“(Customers) rely more on the internet to research and discover products to buy. For example, search interest for products like the “best exercise bikes,” “best ring lights” and “best air fryers” increased by 100% or more in the last year. Shoppers don’t just turn to Google for things they want to buy on the web; they also use Google to find what they need nearby. Over the past year, we’ve seen a significant increase in commercial intent across Google including Google Search, Google Maps and YouTube,”

Igor Liskovets
Google director online to offline ad solutions

Shopping Nearby with Google Search

Whether it’s to support small businesses in their community or ensure a nearby store has the item they need in stock, consumers are using Google Search to research their shopping trips in advance. 

Here are some examples of the phenomena.

• Searches for “local” + “business(es)” have grown by more than 80% year over year, including searches like “local businesses near me” and “support local businesses.”
• Searches for “who has” + “in stock” have grown by more than 8,000% year over, including searches like “who has nintendo switch in stock” and “who has gym equipment in stock.”

Google has seen an increase in online research before heading out to a restaurant or to get takeout.

At Google, the company recently found that:

• 66% | Percentage of dining consumers who said they used search to find food and beverage information during the pandemic.
• 57% | Percentage of dining consumers who said they discovered food and beverage information during the pandemic via online ads.

Exploring new products on YouTube

YouTube has become a part of not just the shopping process, but the local shopping process too. For example:

• 45% | Percentage of viewers say they watch YouTube to see a product demo before buying.
• 2% | Percentage of viewers say they are 2x more likely to go in-store or online to buy something they saw on YouTube versus the competitive average.

Starting their journey on Google Maps

Google Maps has become a more critical part of the local user experience, as people use maps to explore something they’re interested in, versus just for navigation:

• Searches on Google Maps for “curbside pickup” have increased 9000% year over year in the U.S.
• Searches on Google Maps for “discounts” have grown globally by more than 100% year over year.
• Searches on Google Maps for “gift shop” have grown globally by more than 60% year over year.

Visits to local stores and restaurants continue to be top of mind in the new year:

Top Generic Searches on Google Maps:

• restaurants
• hotels
• restaurants near me
• gas
• food
• food near me
• grocery store
• gas station
• coffee
• pizza

Top Brands Searched on Google Maps:

• walmart
• starbucks
• home depot
• target
• mcdonald’s
• costco
• chick fil a
• walgreens
• cvs
• bank of america

Source: Google Data, U.S., February 2021

Connect offline shoppers to your store.

1. Support your local small business: In 2020, Google helped drive over two billion direct connections, including phone calls, requests for directions, messages, bookings and reviews for U.S. businesses.

2. If you run a business with physical stores: It’s crucial to make sure your customers can easily find you online. Check our Google’s best practices guide on how to drive offline sales with online ads. 

• GOOGLE ADS
• Thanks to Igor Liskovets, Google director online to offline ad solutions
• GettyImage
  
  
  

Yesterday, Google published a blog post containing five easy ways that retail businesses can spruce up their Google presence to connect with holiday shoppers — wherever they may be. Thanks to Google for letting us share a version of this post by Rajas Moonka, director, product management, local shopping.

The holidays can be the most hectic — and the most important — time of the year for business owners. And this year shoppers have found ways locally for online shopping and curbside pickups.

To make the most of this season and connect with shoppers wherever they are, use Google Maps and Google Business Profile.

1. Claim your free Business Profile to put your best face forward on Google Maps and Search. Make sure your Business Profile is updated with helpful information about your store—like updated hours, a description and photos, shopping options, and all the safety measures you’re taking during the pandemic. Pro tip: Double check if your phone number is correct and turn on messaging so you can quickly connect with customers who have questions.

2. Share the gift of updated in-store inventory (online!):  Unsurprisingly, 77 percent of holiday shoppers in the U.S. said they will browse for gift ideas online this year instead of in-store. Thanks to Pointy from Google, you can easily show your products online so shoppers can see what you carry before they head to the store to make a purchase. Pointy connects to your point-of-sale system and automatically adds your in-store products to your Business Profile on Google. This helps you to appear in search results when shoppers are looking for items you carry.

3. Help them order ahead, still tucked in their beds: Searches for “curbside pickup” have grown more than 3,000 percent globally since last year. Let customers know how they can shop with you—whether you’re offering curbside pickup, in-store pickup or delivery options.

