Google’s anticipated program to promote local service providers in search ads is coming out of the woodwork. The company has confirmed a beta test for the program just launched in the San Francisco market.

Buzzfeed first reported the home services solution was in the works in April. Taking on the likes of Yelp, Angie’s List and Amazon Home Services, Google’s home services ads promote pre-qualified home service professionals and enable users to submit requests to the providers straight from the search ads.

Pete Meyers of Moz tweeted a screenshot of the test on Wednesday.

New paid local entity in testing on Google last night (search for “plumbers”) – potential game-changer, IMO — pic.twitter.com/ehlLfs9MOw

— dr Pete Meyers (@dr_pete) July 29, 2015

I am seeing the ads on some searches for “San Francisco plumber” and “San Francisco locksmith,” the two services included in the beta.

For comparison, below is a typical desktop search results page for “San Francisco plumber.” Local Google My Business listings, which are free for businesses, are located at the bottom of the screenshot in this case, and a Google Maps link to the business locations is in the upper right. Text ads appear at the top of the page and along the right column. Notice the organic results are dominated by Yelp.

A Google spokesperson told Search Engine Land, “We’re testing a new experience for local searches in the San Francisco Bay Area. We regularly test different options to deliver better results in search.”

Here’s a look at the beta Home Services Ads experience for users.

Ads feature three home service professionals

Three listings for professional service providers appear in the Home Services Ads block when Google thinks a user is trying to find a service professional based on the search query.

The ads include a photo of the professional, their location and phone number, along with any ratings and what look like callout ad extensions that detail qualifications and service qualities and offers such as 24/7 services and free estimates. Users can click the profiles for more details — more on that below. Earlier this month, Recode reported that Google hired a team of former Homejoy engineers to build the search matching technology for the service.

How Is Google Qualifying Providers?

User trust that these providers are safe and reliable is going to be a pivotal factor in whether this beta takes off. Clicking the drop-down icon on the Home Services ad box brings up an explainer stating that to be eligible for inclusion in the listing ads , the professionals must pass a background check, be licensed and insured and have a strong track record.

What constitutes a “strong track record?”

The “Learn more” link in that drop-down goes to a support page detailing how businesses qualify for business services ads. Google says it conducts a “reputation assessment” on all providers, including reviews from users who’ve found and used them through the ads and mystery shoppers:

“We collect ratings and reviews from people who hired home service professionals through our home service ads, and use mystery shoppers — customers who communicate and hire professionals on our behalf without mentioning any affiliation with Google — to help us learn more about the customer experience. ”

The background checks also include cross-checks against national sex offenders, terrorist and sanctions registries.

Select Up To Three Professionals For Responses

If you’re comfortable with that vetting process, the next step is to find a provider — or three — that might suit your needs.

Here are two ways to do it:

1. Click to view an individual profile featured in the ad block like the one below and contact them directly, or click the Send request button.

2. Click the “More [locksmiths or plumbers] to view or contact” link at the bottom of the ad.

This is where the real power of this new service lies for users looking to get multiple quotes. From here, you can view a slew of profiles to learn more about each service provider listed. Then you can narrow down your choices to up to three providers to request a follow-up after entering your contact info and details about the job you’re looking to have done.

The process is similar to Google Compare, which allows users to request quotes from credit card, auto insurance and home mortgage vendors right from ads in the search results in the US and UK.

Once you submit the request, Google sends it to each professional, and Google’s role in the referral process ends until a job is completed. Unless:

• Your request is declined because the provider is too busy or can’t do the job requested: Google will email you and include any notes from the professional about why they declined it.
• If a provider doesn’t follow up within one business day: You can either move on and find another provider or contact Google. There is a consumer contact page for Home Services Ad Support that includes phone and email contact information.
• If a provider cancels and the appointment and can’t reschedule: Google invites you to contact it to find another professional.
• If you’re not satisfied with the work done, and can’t resolve it with the provider first: Contact Google for help finding someone else to do the work.

Once a job is finished, Google will email you a ratings and review request. (It’s not clear if the professionals submit a job completion notice to Google.) Professionals that get repeat negative reviews could get suspended or kicked out of the program entirely.

At this time, we don’t know much about how the process works for advertisers in terms of the ad auction, managing the ads, and so on. Google is aiming to have more details on the program to share later this summer.

Google’s entry into this market could have big implications for home services professionals and the other companies vying for their attention online. Locksmiths and plumbers are just the beginning. Yelp appears to stand to lose the most, just in terms of lost organic visibility on Google.

Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.

New on Search Engine Land

About The Author

Ginny Marvin was Third Door Media’s former Editor-in-Chief (October 2018 to December 2020), running the day-to-day editorial operations across all publications and overseeing paid media coverage. Ginny Marvin wrote about paid digital advertising and analytics news and trends for Search Engine Land, MarTech and MarTech Today. With more than 15 years of marketing experience, Ginny has held both in-house and agency management positions. She can be found on Twitter as @ginnymarvin.

The post Google Residence Providers Advertisements For Locksmiths, Plumbers Hit San Francisco Market appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Google’s anticipated program to promote local service providers in search ads is coming out of the woodwork. The company has confirmed a beta test for the program just launched in the San Francisco market.

