Google’s New “Nearby Business” Mobile Ad Format

Google has announced another addition to its mobile ad formats to meet the growing prevalence of “near me” searches. The search engine will now begin showing up to four ads for businesses on location-related searches in a “Nearby businesses” pack.

Google Trends data indicates that “near me” searches have doubled in the past year, in part due to the rise of mobile, which represents 80 percent of these searches. With Google’s latest addition, the new nearby business ads are likely to show instead of traditional text ads. These ads will be driven by location extensions in AdWords and will include a link to get directions or to call the business.

For dealerships, Google’s new ad format could be effectively used to increase Parts and Service traffic. By incorporating this into the Parts and Service digital strategy at your store, you will be able to better compete with the auto shops that are taking a lot of this business away from dealerships. For the growing number of mobile searchers that are looking to meet an immediate need, such as getting an oil change or changing their tires, dealerships that are using this new ad format will greatly increase the likelihood of getting their business.

“Now more than ever, people search online to find things nearby,” wrote Google in its blog post. “Consumers have heightened expectations for immediacy and relevance – 4 out of 5 say they want search ads to be customized to their city, ZIP code or immediate surroundings. That’s why we continue to develop richer local ad formats that deliver more relevant information based on what someone searches for.”

In order to be eligible to show the new nearby business mobile ad format, advertisers must have location extensions enabled in their account.

“Starting today, we’ll show three or four different businesses for location-related searches like ‘nearby auto repair'”, explained Google. “Each ad unit will feature click-to-call and directions right at people’s fingertips. This new format organizes the information that your on-the-go customers need so they can easily compare options and take action, like calling your business or visiting your store.”