Google Home Shopping Ads Coming to LA! Is Your Town Next?

[Jim Froling]

Google is expanding it's Home Services Ad Program to the Los Angeles area. They are actively recruiting plumbers, locksmiths and other home service providers. This "Pay To Play" 3-Pack is positioned at the top of the page above the organic local 3-Pack.
Google Home Service Ads Program Expanding | (949) Local-(949) 573-2125

 

[JoyHawkins]

Thanks for sharing Jim. What really caught me about your article was how wide they consider LA to be. I mean it includes a ton of areas that are not Los Angeles so it's quite a big area.

Also, it was really interesting to see they plan on expanding this nationwide by the end of 2017. Next year sounds like it will be a bit nuts!

 

[Linda Buquet]

Interesting... Thanks so much for sharing Jim.

Hang onto your seats - it may be a wild ride in 2017!

 

[JoshuaMackens]

Thanks for sharing Jim!

I can't help but think this thing gets nixed in the end, just like Google+. It's a terrible user experience and there will be a ton of complaints I would imagine. Or at least it will look different than it does now. 2 maps? Yuck.

 

[Tim Sweeney]

Jim, very helpful article.

For the following, "Google is vetting plumbers and other home service providers in the LA area now. Applicants are briefed on the application process over the phone, and if they choose to proceed they must agree to submit all of their customer-facing employees to a thorough background check conducted by the Pinkerton Investigative Services. At this time, the background check is at no charge to the business though no promises as to whether this will continue indefinitely."

So the background check covers employees who interact with the customers, rather than the business itself? Originally I thought it was the business which was vetted through Pinkerton. Curious...

 

[Tim Colling]

...So the background check covers employees who interact with the customers, rather than the business itself? Originally I thought it was the business which was vetted through Pinkerton. Curious...

That makes sense to me. It will be the employees who will be going into the homes of the customers, with opportunity to steal things from customers if they choose to do so. In the non-medical in-home caregiving industry we did the same thing, for the same reason.

 

[Tim Colling]

By the way, if Google is paying for the cost of all those employee background checks - at least for now - that's a pretty big deal. Background checks are expensive, if they are done well.

 

[Tony Wang]

I agree Joshua, terrible user experience, 2 maps. I'm sure it'll change. But if it does get nixed, it'll only be in favor of something equally lucrative for G.

And Tim, Google can afford it thanks to all the new revenue it'll generate. They ain't doing because their generous

 

[Jim Froling]

Tim,
Every employee that has direct contact with home owners must submit to background checks. Employees in the office and which do not physically interact with customers are exempt.

 

[Jim Froling]

Tim,
You think that's expensive? How about Google's guaranty that the job will be "done right or your money back"??

Who determines that the job was "done right"? The homeowner. Do you think there are any unscrupulous homeowners out there that will claim a perfectly done job is not just to get their money back? Nah, no one would actually lie to get free services.