If AdWords is a game, small and medium-sized businesses too often feel like they’re playing with a deck stacked against them. Large advertisers have the time and money to outbid and outperform less sophisticated advertisers in the AdWords auction, leaving smaller businesses to take lower positions on the SERP with less traffic. However, Google began testing a new ad format designed at helping connect local home service providers with local customers.
Dr. Pete Meyers of Moz was one of the first to notice the new ad format on Twitter yesterday and called it a “potential game-changer” – and I can’t help but agree. This new ad format is definitely going to help local advertisers get the most out of Google by allowing them to take the top of the SERP with a rich ad format and lead capture opportunity.
The ads are a collage of popular features from search ads: they include an image of the home service professional, their location, their phone number, a rating of their service, and often appear alongside call-out extensions. Clicking on one of the ads opens a much more detailed profile of the individual service provider:
Image via Search Engine Land
Users can convert directly on the SERP (!) either by calling the listed phone number or by hitting the “Send Request” button from this profile, and Google will send their request directly to the advertiser, along with their name, location and phone number. Users can also submit their request to up to 3 different service providers simultaneously with a single click of a button – allowing users to compare quotes and offers from different providers.
Image via Search Engine Land
This new home service ad format is expected to be revolutionary for small local service providers. While these home service ads are currently in beta, they are only available to plumbers and locksmiths in the San Francisco Bay Area (as confirmed by Julie Bacchini of Neptune Moon). To be considered for a home service ad, professionals must:
- Have all of their in-home workers undergo background checks by Pinkerton
- Have a general contractor’s license to perform services costing greater than $500. Locksmiths also require a valid license for the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services.
- Carry insurance coverage for the work performed
- Maintain a positive rating from users and mystery shoppers.
More details about the specific requirements are available via Google support (Thanks Bryant Garvin!). Qualified advertisers should reach out to their Google reps to access the new ad format.
About the author:
Mark is a Data Scientist at WordStream with a background in SEM, SEO, and Statistical Modeling. Follow him on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google +.
