Is Google testing different locations for Google Local Service Ads? I think they are. I first found out about Google Local Service Ads about three years ago. A contact at Google informed me of it and one of my clients was a part of that beta test out of San Fransisco Bay Area, so I’ve seen how it has evolved. On the downside, Google has found a way to serve AdWord ads and still make Google Local Services Ads relevant. Ultimately, I think this decreases the relevancy of the Google My Business Local 3 Pack.
As you can see in the above image, taken on August 1st, Google Local Services has launched a new placement on the search results. The top image on this article is from a desktop search, and the second picture is from a mobile search. However, what’s interesting is that the ads are no longer in the GMB 3 pack as we speak, which leads me to believe they’re testing it to see what works best.
What This Means
This change by Google could be bad news for garage door dealers who don’t intend to participate in Google Local Services or who don’t have a high-ranking GMB listing. Google’s in the business of selling ads and GMB isn’t making them any money being an organic listing. So, I fully expected this to be something they rolled out in an attempt to increase leads, and it worked. We have had 2 – 3 times the calls we usually have since beginning our GMB profile with this change in the system.
We’re going to do some research and try to chat with our contact at Google to get more information, and we will update this article when we do. Thanks for following along.
What are your thoughts?
Do you have a comment or any questions you may have for us in the comments below?
