AdWords Express delivers meaningful interactions with goals

AdWords Express delivers meaningful interactions with goals

By linda linklink   10:58 AM   No comments:

While AdWords Express has always aimed to make it easy to set up ads on Google, we’ve seen that it can still be challenging for small business owners to tell how well their ads are working to deliver real-world results.

Today, we’re changing that with the launch of goals in AdWords Express. You can now choose which business goal you want to achieve with your online ad. AdWords Express will then continuously optimize your ad with that goal in mind and show you how well your ad is meeting your goal.

There are three goals you can choose from depending on what matters most to your business:

1. Call your business: Get more direct calls from potential customers who are ready to talk on the phone about your products or services.
2. Visit your storefront: Bring more customers to your physical store location.
3. Take an action on your website: Get more people to take a specific action on your website, such as filling out a form or requesting a free quote.

Depending on which you select, AdWords Express then fine-tunes your ad to meet your goal. For example, selecting “Call your business” will prompt Google to show your phone number more prominently in your ad, making it easy for potential customers to call you at the exact moment they want to get in touch. Then you can check out your ad’s performance by reviewing goal-specific metrics, like how many calls your ad generated, or how often people saw your ad and then searched for your store on Google Maps.

The addition of goals is possible because of a series of changes we’ve made to AdWords Express over the past two years — including using Google Analytics to track website actions, and using Google Maps visits and Google forwarding numbers to track store visits and phone calls. Together, these changes help you do what you really care about — connect with customers.

We’re excited to continue working to help you get better, more meaningful interactions with customers, so stay tuned for coming updates. In the meantime, to learn more about AdWords Express, head over to our website.

Posted by Kavi Goel, Group Product Manager, AdWords Express

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Home Service ads help more professionals get quality leads online

Home Service ads help more professionals get quality leads online

By linda linklink   9:00 AM   No comments:

Home Service ads make it quick and easy to find local service professionals you can trust. When someone searches on Google for a local service professional like a plumber, electrician, or house cleaner, the Home Service unit may appear at the top of the results page. Being in the Home Service unit serves as a badge of trust for service professionals–only those meeting Google's strict qualifying criteria are featured there.

Each professional has a unique profile where they can showcase their specific services, service areas, and hours of operation. Customers have the ability to browse through these profiles, see reviews from previous customers, and contact selected professionals who meet their specific needs with a phone call or an online request.

Since its launch, Home Service ads has enabled a number of small service businesses to expand rapidly. Dan Travers, the owner of 1-800-ANYTYME Plumbing, Heating and Air, started using Home Services in order to reach new customers online. Dan has been impressed by the ability of Home Services to generate a high volume of quality leads for the business. “Our booking rates are up close to 70%,” he says. “I had to hire two more technicians to take on the additional volume. We are definitely seeing our return on investment."

To keep helping businesses like Dan’s, we’re continuing to expand Home Services ads. The product is now available in the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento, Stockton, San Diego, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia. We’ve also made it available to other types of businesses, like painters, electricians, and towing providers.

We’re growing quickly, so to be among the first to hear our updates, or to apply for Home Services if we’re already in your area, please fill out this short form.

Posted by Nataliya Broitman, Head of Small Business Marketing

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Across the U.S., businesses are using the web to grow

Across the U.S., businesses are using the web to grow

By linda linklink   11:26 AM   No comments:

When their 10-year-old daughter asked if she could raise alpacas on the family ranch, Jim and Kelley Hobart figured, “Why not?” They welcomed the animals onto their land and soon thereafter discovered the many benefits of alpaca wool. It was soft, durable, warm and eco-friendly—it had to be shared with the rest of the world. To the delight of their daughter and alpaca lovers everywhere, the Hobarts launched Alpaca Direct in 2005, producing quality yarns and apparel made from the unique fiber.

Jim and Kelley never imagined that a curious request from their youngest daughter would transform into a full-fledged business, or that a small storefront in Hayden, ID, would become a popular travel destination for knitting enthusiasts worldwide. Yet today Alpaca Direct is at the heart of a vibrant and global knitting community. With the help of the web, they’ve brought the warmth of alpaca wool to more than 100,000 customers across 30 countries. As Kelley says, “With Google tools, we can do that, and [customers] can be part of our community.”

