Google Local Services Direct Business Search!
Exciting news for local service businesses! Google has launched a powerful new feature called Direct Business Search, empowering you to directly connect with existing and potential customers searching for your brand name on Google.
What is Direct Business Search?
This innovative feature ensures your Local Services ad appears exclusively when someone searches for your business name or brand. This eliminates competition from other service providers, showcasing your business directly to customers already familiar with your reputation and quality.
Benefits for your business:
- Targeted leads: Capture high-intent customers actively searching for your brand.
- Increased ROI: Focus budget on leads likely to convert, maximizing return on investment.
- Brand reinforcement: Strengthen brand recognition and trust by appearing prominently in branded searches.
- Seamless lead management: Manage all leads, including those from Direct Business Search, through your familiar Local Services Ads dashboard.
Important considerations:
- Potential for unnecessary conversions: Direct Business Search may capture leads who were already likely to convert through organic search due to brand familiarity.
- Returning customer screening: Google screens calls that are connected via this ad. Callers will be asked if they're returning customers. If they indicate they are a returning customer, you will not be charged for the lead.
How to activate Direct Business Search:
- Check availability: As of February 13, 2024, Direct Business Search is rolling out gradually. While not accessible to everyone yet, Google plans to make it universally available soon. You can check your Local Services Ads dashboard for activation details.
- Opt-in: Once available, access your Local Services Ads settings and activate the "Direct Business Search" feature with a single click.
Important note: Direct Business Search offers valuable benefits but's optional. If you prefer not to receive branded search leads, you can easily opt-out within your settings. Also, from our internal testing, we have found that the searcher must type out the exact business or brand name.
Additional resources:
- Google Local Services Ads: [https://ads.google.com/local-services-ads/]
- About Direct Business Search: [https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/14545473]