4. Oh, what fun it is to buy online for pickup and delivery: Add ordering link(s) for pickup or delivery to your profile. If you’re a verified retail merchant in the U.S., you can now add a link to your online store directly to your Business Profile on Google. This helps shoppers easily place a pickup or delivery order from you with a few simple taps!

5. ‘Tis the season to share more about your business: Shoppers are looking to purchase from  local businesses that they feel good about supporting. Spruce up your Business Profile and connect with your community by showing whether you’re LGBTQ-friendly or women-led, or in the U.S. and identify as Black-owned or veteran-led.

For more ways to deck out your Google presence, watch Grow with Google’s Quick Help YouTube videos. The short videos will help answer a variety of small business questions, from how to make the most of digital tools to how to start a live stream. We know the holiday season can be overwhelming, but with this checklist in hand there will be no need to get your tinsel in a tangle. 

Each month, 15 million edits are made to Google Business Profiles, the information a business can use to update their customer information. Last week, Google announced it is making it easier for a business owner to post updated information at one location — and have the information appear on several locations. (For instance, a post on Google Maps will also update information on a Profile Page.)

“Today, we’re making it easier to update a company’s Business Profile directly from Google products you already use,” says Tom Pritchard, product lead, Google My Business. “Now you can create posts, reply to reviews, add photos and update business information right from Google Search and Maps.”

Here is how it works.

1. To start, make sure you are signed in with the Google account used to verify your business.’
2. On Google Maps, tap your profile picture on the top right corner of the mobile app and select “Your Business Profile” to access these tools.
3. On Google Search, you can look up your business by name or search for “my business” to update your profile.
4. Business owners can continue to use the Google My Business website and mobile app to update business information and connect with customers.

New or Updated Features.

• The ability to update a business listing not just from Search, but also from the Google Maps app 
• Two new ways a verified user can access their Business Profile
  (On Search, merchants can look up their business by name or simply search for “my business. On the Maps app, they can click on their profile picture and then on “Your Business Profile” to access and make updates)
• A new Performance Page that lets merchants see their customer interactions directly in Search or Maps.
• A simplified menu on Search and Maps, with 3 sections: Edit your profile, Promote your business and connect with customers

“All of these new features are free for verified business owners and will continue to evolve over the coming months to give business access to even more helpful tools,” says Pritchard. “As more business owners rely on digital tools to connect with customers and keep business operations running, we’ll continue to update our offerings to be as helpful as possible”.

Image via Google

Local Services Ads

Why the focus on local small businesses?

In the past few months, Google has seen an increase of 50 percent in searches for such service related terms as “carpet cleaning” and “air conditioning repair,” according to Dischler. “We’re now making it easier to book appointments online directly to local businesses, said Dischler.”

Later this month, Google is launching a new mobile site for the U.S. and Canada, “to help more people find, compare and book nearby service providers faster,” he said.

Customers are seeking services they urgently want while limiting their in-person store interactions, according to Google. “They’re looking for real-time updates on product availability at local stores,” according to Dischler.

• Searches for “curbside pickup” and “in stock” have surged by more than 70 percent in recent months.
  
• Goole says its goal is to help service seekers find and buy the things they need, quickly and easily.

Starting earlier this week (June 17, 2020) Google’s Shopping Tab will display local store information, including product availability, locations, and fulfillment options like delivery and curbside pickup. This information will show up in all countries where the Shopping tab is available.

For many small businesses around the world, digital tools have become a lifeline this year, according to Google. One in three small business owners say that without digital tools, they would have needed to close all or part of their business. With businesses at various stages of digital transformation, we’re committed to helping businesses get online and grow with easy-to-use tools, according to Dischler.

More Local Google Tools

Grow My Store

Grow My Store | Expanding into retailers in the U.S. In Europe, Grow My Store has been an effective way for many small retailers to get quick tips on how to improve their online store and understand how they are doing compared to peers in the industry. Businesses just need to enter their website URL into the tool and within minutes they will get a custom report. 

Local Market Finder

Local Market Finder | The merchant or company enters the name of its business and Google will provide personalized suggestions on how to make improvements to it Business Profile on Google. For example, ensuring your opening hours are current, adding curbside pick up information, or uploading a photo that represents your business.

Smart Campaigns

Smart campaigns | You can start using Smart campaigns to display a prominent, square-shaped Google Maps pin with your business category logo, highlighting specific services that you offer, like curbside pickup or delivery. 

