There hasn’t been much information coming out of the usually-bustling Google AdWords department, but a recent announcement makes up for that lull in local Internet advertising news. The latest AdWords feature is something that could greatly impact the way many may want to approach local Internet advertising. The new feature is called “location extensions,” and it lets business owners attach their address to their local Internet advertising campaigns.
So why is tacking on addresses so important to local Internet advertising? This latest feature lets businesses set up ad campaigns that will link their individual ads to several local addresses. Say you’re a woodworker who makes furniture that’s sold in stores across the country. With location extensions, you’ll be able to match your brand or company name to every address that sells your product. Now, when a consumer sees your ad on their computer or mobile device, Google’s local search feature will match your closest business location to their location. So if you sell furniture in a Miami store, and a user is in Miami, they’ll be given the address to the Miami store that stocks your goods—even if your company headquarters is in Seattle.
This is all a part of Google’s attempt to merge their local and national AdWords. It looks like, overall, Google wants to make AdWords simpler and more streamlined. For now, AdWords claims that local ads aren’t going anywhere, but it will be interesting to see whether or not this is an early step in rearranging the AdWords delivery system.
