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.

What are the chances that after leaving PubCon’s internet marketing conference in Austin TX that I would get a glimpse of Google’s 10 Foot banner ad in the Austin Airport?

AUS.Airport Presidential Blvd, Austin, TX 78719 (512) 530-2242 ‎

Let me spell that out for you….

GOOGLE PLACES IS BIG

10 Foot Big in the case of this ad. So if you haven’t caught on yet, take note… Local Search is changing the game.

Internet marketers are scrambling like a bunch of Austin TX fire ants after their mound has been kicked. Local results are showing up for searches like watches, shoes, and costumes. The example of costumes shared by BlueGlass is a little far from what I believe Google’s intent is. Google constantly refers to “Plumbers and dentists” as their local examples. These are truly local searches. Most people that search for a local service, like pest control, have an intent to buy locally.  Restaurants would be the largest category here. The divide happens when we consider what is local? People in a rush to eat lunch are willing to pick up the closest burger. People looking to meet clients for lunch are looking for a joint with the right atmosphere.

Chiropractic did a quick study of what influenced real people in their dinner buying habits for local search.

1- Recommendation. What are friends or reviewers saying.

2- Recognizing the Name. This would be more on branding. When you’ve reached the status of the Salt Lick or Rudy’s BBQ and people from Phoenix AZ know of you, you are doing it right.

3- Location. How close or how far. Sadly the Salt Lick lost out for the PubCon conference because it was too far. Better reviews but too far for our crowd of friends.

So when it comes to searching locally for a restaurant those factors weigh in pretty heavy and search engine’s are not yet calculating your friend’s recommendations and are more concerned about “Location” then they are “Recognition.”

BUT WHAT ABOUT LOCAL SERVICES THAT VISIT A CUSTOMER’S HOME?

Yes. I have a little beef to pick with this one. A local service that covers the entire metro is totally different then a restaurant with only so much local pull. As good as the Salt Lick is, the customer must be willing to go the distance. Services that travel to your home, however, don’t require any more effort from a consumer. So as a consumer, if I am looking for an Austin pest control company, the 5 miles away or 50 miles away argument never really hits the table.  As a consumer looking for a local Austin service, I am more concerned about “SERVICE”. So local results that cannot be sorted by 5 star reviews, or number of reviews, are a bit of a nuisance.

Either way, the 1 ton Elephant of Local Search is on the loose…. and don’t call your local pest control guy about crazy roaming elephants …or gorilla’s.

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…. and FYI – Austin Airport hasn’t claimed their Google Listing yet.

Related article worth the read: Google Places : Local SEO That Influences Global Search Marketing

Post sponsored in part by:

First there was Personalization now there is Localization. Google wants to do all your thinking for you.  They now categorize you by search history and location. Then they provide you with the results that they feel are most relevant to you.

Personalization

Google profiles users based on info above.

Personalization occurs based on web history.  It occurs both logged in and logged out unless you specify otherwise.  So Google search results are based on your profile. Check out info in your Google profile https://www.google.com/history/?hl=en So let’s say that you are a raving Bulwark fan. You search for Bulwark pest control a couple of times and soon enough, you only need to search for pest control and Bulwark comes up on top based on your search history. Personalization based on search history.  As far as profiling you,  Google further looks at what you like or dislike and serves up results.  So two visitors search for titans, the History Geek will get mythology and the Football Fanatic will get an NFL team. But it’s easy enough to turn off your web history.

Localization

Last year Google began offering local search results in the form of a map listings. Google determines local intent to buy based on the searches.  Someone looking for a dentist is most likely wanting to find a dentist nearby.  So local search was born. Last year the local results were only really found in the maps, but recently Google moved beyond just the maps to the organic results as well.  Now when Google deems your search to have local intent, the first few results prior to the maps seem to stay consistent but the results following the maps differ based on users IP address or users chosen location, and this occurs without personalization based on web history or website preferences. And this occurs automatically without users consent.

Both of the following had the same search term: Pest Control

Local Results for Pest Control near Houston

Now watch the organics 4 to 10 change.

Local Results near Phoenix

Perhaps not a big deal to many, but this does change up monitoring results. If I am using a Seattle based SEO team and they tell me I am #15 for pest control without personalization, they are missing the fact that I am #15 for pest control based on a search from Seattle. If you are automating reports, the IP of the search software tracking the positions will now greatly alter the results.

Moreover, the guys at the top of the pile just got a bump in the value of their positions because the localization doesn’t seem to occur until after the maps…. and with the advent of Google Instant and the increase of  impressions you’ll get at the top… Prime Real Estate Just Went Up in Value!

…and the Phoenix localization for “pest control” does not give the same results as a “Phoenix pest control” search.