(Google: Local Services Help)

“Local businesses are core to our communities, but the impact of COVID-19 has been tough on business owners. Over the past few months, we’ve added tools and features to make it easier for businesses to keep customers informed, including the ability to add dining options and updated hours to Business Profiles.“
‘
Dominique McGowan
Program Manager, Local Small Business Products

Recently we’ve noted that Google is adding new local-oriented features to Business Profiles of verified brick & mortar stores (or, “physical storefront”) restaurants, and other Main Sreet small businesses. Google has also been adding tools and features to make it easier for local businesses to keep local customers informed, including the ability to add changing dining options and updated hours. 

Yesterday (May 11, 2020), Google announced it is adding “support links” to its Business Profiles. With this feature, merchants can provide their customers with donations or gift card links.

To start, Google is partnering with PayPal and GoFundMe for donations. For gift cards, merchants can link directly to the relevant page on their website or to their gift card offerings with one of Google’s eligible partners, which include Square, Toast, Clover and Vagaro.

(While Google is not charging merchants or consumers any fees, there may be partner processing fees associated with campaigns.)

According to McGowan, the feature launch will begin with a subset of businesses “to protect against misuse” with plans to expand to more countries, merchants, and partners in a safe and responsible way. The feature will first be rolled to the following countries:

• United States
• Canada
• United Kingdom
• Ireland
• Australia
• New Zealand

Business eligibility

According to Google, participation eligibility criteria includes:

• Businesses must be verified before March 1, 2020.
• Businesses must have a physical storefront.
• Owners and site managers of the Business Profile can use the posts feature to add gift-cards and donation links.
• The feature is available only in select countries.

For more information visit Google My Business help.

To begin the process, Google is linking several Google services that feeds a small business’ information to Google My Business and an array of constantly updated maps.

Here are some Google-related basics

1. Update business hours
   
   If your business is operating on reduced or shifted hours, you can update them on you Business Profile through Google My Business. Do this so that customers know exactly when you are able to reach them.
   
   Tip: Double check your phone number and make sure it is correct. Also, turn on messaging to make sure customers can reach you! 
   
   
2. Share a COVID-19 update
   
   Since every business’s response to coronavirus is unique, Google has introduced COVID-19 posts – featured prominently in a carousel on the merchant’s Business Profile in Search (and coming soon to Maps). This is how businesses can communicate to your customers about how your operations and services have shifted. Updates can include safety precautions you are taking, information about what products and services are available, and whether your customers can expect delays. 
   
   
3. Showcase business “attributes“
   
   Many restaurants and retail shops have closed their doors to on-site customers but are still serving them in other ways, for example: Merchants in the dining and shopping verticals can now update their business profiles to inform customers about service availability.
   
   Restaurants can add “takeout,” “delivery” and/or “curbside pickup” attributes and mark that they’re unavailable for “dine-in,” while retail stores will soon be able to add “curbside pickup,” “in-store pickup” and/or “same-day delivery.” 
   
   Business operations will prominently appear on merchants’ business profiles on Google Search and Maps results when customers look for the business. 
   
   
4. Share inventory online
   
   With various or changing shortages of groceries and home essentials, people have to make important decisions about when to leave home to purchase critical goods.
   
   Pointy (now part of Google), helps merchants get their inventory online by connecting information from the merchant’s point of sale systems to their business profile online. (For a limited time, Pointy is available for free to select grocery stores, pharmacies and convenience stores in the US.)
   
   Check if your store is eligible.
   
   
5. Mark a location “Temporarily closed”
   
   Google has made it easier for businesses to mark themselves as temporarily closed — directly from Google My Business.
   
   Note: If a business is marked as temporarily closed, it will be treated similarly to open businesses and will not affect local search rank.

(Updated December 20, 2019) Google has a year-end update for small business road warriors and others who need help with more simple real-time translation. They have added an “interpreter mode” to the mobile version of Google Assistant. Previously, the real-time translation feature was complex for many users to set up and use. It was also limited to Android devices. The new translation mode is simple to use with more features and languages, according to Google’s Lilian Rincon.

What Google Assistant’s interpreter mode does

Using your iOS (Apple) or Google Assistant (Android) devices, you can have a back and forth conversation with someone speaking a foreign language. The mode now works across 44 languages.

How to set up interpreter mode

If you use an Android mobile device, the translation mode is baked into the operating system. Apple mobile device users (iOS) need to download the Google Assistant app if you have an Apple iPhone or iPad.