In 2016, Google’s search and advertising tools helped provide $222 billion of economic activity for 1.5 million businesses, website publishers, and nonprofits across the U.S. Our 2016 Economic Impact Report explores that economic impact state-by-state and the local businesses that are helping to drive it.   

While working on a small leather goods line in New York City, Tanya Menendez and Matthew Burnett realized how difficult it was to find local manufacturers. In an effort to democratize that access, the two started Maker’s Row, an online marketplace that helps small businesses find American factories to make their products. They use AdWords to both establish factory partnerships and find new customers, and YouTube to, as Tanya describes, “put a face behind the products that are made in the United States.” In five years, the company has helped 120,000 small businesses source and create products in 11,000 American factories.

After serving as a U.S. Marine for six years, Nick Baucom founded a company, Two Marines Moving, in Alexandria, Virginia. His goal was to keep his fellow veterans gainfully employed, while giving local residents a moving option they could trust. Today, Two Marines Moving employs more than 100 veterans. They use Search and AdWords not only to find customers,  but also to recruit employees. Nick has opened a second location in Florida and hopes to create job opportunities for 500 veterans in the next five years, vowing that “veterans will always have a home here.”

Across the U.S., businesses large and small are using the web to find their customers, grow, and make an impact. We’re proud to be part of their stories.

Posted by Claire Mudd, Director, Americas Small Business Marketing

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Help Holiday Shoppers Find Your Business

Help Holiday Shoppers Find Your Business

By linda linklink   9:49 AM   No comments:

Since 1992, Werkheiser Jewelers has been helping customers find the perfect holiday gift–from picking out an engagement ring to restoring cherished family heirlooms. While they’ve kept their love for tradition alive, the way they do business has changed with the times.

Today, 78% of shoppers online use the Internet for holiday research.1 That includes jewelry shoppers searching for a gift for that special someone. Alyssa Rizzo-Berg, Media Marketing Manager at Werkheiser Jewelers, explains, “Maybe they’re looking to buy that first big piece of jewelry or an engagement ring. Because of Google, they’re able to find us.”

We all rely on small businesses to help make our holidays special, and we rely on the Internet to help us find the right local spots. Is your business ready to connect during this busy time of year?

In the next few weeks, Google and our partners are bringing hundreds of local workshops to a city near you to help your business get ready for the holidays. On October 26th, we’re also hosting a live workshop online with the U.S. Small Business Administration. Join us to learn how to create a free business listing on Google, optimize your website for mobile, and advertise online.

Find a holiday prep workshop near you at gybo.com/holidays

- OR -

Tune in on Wednesday, October 26th at 10 AM PT/1 PM ET to watch the livestream.

We hope to see you there. And from our team to yours, happy holidays!

Posted by Emily Harris, Program Manager, Let's Put Our Cities on the Map

1. Ipsos MediaCT, Google Post Holiday Shopping Intentions Study, January 2015, n=1,500.

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3 Ways to Get More from AdWords Express Right Now

3 Ways to Get More from AdWords Express Right Now

By linda linklink   9:00 AM   No comments:

In 2011, with 13 years of interior design and window covering work under her belt, Sandra Anderson set off on her own to start Anderson Custom Window Coverings, Inc. She offered high quality support at a lower cost than many competitors, and was driven to get things right on the first try. But when she opened her business, she found it difficult to bring customers through the door with traditional methods like flyers and a listing in the phone book. That’s when Sandra decided to try Google advertising.

Today, Sandra says 80% of her new customers come from Google ads, and she relies on AdWords Express, our smart advertising tool, to manage campaigns for her so she can focus on running her business. For small businesses without a professional marketer on staff, AdWords Express can lighten the load – and over the last year, the number of businesses using AdWords Express has nearly doubled, with more signing up every day.

