Google Guaranteed Badges Get an Update
Google has always had a special place in its heart for local business and continues to add and enhance services to help local businesses and customers connect.
In 2020, home services businesses that used Google’s Local Service Ads benefited from a new Google Guaranteed “trust certification” for an additional monthly upgrade fee. This badge added protection for customers using the services of these businesses and was also designed to enhance click-through rates to the business’s website.
The Simplicity of Google’s Local Service Ads
Google’s Local Service Ads were already proving to be easier and more foolproof than text-based ad campaigns since they required no keywords, extensions, or ad copy. The Guaranteed Badge now provides an extra degree of safety for customers who use the services of these businesses while offering the business added exposure on a search.
How Does the Google Guaranteed Badge Work?
The Google Guaranteed Badge, designed for home services businesses, is a green circle with a checkmark exhibiting the words “Google Guaranteed” next to it.
These badges will appear in two places. First, they appear in Local Search Ads. These are the rectangular boxes placed above the paid Google PPC ads toward the top of a search page. Local Search Ads contain important information such as the business name, phone number, hours, and rating of the business. The Google Guaranteed Badge also shows up along a business’s Google Business Profile, whether this is in Google Maps or local search packs.
Businesses that want to participate must go through a verification and screening process in addition to paying a small additional fee for the badge to be shown on their ad.
How Does the Badge Protect Users?
The premise behind Google’s Guaranteed Badge is that it signifies that Google is guaranteeing satisfaction when using a business’s services. For customers who come to the business by way of a Local Service Ad, if they are unhappy with the services of that business, they can get reimbursed by Google, subject to limitations.
Google continues to enhance its products designed for local businesses. The latest expansion now allows Google Guaranteed Badges to show up in immersive organic map ads in mobile applications. The hope is that this will not only positively impact organic listings for these businesses on mobile, but also push those who are advertising on Local Service Ads toward the top in map ads, a double-pronged advantage.
Why Should You Care?
Today, much of your home services marketing will rely on whether your customers can find you in an internet search. Digital marketing technology continues to grow and change, sometimes daily. You want a skilled team of digital marketers who know the landscape and can keep up with these technological innovations so you can stay ahead of your competition.
At Fuel Web Marketing, we approach your digital marketing as a business partnership. It is only when you look good that we look good. We are right there at the cutting edge of innovation, so you can be there too. Contact us today at 888-375-3835 (FUEL) to schedule a free consultation with one of our expert client development consultants.