Speaking at a Mobile Marketing & Advertising event in Las Vegas to coincide with CTIA Wireless 2010, Diana Pouliot – director of mobile advertising at Google – revealed that one-third of all Google searches via the mobile web pertain to some aspect of the searcher’s local environment.
Paul Feng, Google’s mobile-ads group product manager, echoed Pouliot’s sentiments and expounded on Google’s efforts to make the search giant’s advertising reach as local as possible.
Building on the changing ad formats foreshadowed by Google in recent months, Feng suggested further tweaking of those formats in the near future – changes that may even involve new forms of user interaction, including navigation.
According to Mr. Feng: “We think of location as a hugely important signal.”
The mobile industry seems to concur, as some analysts now project that location-based mobile spending will top $4 billion in 2015. That’s a mind-blowing increase from the relatively paltry $34 million spent just last year.
The mantra that rings true for successful real estate agents – “location, location, location” – seems poised to similarly ring true for mobile marketers in this new decade. And Google is admittedly hard at work optimizing advertising platforms for the increasing pertinence of “local-intent” in a substantial chunk of all mobile searches.
Google, however, won’t be alone in its efforts. Far from it. This week, Forbes chronicled Yahoo’s hastened foray into local advertising. According to the publication, Yahoo’s sales reps are “going after big companies with outlets that advertise in local newspapers and on regional radio stations and Web sites.”
The marketers referenced include Dunkin’ Donuts, Burger King, Pizza Hut, State Farm Insurance and Home Depot.
When you see things like Roost.com you really begin to understand the power of mobile. Not that many years ago when looking for real estate you searched through a newspaper, made phone calls and scheduled appointments.
Now you drive a neighborhood and get all of the details right on your phone – immediately. Long gone are the days of waiting for someone to call you back. It is no wonder mobile is taking off the way it is now that the technology is falling into place.
I agree with you. It's unbelievable how a phone can help and save time nowadays. It is something I really enjoy, as I can do almost everything now. In the past, I had to leave whatever I was doing to tend to the phone. I'm sure they will be very successful with this effort.
Scott a marketing system for automobiles is similar in play and starting to catch on with the franchise dealers across Canada . You can search for it by mobile (findatruck.mobi) or personal computer go to Google Canada type 3 words (find a truck ) this will take you to the website findatruck.ca that will allow any Internet consumer to research any franchise dealers inventory through the Canadian market place. I found your post very interesting.
I agree. The power of mobile tends to also reach in internet marketing thus SMS marketing is very rampant today.
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It is very interesting to see that the importance of personalized marketing is becoming more and more dominant, especially with mobile devices. I think we will see greater marketing efforts in the next years mainly focused on mobile marketing.
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If you could buy stock in “My Coupons”, this would be your hot stock tip. That is all…
This is one of the reasons I like Google. They always try to better themselves, and they always try to improve their services, even though they almost hold a monopoly on the internet.
Well, I hope this Google advertising monopoly on Internet will end on Mobile. Some mobile companies, like Aditic, offer a good alternative.
http://www.aditic.com/
Other mobile ads use google map interface in iphone to make treasure hunting app as their map http://www.dreamwalkmobile.com/ dreamwalks app has a unique mobile advertising that make advertisers get more traffic on their business.
Clearly, if 1/3 or Google’s searches are locally motivated, then I sure hope to see a new drop down on Google Places that will let me add both my main website as well as my mobile site.
I have a number of locallized sites and I don't see the number of mobile visits to exceed more then 10% of overall traffic.
I think that over the next 2-3 years mobile search will probably be at least one third or even half of all internet searches – local or not.
I didn't find much success in driving mobile traffic to my website but had fair success by using my phone number.
Yes, phone numbers in mobile ads are definitely the way to go, as people's primary use of their phones– even iPhones and Blackberries–is making calls. The key to understanding the success of these campaigns though is tracking inbound calls directly back to the phone number and the ad in the same way that clicks are tracked.
If you could buy stock in "My Coupons", this would be your hot stock tip. That is all…
Local search surely is evolving. I think it will give growth to local only search engines as well.
As for me Google will be biggest search system in the World.
Frankly, I'm surprised that the 1/3 figure isn't higher! Local businesses need to catch the mobile consumer trend if they hope to compete with chains and big box retailers in the coming years. Mobile marketing and advertising are the perfect complements to a well oiled online marketing system and we're doing everything we can to get the word out!
Should the Big G give the mobile search the edge over web? Hmmm…
Google has been telling people that "one-third" of mobile queries have a local intent. But this is based on a BIA survey number (probably extrapolated from roughly 1K respondents) and should be taken with caution accordingly.
The mobile industry seems to concur, as some analysts now project that location-based mobile spending will top $4 billion in 2015. That’s a mind-blowing increase from the relatively paltry $34 million spent just last year.
As real estate investors, we are starting to use mobile marketing more – something I could have never predicted 2 years ago.
It's pretty ridiculous the increase in mobile searches this year – mobile traffic up 3000% for one carrier according to this video: http://istrat.gy/mobilefutvid.
Great info…Well, after Yahoo and MSN merger, it should not take much time for them to compete in local advertising
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I do love that fact that Google is optimising its site so that it can be more local – giving more businesses the opportunity to stand out online. However, I have found Google Places in particular at times frustrating – especially when you are having to do a bulk upload.
I do love their Hot Tub feature – which allows users to rate local businesses and bookmark them for future use – there definitely is going be a whole new area for marketers to eventually target.
Thanks for the nice read.
I have to say Google is making it easier now for businesses who are entering the market and who have smaller budgets – and I love Google Places for this one fact! It means that us smaller business can make an impact on our core target market – rather than big businesses having a monopoly of the online market share.
Thanks for a great article.
For me as a marketeer it is more important whether and how my target group is using mobile (andthe mobile internet with all its services).
So, check this mobile internet user typology and see how different user groups are using the mobile internet: http://bit.ly/gcSdBA
I agree with Ron's comment how Google is always trying to better themselves even though they "own" the internet. That's what keeping them ahead.
Thats not very surprising actually…
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how about microsoft..