Pest Control and Bug Exterminator Blog

Houston TX was first to recieve the tags.

So I have been involved with Google tags for a little while now, since the beginning. Today Google announced that the sponsored tags for businesses would be no more.

“We’ve made a decision to shift our efforts toward other present and future product offerings for local businesses, and will be discontinuing this trial.”

http://googlesmb.blogspot.com/2011/04/update-on-tags.html

Honestly I hate to see these tags go.

Google tags may not have driven hordes of traffic, but that wouldn’t be any surprise as they were so localized. The truth of the matter is that they worked well for many small businesses. The sponsored tags did eat up some of the clicks a business may have received otherwise, but they added a few more that a business wouldn’t have gotten. This is one product that I openly endorsed for Google. This was a good product for most small businesses. Granted, I may have moaned a bit when they took away the view website option, but perhaps that’s because they replaced with … “View More Google Place Pages” options. Which means more views for Google Adsense. Sadly, this move to remove Google Tags sings the same song of “What’s Best for Google?”

Pushing the Google Boost Ads

My full review for Google Boost Ads. The Pros & the Pests to Automated Local Advertising

Google Boost has a lot to offer. And Google Boost has a lot lacking. From my perspective, what it lacks most is similar to what Google’s sponsored tags lacked, CUSTOMER CARE. Or better yet, what Guy Kawasaki stated, “IF you want your customers to trust you then you need to trust your customers.” There is a serious problem when a paying customer following Google’s guidelines gets a “Place no longer exists.” branded below a business name, simply because their trusted anonymous user says it to be so. And there are a myriad of other issues that Google’s local search team is also suffering much of it seems to stem from a trust factor and or customer care perspective. But…. Google’s local search is still the best out there! Heck, Bing isn’t even taking reviews right now. Plus Bing’s maps are horrible for embedding.

So here is my biggest complaint, Google wants to get rid of an nice entry level platform for Local businesses, the Sponsored tags. In it’s place they want to push, Google Boost. The reason this doesn’t look good is because the customer care part still doesn’t exist. But it looks even worse because the song I am hearing from Google is, “What’s going to make Google the most money? That would be Google Boost… So we have decided that Boost is what’s best for our customers.” “We know what’s best for you?” “Just Trust us?” That’s a pretty big step for business owners to take. Trust is most often built with time and history. One step at a time. Anybody that would marry after a first date is considered “NUTS”. Building a business relationship is the same way.

Will Google Boost work? Is it good for local businesses?

I would like Google boost to work for local businesses. But, it’s a completely automated system. As much as I trust the auto pilot on an airplane, I still need to be reassured that their is a real pilot to correct it’s mistakes. Do the math.

But I am just your local pest control guy, so don’t mind me.

Now Proudly Displayed in our Gilbert AZ location

Scanning the Bar code for the Boss. To show him this high tech stuff.

This is way cool! Here we are!

You can actually scan this from your computer screen!

Bulwark was honored to receive its first letter last Friday from Google Maps.  The letter boasts a big congratulations on front and a very pretty window sticker.  Then it went on to explain that “Between July 1 and September 30″ each location had been found X number of times and received X number of requests “for driving directions or other information about your business.” After doing some digging online and checking to see how legitimate this honor was, Bulwark’s owner found listed on Google’s site the following

“Over 100,000 businesses were identified as Favorite Places, representing less than 1% of the 28 million U.S. businesses. We believe that our standards for selecting businesses are as selective or more selective than other companies which have run similar initiatives.”

“Google users “decided” based on their actions, and we sent the decals.” http://www.google.com/help/maps/favoriteplaces/business/faq.html

The owner quickly recognized the value in this recognition from Google and a email went out Monday morning to all of our locations to keep their eyes peeled for these envelops.  Sure enough, 3 other branches of Bulwark had received the letters!

“I got the golden ticket.” was the email reply from one of our Austin managers.  While he may have been joking, the owner and web team were not.

“It is an honor to receive this and we are happy to post the sticker in our window boasting Google as well for being an industry leader.” said Adam, the owner and CEO of Bulwark.  “And hopefully more are on their way.”

Google’s most recent update was that of adding their map results to searches. Now if you search for Pest Control Las Vegas NV, you will get a list of 10 local pest control companies… well supposed local companies. Unfortunately these maps are very easy to manipulate. Take for instance the search for North Las Vegas Pest Control. You will find a result for Nature’s First Pest Control Affiliate. Click on their page and there is no listing of any affiliates nor address. In fact, the address used belongs to Bulwark.

It is bothersome that google is allowing this to happen.

So the big question, HOW DO YOU GET YOUR PEST CONTROL SERVICE LISTED IN THE TOP OF GOOGLE MAPS?

Well, this is still unclear, but here are a few things we have noticed.

1- Your address. If your address is Austin, TX then you are more likely to get listed for Austin TX pest control results.  In fact, this is the main reason we believe as to why Bulwark Pest Control shows up in Austin TX.  Indeed, its almost essential for your address to be within the city to be listed at the top.

2- Get listed with other directories, like yellowbook.com, or SEOpestcontrol.com.  Unfortunately these sites cost you some money and the added benefit may not be worth the cost.

3- Verifying your account with google.  This process takes sometime and has no guarantee.  Essentially you must claim your listing with google.  Once you have done this then google will remove the -Unverified listing tag, and we believe this will help your listing.  However, there are plenty of unverified listings showing up still in google’s results.

4- Linking. Find other pest control sites that are willing to help you with links.  There are a lot of ways that the smaller pest control companies can join up and help each other, and one of those is linking pest control sites.  For most small pest control services, finding PCOs that are not in your area should be easy.  Searching SEOpestcontrol.com may help you find other like minded pest control companies.

Hopefully this helps you with your Google Maps Results.  Remember still that marketing and being found on Google will do little for your pest control company if you are lacking in your service.  Advertising can never make up for poor service.

Pest Control Locations

Bulwark Exterminating – Las Vegas – 3932 Octagon, North Las Vegas, NV‎ – (702) 255-6313‎ >directions
Bulwark Exterminating – Mesa AZ – 1228 E Broadway Rd, Mesa, AZ‎ – (480) 497-3734‎ >directions
Bulwark Exterminating – Austin TX 209 E Ben White Blvd # 116, Austin, TX – (512) 351-7142 >directions
Bulwark Exterminating – Houston TX – 10900 Brittmoore Park Dr # D, Houston, TX‎ – (713) 849-8533‎ > directions
Bulwark Pest Control Tulsa – 2013 N Willow Ave # A, Broken Arrow, OK‎ – (918) 252-3548‎ > directions