What Are These???
Pam just brought to my attention some new type of ads in Google’s Sponsored Links:
(click on image to enlarge)
Clicking on the title will take you to their landing page, and clicking on the “Directions” link will take you to a Google Maps search for the address – surprisingly, not the company listing or a Google Places page. I also find it interesting that the blue pin-thingies in the Sponsored Links aren’t clickable. I expected it to take me to a Google Maps result with that pin highlighted among other paid results… or something like that.
It obviously has something to do with local/AdWords. This Week in Search was just posted by Google, and they mention some local stuff, but not this. Does anyone have any more info or ideas on what these are about?
Update: Steve Hatcher just pointed me to some more information. It looks like these are Google’s new Local Listing Ads that they are currently testing in San Diego and San Francisco…
Local Listing Ads provide you with:
- Ads shown on Google.com and Google Maps
- A flat monthly fee based on your location and business category
- First 30 days free
- No bid or keyword management
- Free call-tracking, announcing each forwarded customer call (‘This caller brought to you by Google’)
- Full report on the number of calls, clicks to your ad, requests for driving directions, and clicks to your info window on Google Maps
- The option to cancel your ad at any time
—kid disco
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9 pimp-style comments, so far... 
Leave a pimp-style comment, yo!
October 9 2009 @ 3:11 pm
Looks like they’re just testing whether or not the local map ads get clicks in the standard serp. Or maybe they aren’t getting the imps they need just showing them on the map page. Interesting…
October 13 2009 @ 8:12 am
Looks like local ads just got better! Great placement and the icon to signal that it is a local spot…
November 7 2009 @ 10:56 am
Thanks for the heads up.
December 24 2009 @ 7:02 pm
I’m not feeling the ROI on these new ads, the ones with sitelinks and stuff especially. It’s Google maximizing revenue it seems.
February 16 2010 @ 1:56 pm
I’m actually kinda excited by this, since it actually is giving you Call tracking as well as click tracking…that’s pretty nifty- Well worth trying for 30 days and cancelling if it doesn’t work..eh?
May 27 2010 @ 12:19 am
Hi kid disco,
New here… saw these couple days ago but can’t remember what the keywords were. do you know if the advertiser will be charged money if these pins are clicked?
June 9 2010 @ 10:49 am
They aren’t getting the imps they need just showing them on the map page
June 19 2010 @ 6:01 am
The more I see this crap, the more likely I am to go to page 2-3.