Blue Map Icons now appearing outside of Beta Areas
Posted on 01. Dec, 2009 by LocalSearchPilot in Google Local, Local Search, PPC, Search Engine Marketing
I have noticed over the last week that my searches in St Louis Missouri are yielding some paid results with the blue marker that is the new Local Listing Ads that are being tested in San Diego and San Francisco.
The icon is appearing next to the paid result and NOT where it does on the paid Local Listing Ads in SD and SF
This is the BETA in SD California:
and this is what I have been seeing in St Louis. Notice the phone number is also displayed. Click the image for a full-size view.
Close up shot:
Another example:
and one more for event planning 
I also have found it in Chicago (click for larger image):
I have not determined why this these are being selected for the blue marker. I am very interested to find out. I have also not seen the option in AdWords.
I would love to see data on CTR with the new blue icon. I wonder if any of these advertisers are getting that data in their adwords account? I will attempt to contact one and see if they even know.
Does this effect the Quality Score in any way? Advice often given is to not include a phone number in your Ad copy. I realize this is NOT in the Ad copy, but it will affect CTR.
They are giving the person performing the search a way to contact this advertiser without clicking, which in turn saves the advertiser money, however, it might also make the advertiser think their Adwords is not working because nobody is clicking on the Ad. The phone number is not a unique tracking number, it is simply the advertisers real phone number.
I think having a phone number will skew the data for their Adwords account significantly.
thoughts?
6 Responses to “Blue Map Icons now appearing outside of Beta Areas”
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Stuart Gilbert: I agree totally, Google are putting a lot of emph...
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LocalSearchPilot: One more query. For "...
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Mike Mueller: That's fascinating. I haven't seen a Twitter accou...
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01. Dec, 2009
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01. Dec, 2009
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Mike Blumenthal
01. Dec, 2009
Hi Jason
That is a new adwords ad type that Google is testing:
http://blumenthals.com/blog/2009/11/20/is-google-adwords-testing-a-new-local-adwords-display-type/
SearchCap: The Day In Search, December 1, 2009
01. Dec, 2009
[...] Google Local Listings outside of Beta area, LocalSearchPilot.com [...]
localsearchguide
01. Dec, 2009
@Mike
I see nothing in the Adwords interface to allow me to have the blue marker show up in my account. I know you can tie in your local business listing to your account, but I saw nothing to indicate you can have the blue marker appear. you mentioned you think it’s at Googles discretion.
anyone have other insight?
uberVU - social comments
02. Dec, 2009
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This post was mentioned on Twitter by localseoguide: Attack of the blue Google Maps Markers http://bit.ly/51Zqi1...