This just in: Google’s expanding its Local Service Ads! Google recently announced an expansion of its Local Service Ad offer that enables businesses to better highlight their services in local queries to five more categories. As Google explains:

“With Local Services Ads, you can advertise your services at the top of Google Search results pages and receive quality phone calls, messages, and appointment bookings in the areas you choose. Plus, you can easily track performance and manage your leads, including listening to call recordings with potential customers.”

Locally Larger

As an example, when someone looks up ‘local housekeeping’, you can get your business to the top of that listing. Meanwhile, you’ll only pay if that same user contacts your business through the ad. Wait a minute, doesn’t that sound like conditional free advertising? Certainly, there’s more to this.

Google originally launched its Local Services Ads with home service businesses, but now, more than 70 types of service area and storefront businesses are eligible for these promotions. As mentioned, Google now includes five more categories:

  • Education

  • People Care

  • Pet Care

  • Wellness

  • Health Care

A lot of care, yes? But that’s a good thing. Besides home services, businesses belonging to these new fields now have more opportunities to better promote their offers, which, to an extent, helps their overall visibility. Plus, it’s free – unless they actually get contracted, that is. Either way, surely it’s more affordable than being contracted because you went the traditional paid advertising route.

Selected services can also utilize Google’s updated booking feature, which allows users to drive more direct responses from their listings. This option, so far, is only available for home, legal, and Real Estate service businesses, but fear not, a future expansion is said to come.

Local businesses can also earn Google verified badges to help them stand out in Search listings:

“Home service providers can earn a Google Guarantee badge, while non-home providers can earn a Google Screened or License Verified by Google badge to display on their ads. These badges help potential customers feel confident booking your services, knowing you’re a fully licensed and vetted, Google-backed business.”

The Wrap

It may be a small update, but it could also be a good way to maximize your local business listings and get more direct connections from Google Search. With Google still driving the majority of direct queries, it’s worth considering how you can maximize your performance in the SERPs.

Sources

http://bit.ly/41YgGw8