Buzzfeed first reported the home services solution was in the works in April. Taking on the likes of Yelp, Angie’s List and Amazon Home Services, Google’s home services ads promote pre-qualified home service professionals and enable users to submit requests to the providers straight from the search ads.

Pete Meyers of Moz tweeted a screenshot of the test on Wednesday.

New paid local entity in testing on Google last night (search for “plumbers”) – potential game-changer, IMO — pic.twitter.com/ehlLfs9MOw

— dr Pete Meyers (@dr_pete) July 29, 2015

I am seeing the ads on some searches for “San Francisco plumber” and “San Francisco locksmith,” the two services included in the beta.

For comparison, below is a typical desktop search results page for “San Francisco plumber.” Local Google My Business listings, which are free for businesses, are located at the bottom of the screenshot in this case, and a Google Maps link to the business locations is in the upper right. Text ads appear at the top of the page and along the right column. Notice the organic results are dominated by Yelp.

A Google spokesperson told Search Engine Land, “We’re testing a new experience for local searches in the San Francisco Bay Area. We regularly test different options to deliver better results in search.”

Here’s a look at the beta Home Services Ads experience for users.

Ads feature three home service professionals

Three listings for professional service providers appear in the Home Services Ads block when Google thinks a user is trying to find a service professional based on the search query.

The ads include a photo of the professional, their location and phone number, along with any ratings and what look like callout ad extensions that detail qualifications and service qualities and offers such as 24/7 services and free estimates. Users can click the profiles for more details — more on that below. Earlier this month, Recode reported that Google hired a team of former Homejoy engineers to build the search matching technology for the service.

How Is Google Qualifying Providers?

User trust that these providers are safe and reliable is going to be a pivotal factor in whether this beta takes off. Clicking the drop-down icon on the Home Services ad box brings up an explainer stating that to be eligible for inclusion in the listing ads , the professionals must pass a background check, be licensed and insured and have a strong track record.

What constitutes a “strong track record?”

The “Learn more” link in that drop-down goes to a support page detailing how businesses qualify for business services ads. Google says it conducts a “reputation assessment” on all providers, including reviews from users who’ve found and used them through the ads and mystery shoppers:

“We collect ratings and reviews from people who hired home service professionals through our home service ads, and use mystery shoppers — customers who communicate and hire professionals on our behalf without mentioning any affiliation with Google — to help us learn more about the customer experience. ”

The background checks also include cross-checks against national sex offenders, terrorist and sanctions registries.

Select Up To Three Professionals For Responses

If you’re comfortable with that vetting process, the next step is to find a provider — or three — that might suit your needs.

Here are two ways to do it:

1. Click to view an individual profile featured in the ad block like the one below and contact them directly, or click the Send request button.

2. Click the “More [locksmiths or plumbers] to view or contact” link at the bottom of the ad.

This is where the real power of this new service lies for users looking to get multiple quotes. From here, you can view a slew of profiles to learn more about each service provider listed. Then you can narrow down your choices to up to three providers to request a follow-up after entering your contact info and details about the job you’re looking to have done.

The process is similar to Google Compare, which allows users to request quotes from credit card, auto insurance and home mortgage vendors right from ads in the search results in the US and UK.

Once you submit the request, Google sends it to each professional, and Google’s role in the referral process ends until a job is completed. Unless:

• Your request is declined because the provider is too busy or can’t do the job requested: Google will email you and include any notes from the professional about why they declined it.
• If a provider doesn’t follow up within one business day: You can either move on and find another provider or contact Google. There is a consumer contact page for Home Services Ad Support that includes phone and email contact information.
• If a provider cancels and the appointment and can’t reschedule: Google invites you to contact it to find another professional.
• If you’re not satisfied with the work done, and can’t resolve it with the provider first: Contact Google for help finding someone else to do the work.

Once a job is finished, Google will email you a ratings and review request. (It’s not clear if the professionals submit a job completion notice to Google.) Professionals that get repeat negative reviews could get suspended or kicked out of the program entirely.

At this time, we don’t know much about how the process works for advertisers in terms of the ad auction, managing the ads, and so on. Google is aiming to have more details on the program to share later this summer.

Google’s entry into this market could have big implications for home services professionals and the other companies vying for their attention online. Locksmiths and plumbers are just the beginning. Yelp appears to stand to lose the most, just in terms of lost organic visibility on Google.

Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.

New on Search Engine Land

About The Author

Ginny Marvin was Third Door Media’s former Editor-in-Chief (October 2018 to December 2020), running the day-to-day editorial operations across all publications and overseeing paid media coverage. Ginny Marvin wrote about paid digital advertising and analytics news and trends for Search Engine Land, MarTech and MarTech Today. With more than 15 years of marketing experience, Ginny has held both in-house and agency management positions. She can be found on Twitter as @ginnymarvin.

The post Google House Providers Adverts For Locksmiths, Plumbers Hit San Francisco Market appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

The Jolly Green Giant, Mr. Clean and the Frito Bandito lost one of their most enthusiastic supporters last month with the death of Ellen Havre Weis, a California museum founder and writer who recognized the mythology in American advertising characters.