We’re thrilled to see business owners finding success with AdWords Express, and are determined to make it a one-stop shop for helping to grow your business. To reach this goal, we’re introducing 3 new features to help you reach a larger audience and understand exactly how your ad is impacting your business.

1. Ad Scheduling – Choose to run your ad at specific times
   
   Nearly one third of searches for local businesses in the US come from consumers who want to make a purchase immediately.¹ Ad scheduling is a simple way to make sure your ad only runs at times you choose, (during your hours of operation, for example), so you reach your customers at exactly the right time.

   

   You can choose custom hours or link to your Google My Business account to automatically run your ad only during your business hours.

2. Map Actions – Understand how your ads drive people to your store
   Map Actions shows you how many customers who’ve viewed your ad go on to view your business on Google Maps – which can be vital, since over 1/3 of visitors in the US use online maps to find local businesses.² If you care about whether your ads drive people to your storefront, Map Actions might just be your favorite new tool.

   

   Map actions shows how many customers interacted with your
   Google Maps listing after viewing your ad. 

3. Verified Calls – Get better call tracking
   Right now we’re piloting a new way for advertisers to track which phone calls they receive come from customers who clicked “Call now” on an ad on their mobile phones. Advertisers who opt into Verified Calls will also see detailed information about incoming calls, including the area codes and call duration. We’ve already rolled this out to many AdWords Express advertisers, and hope to expand it to all users soon.

   

   New insights into verified calls allow you to see time, duration, and location of each call along with overall trends in call volumes.

If you’re already advertising on AdWords Express, start understanding more about your performance with these new features today. Or, if you’re just getting started, visit google.com/adwords/express, or check out our help center to learn more.

Posted by Kavi Goel, Senior Product Manager, AdWords Express

1. Google Consumer Barometer
2. Google Consumer Barometer

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Get Better Insights With Google My Business

Get Better Insights With Google My Business

By linda linklink   9:00 AM   No comments:

Search engines have become the most popular way for people to find info about local businesses¹ – and millions of business owners rely on Google My Business to reach new customers on Google Search and Maps. In fact, the average well-maintained Google My Business listing gets five times more views than listings which haven’t been claimed by their owners.²

Today we’re announcing some exciting changes to Google My Business, designed to let our users see where and how people are finding them on Google.

Where are people seeing your listing?
Now when you log into Google My Business, not only will you see the total number of views for your listing, you’ll also see a breakdown of how many are coming from Google Search vs. Maps.

How are people finding you?
Though some people search for you on Google by name, others search more generally for what you have to offer. (For example, “pizza restaurants in [your town].”) In fact, when researching a future purchase, 76% of people consider more than one business before making their final choice.³ Now you can see who visited your listing after searching for it directly, and who discovered your business while looking for a broader category.

To better serve our users, we’re focusing these new insights for local listings on Google Search and Maps, and removing Google+ statistics from the dashboard. With deeper insights on how people are finding your business on Google, you can make sure your efforts to maintain and promote your business are paying off. Keep your listing up-to-date by adding photos, responding to reviews, and updating your hours so that users find helpful, relevant information when they’re looking for you directly. And, if you want to reach more customers who are searching for your business category, consider promoting your listing with AdWords Express.

We hope these changes make your life a little simpler, and we’re excited to introduce even more insights into your customers' behavior soon. To learn more, check out our help center. Happy Tracking!

Posted by Tom Pritchard, Product Manager Google My Business

1. 82% of consumers use Search Engines to find information about local businesses (Google Consumer Barometer)
2. Google Internal Data
3. Google Consumer Barometer

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Three Things You Should Know Before Choosing AdWords Express

Three Things You Should Know Before Choosing AdWords Express

By linda linklink   10:32 AM   No comments:

Online advertising is a powerful, affordable way to grow your business, but you have to start with the right tools. Many small businesses are interested in reaching new customers online, but don’t know where to start, and don’t have much time to spare. As Benoit Ballon – the owner of King Florist in Austin, Texas – puts it, “We just wanted a platform where we would be able to keep it simple. For our small business, that’s a big plus.”