How to use interpreter mode with your Smart Phone

To get started, just say “Hey Google, be my French translator” or “Hey Google, help me speak Spanish” and you’ll see and hear the translated conversation on your phone. According to Google’s Rincon. “After each translation, Goole Assistant may present Smart Replies, giving you suggestions that let you respond without speaking—which can make your conversations faster and even more seamless.”

Other ways to use interpreter mode

Interpreter mode also features different ways to communicate suited to your situation: you can type using a keyboard for quiet environments, or manually select what language to speak.

It’s still a work in progress

Real-time translation for the masses has been a long-time goal for visionaries ranging from academics to science fiction authors — and is available in many ways and various contexts even today. (For example, if you need to translate text, Google Lens works on Android device’s cameras.) And privacy is obviously an issue wherever users are using cloud devices to use personal conversations and other data.

But for business owners and manager, there are many situations where translation — even the next-step kind — can open up markets and add clarity to work-related communication.

And another thing

GettyImages

Earlier this year, we covered the initial launch of CallJoy, “a virtual phone agent for small business owners.” CallJoy is being developed by Google’s “Area 120,” an in-house product development workshop. Today, the CallJoy team announced a major upgrade in CallJoy features, according Bob Summers, general manager of the product.

“We are greatly expanding our capabilities and releasing a smarter, more intuitive agent that can assist callers by asking a simple question: ‘How can I help you?’ Then, the agent intelligently responds based on the caller’s answer.”

Bob Summers, CallJoy

Owners or managers of local small businesses can enter a set of expected questions or phrases and define what action the agent will take when those phrases are used. The more information a small business owner gives to the agent, the smarter and more responsive CallJoy becomes, says Summers.

For example, a caller might ask a restaurant’s agent, “Do you have vegetarian options?” If the small business had entered the phrase “vegetarian” into CallJoy and defined a verbal response for the agent, the agent could respond, “Yes! Our menu has vegetarian and vegan-friendly choices. Can I text you the link to our online menu?” 

The agent not only “speaks” an answer, it can send a link and then continue the conversation or connect to the business’s phone number.

Features include

• “How can I help you?”: CallJoy’s phone agent can now ask customers this simple question and answer intelligently based on the caller’s response. (i.e. caller: “Do you have outdoor seating?” CallJoy: “Yes! Would you like me to text you a link to set up a reservation?”)

• More control over call answering & actions: Businesses can choose whether the CallJoy agent answers calls immediately, after a set number of rings or only after hours.

• Call transcripts & insights: CallJoy automatically records, transcribes and provides insights about every customer call, which small businesses can use to make better business decisions and train employees.

For a detailed summary of features and pricing, see CallJoy’s Frequently Asked Questions.

Marketing video and images supplied by Google Area 120

Google announced last week (September 12, 2019) that it has updated its search-rater guidelines to better-recognize original reporting in both its news and general search results. “This means readers interested in the latest news can find the story that started it all, and publishers can benefit from having their original reporting more widely seen,” said Richard Gingras, VP, Google News. However, it may also mean that Google will be searching less for a small business website that doesn’t carry news.

Why small business owners should care

If you produce news content, it might not just be enough to do a “value-added” type of reporting. “You may need to work harder to be the original news source of the topic to get real traction and traffic from Google,” says Schwartz.

Original reporting will not only rank better in Google Search but soon will also rank better in Google News, including Google Discover, according to Barry Schwartz, news editor of Search Engine Land. According to Schwartz, original reporting will reward news results both higher and for a longer longer period of time

In addition to recognizing individual instances of original reporting at the page level, Google has also asked its raters to consider the publisher’s overall reputation for original reporting.

Gingras said Google Search and Google News are more and more using the same algorithms and concepts for rankings. So while the search quality raters guidelines were originally specific to just web search, it has now been updated more and more to also rate the more news-related search results.

How does Google determine original reporting?

Schwartz believes that Google is not just looking at the first page and earliest timestamp of a page for a specific topic — it is probably looking for news sources that are more well-known for original reporting.

The initiative includes:

Personalized plans|Answer a few questions about your business, and select a goal. You’ll then receive a step-by-step, tailored plan of recommended products to help you stand out online, reach more customers, and work more efficiently. The recommendations will include products to help with all three, but with a special focus on the goal that’s most important to you.

In-person workshops | Grow with Google workshops that take place across the U.S.

Latest news | Stay updated on Google’s small business-focused tools and services.

More information can be found as  google.com/smallbusiness.