Google AdWords Plus Box: Local CPC Bidding War Unleashed!
While Google cheers the addition of “colored labels” to Gmail, the nation’s 15 million plus local merchants are bracing for the fallout of Google’s latest, not so greatest, AdWords maneuver to corner the local advertising market online: “The AdWords Local PlusBox”!
YAY? Just days ago, at the Kelsey Interactive Local Media conference in Los Angeles, I predicted an impending push by Google to (highly) monetize its lucrative local and mapping real estate.
Following a Google keynote by John Hanke, Keyhole founder and Google Earth and Maps Director, I had the honor of helping wrap-up the three day conference as a panelist on the closing panel. I was asked by Matt Booth. Kelsey VP, for my outlook on the maps opportunity in local and referenced Hanke’s presentation to make a contrarian local maps case, SEE: Google Apps & Maps: Enterprise and Local Business STILL Missing
I also underscored how Google Director of Local Markets, Eric Stein, refused to provide any insights into how Google determines the three “local business results” that adorn Google SERPs, when asked for guidance by a Kelsey conference attendee during the opening “local search” panel.
In August, I headlined, Google Local Search Gold Mine: When Does Google Cash In? I asked at the time:
WHEN WILL GOOGLE CASH IN ON ITS LOCAL SEARCH GOLD MINE BY PUTTING THE LOCAL ONE BOX UP FOR AUCTION?
Exactly four months later, Google has indeed unleashed a Google Local (Plus) Box bidding war, big time!
I underscored in August: Did you know that Google’s top three “organic” search results are perhaps the Web’s most valuable real estate? Of course you did! A new comScore-TMP local search marketing agency study concurs:
60% of searchers online looking for local businesses think that the top results are most relevant. 25% don’t want to have to scroll down.
Why, then, does Google continue to give the house away, the SERP local house, in particular, I wrote in August.
AS I PREDICTED, GOOGLE IS NOW TAKING MONETIZATION CONTROL OF ITS NUMBER ONE MOST VALUABLE PIECE OF LOCAL SEARCH REAL ESTATE, SELLING IT EXCLUSIVELY TO HIGH BIDDING LOCAL SEARCH PLAYERS:
If you want the Local PlusBox displayed with your ad, your ad must show in the top position. Please remember that all ads must meet price and quality thresholds to appear at the top of the page.
Google’s “helpful” black-box AdWords local auction advice:
Instead of considering your actual CPC, we’ll now consider your maximum CPC bid, which you control. This means that your ad’s eligibility to be promoted is no longer dependent on the bids of advertisers below you. You now have more control to achieve a top position by increasing your maximum CPC.
YAY! Let the Google Local CPC bidding wars begin!
MORE FROM KELSEY CONFERENCE: Local Advertising Online: SMEs Hold the Billion Dollar Keys, ILM ANALYSIS
Google Beware: Facebook Takes Local Advertising Gloves Off, ILM REPORT and
Citysearch’s Herratti on Social Media and Merchant Reputation: ILM INTERVIEW and
Jason Calacanis: ‘Wrong About Local Too,” ILM REPORT
The Future of Local IS (Google) Search: ILM REPORT and
Local is Global: $134 billion in Yellow Pages, Classifieds and Internet Advertising, ILM REPORT
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