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Is Google Local Search For Sale?
Is Google Local Search For Sale?
This content from: Duct Tape Marketing
I’ve always assumed that Google Maps (and other local search directories) would build up the free local directory, drive other for pay players out, get us hooked on their service, and then start charging to be listed in the prime spot. In this case the prime spot for local search is the Google Seven box shown below for a search for “Attorney Houston, Tx”
Click to enlarge
Something else you might notice is that while optimizing your web site to appear in the lucky seven box is a great idea, the majority of these results are sponsored. That’s right, Google is playing with selling enhanced listings in several cities and looks to be headed towards paid listings in local search.
At first this may not seem like such a bad thing to those on the outside looking in, but it may price some folks out of yet another organic search option.
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March 9, 2010 - 7:37 pm
Great post John and VERY observant.
@Walt There are ways to get organic search still on maps Walt but if this goes 100% out of test mode that small opportunity would be shot.
March 9, 2010 - 8:14 pm
That's actually not true – the result list rank order is NOT sponsored. Even though you have to pay to get the little yellow icon to appear next to your business, your inclusion in the 7 pack is still based on merit, not pay.
March 9, 2010 - 8:15 pm
John, My concern with Google's approach on this is exactly your observation: It could very well price out legitimate companies in a local market place, especially competitive markets such as attorneys, kitchen and bath contractors, laser eye surgery etc in major metro ares.
Also the screen real estate devoted to the 7-pak pretty much eliminates any organic results.
Finally, at least with the PPC model, their was a bid process tied into keyword relevancy and traffic. If people tried to game PPC, they paid a price in the Google sandbox and bids. Not sure how Google is going to handle this with flat rates per month?
March 9, 2010 - 8:28 pm
Jason there's no disguise it says sponsored – they've been doing this elsewhere for years – it's not even a question of if, it's just how much.
March 9, 2010 - 9:25 pm
This seems unlikely. If it was true, the FTC would be all over them because they would be disguising paid search results as unpaid results.