Being around in the Google Maps Marketing and Optimization business, you often here people say, “those map listings won’t be free forever – they’re too valuable”. Google now officially agrees.
In recent weeks it was announced that Google will be adding paid local results above the local map displayed to the left of the organic results. As you may notice, the famous but short lived 10-pack has now become the Lucky 7. Reducing but not eliminating local map results, Google has made room for up to 4 sponsored local map results that will reside in the sponsored link box within the shaded yellow area just below the Pay Per Click (Adwords) links. Here is a preview of how the page will look:
These ads will be sold at a flat rate monthly fee reported to range from $20 to $200 per month. It’s unclear at this point exactly what the pricing parameters are; however, this price point should be appealing to the local brick and mortar business that wants to compete against the Pay Per Click link buyers.
It appears that Google’s new local listing format will include a total of 11 slots – 4 paid and 7 organic. Organic listings are furnished free of charge by Google, however, with competition escalating for these limited positions, many firms are implementing specific optimization strategies to affect map rankings. More are likely coming into the fray.
Currently Google is testing their new paid map listing product in San Diego and San Francisco. Google’s paid map listings are an exciting development that might offer an advantage over traditional Pay Per Click advertising. Only the test subjects in these select markets have a preview to burning questions:
1. What, if any difference will there be in CTR between PPC, paid map listings, and organic map listings?
2. Do the map listings rotate or will it become a bidding strategy to maintain first page paid map listings?
3. What stats will the Google LBC dashboard include?
Following the recent dashboard inclusion in June, it stands to reason that the local map product would continue to evolve. Initially, the map listings will include the following features:
- Ads shown on Google.com and Google Maps
- A flat monthly fee based on your location and business category
- First 30 days free
- No bid or keyword management
- Free call-tracking, announcing each forwarded customer call (’This caller brought to you by Google’)
- Full report on the number of calls, clicks to your ad, requests for driving directions, and clicks to your info window on Google Maps
- The option to cancel your ad at any time
As Google unveils this new service, we will begin testing the metrics and reporting them in test cases. As the changes – from the 3 pack to the 10 pack to the 7 pack – all inside of one year continue to shake the foundations of local search, one thing is clear, Google is undaunted in the quest for more revenue as it gains more and more market share, and more changes are likely on the way.