For business owners like Benoit, we recommend AdWords Express, a smart advertising tool from Google that’s designed to manage your ads for you, helping you get the most out of your budget and allowing you to stay focused on your business. A lot has been written about choosing the best product for you, and it can be overwhelming to sift through everyone’s recommendations. So if you’re considering AdWords Express for your online ads, here are the top three things we think you should know:

1. It uses expert techniques to manage campaigns for you.
   AdWords Express is constantly fine-tuning your campaigns. It monitors how often and where your ad appears on Google (and across the web), adjusts spend, and makes sure your ad is placed in front of the right people, to help you maximize the number of clicks or calls for the budget you selected.
2. It’s designed to make setup easy and results clear.
   Setting up your first AdWords Express ad takes just 15 minutes – it’s as simple as answering a few questions about your business. Once your campaign has had some time to run, AdWords Express shows you focused results – including views, clicks, and calls – in an easy-to-read dashboard, available on desktop and in the mobile app. You’ll also get an email of your results every month, so you can keep track of things right from your inbox.
3. It’s improving along with the rest of Google.
   One of the best features of AdWords Express is the work it does on your behalf, and we’re making it even smarter with cutting edge technology from Google Brain. We also recently announced the addition of Google Analytics to help advertisers get even deeper insights into their performance. We’re constantly improving AdWords Express, so keep an eye out for even more features in the coming months.

For Benoit at King Florist, the difference AdWords Express makes clear. “With AdWords Express, we can actually see an increase in business. If tomorrow I turn off the AdWords Express campaign, two or three days later I can feel it. The phone isn’t ringing as much. Our presence online isn't as much. Every day, on one of our campaigns there is an impact.”

AdWords Express is designed to be effective for all types of business and all sizes of budget, so sign up today and get it working for you. To see a full list of features, and more information on choosing between AdWords Express and AdWords (including a detailed comparison), visit our help center.

Posted by Kavi Goel, Senior Product Manager, AdWords Express

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Summer is for Road Trips: Get Discovered by Customers On the Go

Summer is for Road Trips: Get Discovered by Customers On the Go

By linda linklink   9:00 AM   No comments:

Summer is a great time for a get-away, and for 9 out of 10 people, the family car is the preferred mode of vacation transportation.¹ Road trips lead to new discoveries, from finding the biggest ice cream cone in San Diego to the best lobster roll in Maine – and with tons of vacationers searching for places and activities during their on-the-go travel moments, having an accurate seasonal listing is an important opportunity for your business to get noticed.

Get ready for tourists
85% of leisure travelers don’t decide on activities until after arriving at their destination,² and that means people are searching for information on the spot. Snake River Angler, a fly fishing shop in Jackson, Wyoming maintains updated seasonal information in their Google My Business listing and AdWords campaigns, to reel in trout fishing enthusiasts from all over the US.

Get visual
Google My Business listings with photos get 35% more clicks and 42% more requests for directions than those without.³ Travelers are often unfamiliar with their surroundings, and photos help make it easier for people to see what your business has to offer. Rogue Creamery, a creamery and cheese shop in Central Point, Oregon, uses Google My Business to attract out-of-town visitors – even before they get into town. Their Google My Business listing helps some 40,000 visitors a year visit the cheese store, with directions, reviews, and photos. "We ask people how they found us, and so many say, 'I found you on Google,'" says Retail Manager Tom Van Voorhees.

Get noticed in the moment
Without activity breaks, a long road trip with kids can be a handful, and The Children’s Museum of South Dakota embraces their status as a road trip reprieve en route to Mount Rushmore. Using a complete Google My Business listing and geo-targeted AdWords campaigns, they’ve attracted over 100,000 visitors each year.

Nearly half of all Americans vacation in the summer, and with tourists coming to a town near you, now is the time to make sure your business can be easily found. Visit Google My Business to learn more about how you can get a listing for your business on Google.

