The success of the pilot Home Services by Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) has led the company to expand the offering, now called Local Services, and increase the number of cities across the US it is available to 17. This number will go up to 30 major cities by the end of the year.
Google Local Services
Local Services displays businesses such as electricians, plumbers, and locksmiths near where the customer lives on top of Searches. For many of these small businesses, promoting themselves on the Local Services ads means receiving leads directly from potential customers.
Google started Home Services in San Francisco for locksmiths and plumbers and quickly moved to other cities in the area while adding electricians and HVAC.
How Your Small Business Will Benefit
The benefits start with your business gaining visibility on the top of Google Search. This lets you connect with your customers when they are searching for the services you provide. And best of all, Google only charges you for leads related to your business and the services you offer.
Local Services Ads has been designed to communicate, manage and track your interactions with customers. The app lets you receive and manage new customer leads, book appointments, save them to Google Calendar, and build customer reviews. If you happen to get too much work, you can turn your ads off, and turn them back on when you need more leads.
If you are a small business owner, what Local Services gives you is greater exposure on Google. Kim Spalding, Product Director for Small and Medium Business Ads, said, “With Local Services by Google, businesses like yours can show up at the top of Search so that you can reach local clients right when they’re interested, and book more jobs.”
Improve Your Exposure by Becoming a Google Guaranteed Business
When you become a Google Guaranteed business as part of Local Services, your background is checked to give consumers an added level of trust. This removes deceptive advertisers from the equation and it highlights the quality of your company.
All Google Guaranteed providers undergo background checks by Pinkerton Consulting and Investigations, Inc. This includes checks of identity and criminal history, applicable trade licenses, insurance, civil litigation history and more.
Currently, Local Services ads are available only for locksmiths, plumbers, electricians, HVAC, and garage door services.
Cities where Local Services by Google is available include: Phoenix, Los Angeles, Riverside, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Miami, Atlanta, Chicago, Boston, Detroit, New York, Philadelphia, Dallas, Seattle, and Washington, DC.
Image: Google
This article, “Local Services by Google Offers Ads for Locksmiths, Plumbers, Other Businesses in 17 Cities” was first published on Small Business Trends