Weis was the co-founder and director of the Museum of Modern Mythology, a once well-known tourist destination in San Francisco, where a vinyl Michelin man rubbed his elbows with a life-size statue of Colonel Sanders and a plastic figure of the monocled Mr. Peanut, among thousands of others Advertising figures could be seen.

Know with the Michelin man. Photo: San Francisco Chronicle / Hearst Newspapers / Getty Images

The museum was open to the public for an entry fee of $ 2 from 1982 until it was closed by the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989.

Weis, who also co-founded a PR firm and worked as an advertising manager, never gave up on finding a new home for the quirky collection. Just before she died of brain cancer on July 27 at the age of 64, she and her family signed a contract for a new location for the museum’s characters, which will move to Van Nuys, California.

“We’re trying to get these advertising characters out of their normal sales context and see them as anthropology,” Weis told the Los Angeles Times in 1987. “Most of American society is exposed to these images. Certainly the Jolly Green Giant is more recognizable than Zeus – or your State Senator. “

Weis came up with the idea for the museum while living in a warehouse full of lifelike replicas of advertising mascots. Just finished writing school at the University of Iowa, Weis and her boyfriend at the time, Matthew Cohen, had moved to San Francisco to lead the “boho, hippie” lifestyle, according to Gordon Whiting, Weis’ 25-year-old husband. They crashed at a live workspace warehouse owned by friends including Jeff Errick, who was collecting promotional memorabilia.

“Ellen felt that all of these characters were related; they seemed to know each other and belong together, ”said Whiting, who added that Weis had studied mythology to learn how to use its archetypes in her writing. “That sparked their idea that the reason things work as advertising is because they’re mythological archetypes.”

Weis, Cohen, and Errick made the museum in one corner of the warehouse. Within a few years it moved to its own small room in downtown San Francisco and was celebrated in publications such as People Magazine and the New York Times through to German Spiegel.

The original gallery of the museum. Photo: Courtesy Gordon Whiting

Weis loaded characters like the Doggie Diner Head, a giant fiberglass representation of a grinning dachshund that once graced the sign of an American restaurant chain, into a trailer and took them on the streets to various shows, including a long-running one near by Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco.

Film critic Leonard Maltin featured the collection in his television appearances on Entertainment Tonight and became a board member of the museum.

“While Mr. Peanut and Speedy Alka-Seltzer were made up by someone on Madison Avenue, they had a life of their own like the Frankenstein monster,” Maltin told the Guardian. “Ellen took them out of their normal environment, which was a television screen, and presented them like works of art and developed a thesis that gave them a unity.”

American Express gave the museum $ 10,000 and had its Centurion character brought into the gallery. Photo: Courtesy Gordon Whiting

The last year of the museum, 1989, was heavy. First, someone stole the Doggie Diner head from an outdoor bin in San Francisco. The thing was so big and over two feet high that Whiting says he doesn’t know how anyone could have moved it over the three foot fence.

Then the museum was notified by its landlord that it had to vacate the rented space on the 9th floor of a rickety building from 1906 on Mission Street.

The final blow came on October 17th at 5:04 p.m. when the magnitude 6.9 earthquake in Loma Prieta rocked and rolled the historic building while Weis was moving boxes with figures there.

The museums The building was condemned and the founders had two hours a few days later to clear out their belongings. Weis rounded up an army of volunteers who heaved up the Jolly Green Giant, the Dutch Boy cardboard cutout of the famous color advertisement, and hundreds of boxes of everyone from cigarette mascot Joe Camel to Rice Krispies characters Snap, Crackle and Pop.

In the decades that followed, the figures waited in the warehouse while Weis looked for a new home for the museum. In the meantime, Weis founded WeisPR with her husband Whiting, raised their son Benjamin and eventually became advertising director for Bay Nature Magazine. Along the way, the longtime East Bay resident co-authored Berkeley: the Life and Spirit of a Remarkable Town and wrote fiction as a member of the Squaw Valley Community of Writers.

Big Boy and Charlie Tuna come out of the camp. Photo: Courtesy Gordon Whiting

In various places she was on the verge of obtaining permission to move the collection to the Smithsonian and Henry Ford Museum. But it wasn’t until she was diagnosed with a brain tumor in January that the path for the museum collection was clear. Ten days before her death at home in Altadena, California, her family received confirmation that the collection would soon be on display at the Valley Relics Museum in Van Nuys, Los Angeles.

“It will be running again,” said Whiting, who worked with Benjamin, now 20, to finalize collection plans while tending to Weis as her illness progressed this spring. “She was well enough to know about it and she was satisfied.”

Maltin said he was thrilled to know that Weis’ dream of bringing characters like Tony the Tiger, Mr. Bubbles, and their friends back together in public, was about to come true.

“I’m a 20th century pop culture kid, so I grew up with a lot of these characters,” he said. “But Ellen was the first person I ever met who – for lack of a better word – took her seriously.”

The post ‘Mr Peanut has a lifetime of his personal’: San Francisco bids farewell to a curator who noticed adverts as artwork | San Francisco appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.