Posted by Soo Young Kim, Head of Marketing, Get Your Business Online

1. Trip Advisor, Equation Research, Harris Interactive, Money Crashers, March 2015, http://www.statisticbrain.com/summer-vacation-travel-statistics/
2. Google/Ipsos Media CT, 2015 Traveler’s Road to Decision. Base: US leisure travelers, n= 3,500, Aug 2015
3. Google/Oxera, The Benefits of Complete Business Listings, December 2014

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Start Your Summer Mobile-Ready

Start Your Summer Mobile-Ready

By linda linklink   9:00 AM   No comments:

This is the first official week of summer, and as your customers are out and about enjoying the warmer temperatures, they’re turning to their mobile phones to search. With 88% of consumers conducting local searches on their smartphone,¹ it’s more important than ever to make sure your website is mobile-friendly. We’ve created this summer guide to help you and your business have the best summer yet.

BBQ season is all about relaxation, but these days it’s not enough to throw a few hot dogs on the grill and wait for your friends to arrive. Nine out of 10 people say they’re likely to turn to their phones in the middle of a task for help planning a special event.² There are several ways for you to be there for your customers in these I-want-to-know moments:

• Anticipate customer questions, and provide them with the most relevant answers.
• Make sure the answers are easy for users to find.
• Help them beyond their initial information search; continue offering information throughout the decision-making process.

All BBQs require supply runs, and in these I-want-to-buy moments, your customers are looking for a site that makes shopping easy – whether they’re on the go or already walking through the aisles in your store. To help you connect with customers during these moments:

• Deliver a message using search terms that your customers are actually using. 
• Measure all of your customers’ actions, including online, in apps, and in stores.

For a unique and memorable BBQ, customers may want to explore unfamiliar shops, and in these I-want-to-go moments, location and mobile go hand-in-hand. Use of the search term “near me” has increased 92x since 2011,³ and 80% of those searches come from mobile devices.⁴ Here are some tips that can help you capture attention from curious locals:

• Use location-based keywords in your advertising strategy.
• Use messages that include your location and on-site availability of products or services.
• Include information that customers might find important when making a decision about where to go, including store hours, directions, and pricing.

Let’s say a customer has bought all the food and supplies for their BBQ, but doesn’t know how to use a grill. You can build customer loyalty and secure future business by being there in I-want-to-do moments to with these tips:

• Use online video: With “how-to” searches on YouTube growing 70% every year,⁵ consider making how-to videos to better help your customers.
• Make sure your online videos can be viewed from any device, including mobile.

With these mobile tips, you can stay connected to your customers all summer long. For more tips like this, and to find out how prepared you are for summer, visit Test My Site.

Posted by Soo Young Kim, Head of Marketing, Get Your Business Online

1. How Advertisers can Extend Their Relevance with Search, Google/Ipsos, May 2014, n=115-233 for smartphone
2. Consumers in the Micro-Moment, Google/Ipsos, US, March 2015, n=5,398, based on internet users
3. Google Trends, May 2011 - May 2016
4. Google Data, Q4 2014
5. Google data, Q1 2014- Q1 2015, U.S.

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Businesses are Growing Online with Google

Businesses are Growing Online with Google

By linda linklink   12:23 PM   No comments:

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” This may have been a question you were asked regularly as a child. Today it seems as if any interest can become a career, thanks in part to the reach and accessibility of the web. From outdoor adventure guides and quilters, to toymakers and bowtie designers, at Google, we feel lucky to play a small role in how many people turned their passions into professions.

Last year, Google’s search and advertising tools helped provide $165 billion of economic activity for U.S. businesses—advertisers, publishers and nonprofits. Businesses are using the web to find new customers, connect with existing ones, and grow.

For example, Kathryn Jackson spent many years as a sales associate at a luxury department store. During that time she observed how quickly her clients had to re-sole their expensive shoes. She was inspired to create Protect Your Pumps, shoe sole protectors that help shoes last longer. Within two years, she turned her idea into a full time career. Today 40% of her sales come from Google Search. She’s expanded her product line to include shoe protectors for flats and men’s shoes, and has shipped products to more than 80 countries.

