The major PPC search engines jumped quickly onto the local search market in their PPC programs. The two largest, Google and Overture, added this component earlier in 2004, but have made major changes from their initial releases. Partially because of the strength of the local search market potential, partnerships made, acquisitions by other companies, and other factors, some other leading PPC search engines have changed dramatically in their approach to PPC advertising.
Let’s see what the current local search options for advertisers are: Google's PPC local search product, Local AdWords, initially identified the user’s location by scanning the user's IP address and then fed them PPC results back for the location determined to be closest to the browser's IP address. Unfortunately, if the user’s IP address was not his or her usual location (for example, if they are using a computer in another city but are looking for something in their home area), the PPC ad results reflected their current location unless they have specified geographical limitations in their initial search (for example, “car dealers in Manhattan”). Google’s acquisition of BellSouth (RealPages.com) in late October of 2004 and its later purchase of SmartPages.com meant that these became the first Internet Yellow Pages groups allowed to sell ads through Google AdWords. This allows the AdWords program’s local search to use online white/yellow pages as well as IP addresses to serve up more accurate local results for advertisers paying for the AdWords local search program. Google is currently offering a beta version called Google Local, which brings local search to the organic rankings area. The search bar in Google Local’s beta version has two parts – one for the product/service and the other for the location. Google Local is definitely still in beta mode. There are many bugs to be worked out in the program, as Google freely admits and the results may or may not be accurate, or at least not as accurate as a PPC ad’s presence will give you. They also warn that their SafeSearch feature is not totally functional with the beta version. Better results are returned if you use the city name rather than a zip code in many cases and your IP address reflects where you want the search to go. Yahoo! Search Marketing Yahoo! Local Match works the same way their regular PPC products do, but the advertiser also specifies the area they want the advertisement to cover, with a range offered of between 1/2 mile to 100 miles away from their place of business. When a potential customer types in a search that includes a geographic area such as a city or state, Overture's PPC listings for that area will appear, ranked according to the usual PPC guidelines. When the user clicks on your PPC ad, they will go to an interim page called the Locator Page, which has a map/directions to your business, some more customized information and your website’s URL. If you do not have a website, you can still use Local Match, since Yahoo! has decided the Locator Page does not necessarily need a URL. Yahoo! even offers a self-serve approach to setting up this localized search ad with no service fee if you wish to do it yourself, or will give you expert advice on the various local options and how to best craft your Locator page, etc., for a fee of $99. Interchange Interchange (ePilot) has undergone numerous changes over the past few months as Interchange continues to acquire or partner with various other properties and Internet yellow pages companies. As a result, it now offers a local search and advertising platform called Local DirectT, which combines Interchange's proven paid-search platform with the world's most accessible local business database and the company's proprietary Keyword DNAT technology to create a comprehensive local-search solution. The complete Local Direct service portfolio is available to Internet Yellow Pages and printed Yellow Pages (IYP/YP) partners as well as other portals and websites seeking a local paid-search solution. Interchange's local-search technology effectively bridges the gap between keyword search and category-based directory search, and enables directory publishers and website owners to enter the growing online local-search market with the strength of the company's expansive networks (Search Distribution Network/ Advertiser Network) and advanced technology at their disposal. DID YOU ENJOY THIS GUIDE? Read the first book on Pay Per Click Marketing and get over 15 chapters of exclusive information on PPC advertising, including click fraud, contextual advertising, localized search, tips and techniques from the top experts in the field, and even get $125+ of credits on major search engines. Find out more at: FIND OUT IF LOCAL ADVERTISING WORKS FOR YOU Track all of your local ads, along with any other form of online advertising (Pay Per Click, banners, newsletters), and find if it brings sales and leads or just wasting your money. AdWatcher combines ad management, tracking, and fraud monitoring in one easy-to-use online tool. |
