren Monetarisierung von Werbeflächen setzt Google scheinbar mit einem weiterem Test fort. Mike Blumenthal hat dazu einen Screenshot: Macht Sinn. SEL hat hier noch ein weiteres Beispiel. Dürfte nicht […]
hmmm i have even spoken where they list the telephone number of the advertiser on the Google Adwords ads where you can have the option to call them via Skype along the country flag. quite cool actually!
I have not seen this option in the Adwords Center. I know where you can attach your local business account, but how do they determine if you get the eye catching blue marker?!
I think the blue pin is added at Google’s discretion as a test at this point. It only shows sometimes and then not again even on the same search in the same market.
I found these markers today in a search I did. http://www.localsearchpilot.com/local-search/google-sponsored-results-local-listings and I have noticed that many of the selected Ads are from a certain PPC agency.
Any ideas if Google is working with a larger PPC company in testing this? or do you think it is still random?
[…] the third week of November, readers sent me screen shots of a new Google Adwords Local Display Type that included a Blue Map Pin & address. Readers continued to ask about the test as it showed up […]
Looks like the ads/map markers have been removed. It was getting ridiculous, imo. What with the map, with like 8 businesses, the 3 sponsored results at the top, with the 2-4 Map Marker Ads below those and above the map, it was pushing the organic results to the lower half of the page!! We work so hard for Organic Results and then they’re pushed down, far below the paid results, making them worth much less, and less likely to get clicked in!? I hope Google stops pushing down Organic Results – because their search engine model is quickly becoming more and more like what the old ‘paid for’ search engines, before Google came along and put them out of business, because they were so Organic! Makes you think that there might be another purely (or 85%) organic search engine coming at some point (not Google!).
I tried adding my business address to my adwords account and you know what, there is no possibility. I think that this feature is available only for USA companies. Because I can not place my London address.
Mike,
This seems to back now and in full force. What’s your thoughts on it now?
@Matthew
I am sure that you are aware, these are the new Adwords with Local Extensions that Google announced in early February. They make all kinds of sense.
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