Michael Salvatore loves coffee and bicycles. Michael discovered many other people in his native Chicago shared those same interests. In 2011, he founded Heritage Bicycles, creating a space that offers delicious coffee and bicycles uniquely designed and manufactured in Chicago. Michael used the web and geo-targeted Google AdWords campaigns to build his brand and get local customers into his stores. He also created global campaigns in AdWords to encourage customers from around the world to visit his e-commerce store. Today, Michael has two stores in Chicago, 23 employees, a global customer fan base, and plans to expand to more locations this year.

These are just two examples of businesses using the web and Google products to grow their businesses.You can find more stories and explore Google’s economic impact state-by-state in our Economic Impact Report. Across the U.S., business owners are using the web and Google to grow their companies, operate more efficiently, and turn their dreams into reality. We’re proud to play a role in their success and are committed to building tools and programs to help them reach their goals.

Posted by Claire Mudd, Head of SMB Marketing

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4 Things Small Businesses Should Know in A Mobile-First World

4 Things Small Businesses Should Know in A Mobile-First World

By linda linklink   9:43 AM   No comments:

At the Google Performance Summit, we announced several new trends and product innovations that highlight mobile opportunities for advertisers. Here are the main takeaways for small businesses looking to make the most of the new mobile world:

1. Every year, there are trillions of searches on Google and over half of those searches happen on mobile.

More searches happen on mobile than on desktop computers – which is no surprise when we think about our own behavior as consumers. Throughout the day, whenever we want to buy, learn or go, we turn to our phones first.

2. Mobile is local. Nearly one third of all mobile searches are related to location, and that number is growing.

Whether they’re researching pizza delivery on Friday night or trying to find an orthodontist near their pre-teen’s middle school, consumers are using mobile to direct their actions in the local world. Thirty-two percent of consumers say that location-based search ads have led them to visit a store or make a purchase¹. For small business serving customers in their area, mobile ads can offer a vital opportunity to connect with customers.

3. New local search ads help businesses bring customers right to their door.

As we announced at the Google Performance Summit, businesses using location extensions in AdWords can prominently display their business location when consumers search for things like “dentist” or “car repair shop near me” while on-the-go.

We’re also testing new local ad formats that make it easier for users to find businesses as they navigate on Google Maps. Consumers may start seeing experiments like promoted pins that allow businesses to strengthen their brand presence in maps.

4. AdWords is designed to help you succeed in a mobile-first world.

We also introduced innovations in both text and display ads to help AdWords work harder for you on smartphone screens. Look for these upgrades coming soon:

• New expanded text ads in AdWords provide extra ad space so you can showcase more information about your products and services before the click. The key changes include more prominent headlines and a longer description line in your text ad.
• Responsive ads for display will adapt to the diverse content, shapes and sizes of the more than two million publisher sites and apps on the Google Display Network. Just provide headlines, a description, an image, and a URL, and AdWords will create beautiful ads for you that looks good on every device and site.

To learn more about other exciting ads and analytics innovations announced at the Google Performance Summit, watch the livestream keynote here.

Posted by Soo Young Kim, Head of Marketing, Get Your Business Online

1. Google/Ipsos MediaCT/Purchased, Research: Understanding Consumers’ Local Search Behavior, May 2014

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Track what matters to you easily in AdWords Express

Track what matters to you easily in AdWords Express

By linda linklink   10:45 AM   No comments:

If you own a small business, a visit to your website is only the first step to getting more customers. Whether they subscribe to your newsletter, make an online purchase, or click to email you directly, the next step a customer takes on your website is an important indicator of how you’re doing online. However, setting up tracking for the things you care about can be complex, especially for business owners with little time to spare.

That’s why we’ve introduced a new feature for tracking these goals in AdWords Express. AdWords Express advertisers can now access the power of Google Analytics right from their campaign dashboard. Connect a current Analytics account or set up a new one in minutes right from the AdWords Express dashboard. Once you set the goals for your website, you’ll be able to see how customers who click on your ad go on to interact with your website.

Analytics will show you how your ad is contributing to the website goals that matter to you

Google Analytics has been an invaluable resource for small business owners looking to understand these key interactions. For Carrie Sullivan, co-owner of Telaya Wine Co. in Idaho, understanding how visitors interact with her website has been key to her company’s success online. “Being a small business, we wear many different hats and we have a small staff, so we don’t have someone to just focus on our website. Google Analytics does that for us.”

With the introduction of this feature, we’re excited to bring all these benefits to AdWords Express advertisers. Take your performance to the next level by understanding how your online spending impacts the website goals you care about at google.com/adwords/express, or visit our help center to learn more.

Posted by Zhouzhou He, AdWords Express Product Manager

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Introducing AdWords Express home service ads for the San Francisco Bay Area

Introducing AdWords Express home service ads for the San Francisco Bay Area

By linda linklink   8:55 AM   No comments:

From unclogging the bathroom sink to getting back into a locked apartment, there are moments throughout the day when people need a quick solution to a big problem. In fact, there are millions of searches every day on Google for plumbers, locksmiths, and other home services.

To help your business connect with customers when they need you the most, we’re introducing AdWords Express home service ads — available today in beta for plumbers, locksmiths, house cleaners, and handymen in select cities throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Whether you’re a small plumbing company or a one-person locksmith shop, home service ads help your business show up prominently on Google.com and reach customers who are searching for you.

As a local business servicing the San Francisco Bay Area, GreenKeys Locksmith uses home service ads to promote their commitment to customer service, attention to detail, and 5-star service.

“I treat every customer like they're family, and every lock and key like they're my own. With home service ads, I've been able to reach more customers across the Bay Area and share with them my passion for locksmithing. I'm incredibly excited about what home service ads can do for my business," said Ben Pearson, owner and operator of GreenKeys Locksmith.

Here's how home service ads work: Let's say you own a home cleaning business in San Jose. Simply tell us about your business, get qualified, and we’ll take care of the rest. Google will organize the information you give us into a polished profile page for your business, which includes a professional photo. When someone in your service area searches for “house cleaners” or other related terms, we’ll show your profile within an expandable listing at the top of Google search results.

Customers can read detailed reviews, submit a service request, or call your business directly for more information. And to help ensure that you and your customers receive the best experience possible, home service ads are only available to businesses that have been screened and qualified.

To learn more about how you can become a home service advertiser on Google, visit google.com/homeserviceads.

Posted by Aileen Tang, Senior Product Managers and Xuefu Wang, Software Engineer for AdWords Express home service ads

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Businesses, start your smartphones

Businesses, start your smartphones

By linda linklink   10:24 AM   No comments:

Running a successful small business is about finding and connecting with the right customers. Business owners are increasingly using their smartphones, and so today we are making enhancements to both the Google My Business and the AdWords Express apps. We hope this makes it easier to find the right customers, whether they are looking for you at their desktop computer or on their phone on the go.

See reviews and insights in Google My Business
Nothing makes your day like a great review from a happy customer. Starting today, business owners can see reviews from across the web in the Google My Business Android app (iOS update soon). Business users have told us how much customers appreciate a response, so we are also making it possible to respond to Google reviews in the app, along with real-time alerts if you want to keep a pulse on your reputation online.

Wondering how customers are using their smartphones to get in touch with your business? When people find you on Google, you can see when they call or from where they get driving directions, so you can be prepared for that next manic Monday rush.

Reach new customers with advertising
Finding more of the right customers doesn’t have to wait until you’re at your desk. Over the last few months, we’ve gotten great feedback about how easy it is to advertise with our AdWords Express mobile app, and today we are expanding the Android app to 20 additional countries (iOS coming soon).

When you advertise your business through AdWords Express, you can reach potential customers right when they’re searching for the product or service that you sell. Your top stats for the month are displayed in the Google My Business app, and you can switch over to AdWords Express to see more detail or edit the ad to promote your next big event.

These changes will be rolling out over the next few days, so check back soon if you don’t yet see the updates. For more information about the mobile apps, visit the Google My Business and AdWords Express help centers.

Posted by Abhishek Poddar and Zhouzhou He, Product Managers

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Advertising on your schedule with AdWords Express

Advertising on your schedule with AdWords Express

By linda linklink   9:06 AM   No comments:

Cross-posted with the Inside AdWords blog.

Small businesses know the importance of being online, but running that first ad can be overwhelming. Google introduced AdWords Express to help small businesses start advertising online easily, without the need for daily management. Fast-forward nearly three years to today, and businesses around the world are seeing success with AdWords Express.

Nick Valle, owner of Nick’s Towing and Roadside Assistance, uses AdWords Express to run his business from the road. After a decade of driving an 18-wheeler and working part-time for a towing company, Nick decided to start his own small business. He started using AdWords Express six months ago, and his business is doing better than ever. He gets enough calls to keep himself and a driver busy throughout the day, and can easily track calls back to his ad with the call reporting feature.

Get results on the go with the AdWords Express app 
Nearly 74% of small business owners like Nick use mobile devices to help manage their business*, and earlier this year, we announced improvements to AdWords Express across all screen sizes. To make starting a new ad and managing an existing one even easier on mobile, we’ve now introduced a free app for Android and iOS users in the U.S. The app gives you access to all the features of AdWords Express while on the go:


Reach the right customers with new targeting options 
AdWords Express has added more control where it counts for defining your target audience. Now advertisers can choose exactly where to promote their business -- in their zip code, city, state or others around the country (currently in English-speaking countries). When customers search from their phone, they can get driving directions, call your business, or visit your website in one tap.

Let AdWords Express do the rest
When you select your business category, AdWords Express makes sure that customers searching for related topics see your ad. To improve the targeting of your ad, products and services that are mentioned on your website can now be added by AdWords Express as keywords if they are related to your ad. We’ve also added more negative keywords to exclude unwanted searches, which improves the click-through rates of ads and means a lower cost for advertisers.

Let us know how AdWords Express is working for your business, and stay tuned for additional improvements in the coming months.

Posted by Xuefu Wang, Engineering Director

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*NSBA, page 4

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Get answers to your AdWords Express questions in the AdWords community

Get answers to your AdWords Express questions in the AdWords community

By linda linklink   9:50 AM   No comments:

Calling all AdWords Express advertisers! Now there’s a place to ask questions, post answers, and learn from other advertisers: the AdWords Express section of the AdWords community.

Whether you need a how-to guide for changing your ad text, or you want to get into the nitty gritty of online advertising strategy, you can join the discussion in the new community section. In addition to help from other advertisers and Top Contributors, you can also get answers and support from the Google team.

The AdWords Express section is currently available in the English language AdWords Community.

See you there!

Posted by Zuzana Stierankova, AdWords Community Lead

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A fresh look for AdWords Express

A fresh look for AdWords Express

By linda linklink   10:45 AM   No comments:

Cross-posted with Inside AdWords.

Today, when you log into AdWords Express, you’ll notice a brand new look. We’ve listened to your feedback and worked with a lot of small businesses to streamline the AdWords Express experience. It’s part of our ongoing efforts to make Google products more beautiful and efficient.

Clearer stats and reporting graphs
Small business owners have told us that they’re busy and that they don’t want to spend time looking for the information they need. We redesigned the dashboard to show you at a glance how many views, clicks and calls your ad has generated. There’s a simple pie chart for tracking your monthly spending, and you can also compare results over time with the new performance graph.

A faster, simpler signup
We’ve made some significant improvements to the signup experience. Now there are just 3 steps to start advertising: select your audience, create your ad, and select your budget. Getting your ad set up shouldn’t take more than a few minutes.

Real-time ad previews
With the new real-time ad preview box, you can now see your ad created right as you type. Just hover over the icons to preview all the ad formats that are available based on the text you provide. Try it out by creating an ad at google.com/adwords/express.

We’re constantly working to improve the AdWords Express user experience to make it easier for small businesses to get their ads online. Keep the feedback coming!

Posted by Cinthya Mohr and the AdWords Express User Experience Team

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