Google's $10 Local Search Play

thefickler writes "Google has come come up with a novel way to boost the information it has about local businesses. As part of its Business Referral Representative program, Google is offering individuals up to $10 to visit local businesses and tell them about Google Maps and Google AdWords, collect information (such as hours of operation and types of payment accepted), and take digital photos of the business. Reaction to the program has been mixed."

Re:Too much work.

[billster0808]

It's only 10 bucks per business, but I really don't see how this could take more than 20-30 mins per store. Probably sounds something like this: "Hi, I'm Bill, I'm here on behalf of Google. We'd like to get little bit of information about your business to help keep Google maps more accurate, in order to help your bussiness. When are you open? What kinds of payment do you take? What do you sell? Can I take a couple pictures? Give us you email address so we can verify this all with you before it gets posted online. Kthnxbye." You can probably get 2 businesses in an hour, and even if you only get a 50% verification rate, that's 12 bucks an hour, which is a pretty good wage for a college student.

What about Canada?

[Kinetix303]

I live in Montreal. Montreal's metropolitan area has a population of 3.6 million people. This is equivalent in market to Los Angeles and Chicago, your second and third largest cities. Montreal is entirely neglected by this program. Additionally, Toronto's metro area has a population of over 5 million, second in size on this continent only to New York City. Again, Toronto is entirely neglected by this program. I understand Google Labs technologies such as street view and traffic require the participation of local governments, but a program like this one is driven entirely by market... and not only are there Canadian Google users, but lots of them, too.

Google could be making real money in Canada, and yet they choose not to. Why is the Canadian market ignored yet again? Google has access to prime revenue streams: we can be paid in currency that Google already does business in, our cities are already well integrated into the Google Maps grid, and Canadian business can and does take advantage of Google's paid placement programs.

While Canada itself is a significantly smaller overall market than the United States itself, I don't understand why the international border comes into play at all. After all, our urbanized centres easily compare the market sizes of the American cities that Google is focussing efforts on... and isn't that what counts when it comes down to it?

Google, please include Canadian cities in your future service rollouts. Our advertising dollar is every bit as useful to you as an American one.

Re:I LOVE this idea.

[Vulva R. Thompson, P]

Ok, then I'm really missing something. Comprehensive business databases have been around forever (like InfoUSA or D&B) and can be licensed for comparatively little (compared to Google's scale). They're compiled and constantly updated from state databases. By definition, if a business is legal then it means that a tax ID and unemployment number has been assigned so it will definitely be in there. Maybe I'm not reading it right, are you saying that Google is trying to build theirs from the ground up through this program?

It's not spelled out, but from reading the Business Referral page I thought they're trying to enhance the existing business database by including information that is not usually there when searching. Stuff like business hours, pictures, etc. thereby expanding the content. This would have the effect of getting people in the habit of using Google when looking for local information in the future since it's that much better than the competitors.

No?

Reminds me of Snow Crash

[WoRLoKKeD]

Hmm, is anyone else at all reminded of the CIC from Snow Crash? Being paid to go around and find information that someone 'may' be interested in, one day? The only difference is that you won't be paid per hit that the store you scoped out gets, though that could work too, i suppose.

Beware

[qeorqe]

Google seems to expect a lot for $2.

From their terms and conditions [google.com]:

"8. Rights to Developments. As between the Parties, all software (including modifications and documentation), products, inventions, documents, writings and other materials conceived, prepared, made, discovered or produced by Contractor during the Service Period, including without limitation Deliverables that relate in any manner to the Program or business of Google (collectively, the "Developments"), shall be the sole and exclusive property of Google."

More discussion [blogoscoped.com] may be found at blogoscoped.

Re:And remember, kids....

[nacturation]

Why go to all the trouble of doing it yourself? Develop a site where businesses can go to submit their own information for inclusion in Google Maps -- it should take a few days to build if you do it right. Or if you make it quick and dirty, a few hours. The shop owner goes to the site, enters their zip code, and it prepopulates the city/state as well as locates the general area on an inline Google Maps control. They fill in their details, place their marker at the exact location in Google Maps (if required), upload a few pictures, and you bundle the information and forward it on to Google. Unless a physical signature is required this is the best way to go about this. Register the domain name local-searching.org (it's still available) and promote this as a free community service for businesses to get listed in Google maps and drive local traffic to their doors. Throw in an additional free service on top of it as your gift to their continued business. Heck, do some subtle affiliate marketing for stuff like web hosting, site design, etc. for added bonus. Again, if you do it right you'll have some kind of user registration where you capture their email address and have an opt-in checkbox where they can choose to receive further information on free offers to help their business. Now you have a database of opt-in email addresses to market to. (Don't forget the clearly worded privacy policy, and respect it!)

Then all that's needed is to send out press releases to newspapers, radio and TV stations, etc. so that they can inform their readers/listeners/viewers about a free and helpful way to not only get their business included on Google Maps but to also get that freebie you threw in along with it plus continued business advice and so on.

If you really want to go nuts, make it an affiliate program where other wanna-be pavement pounders can refer their business. You handle all the submissions, give them a unique URL (eg: http://affname.local-searching.org/ [local-searching.org]), and cut them 50% of whatever you make from it -- this, of course, hinges upon Google providing you a list of what is accepted and what isn't. Automate the whole thing to send them PayPal payments when Google sends you the XML file of the accepted listings, for example.

And if I met the program requirements, I sure as hell wouldn't be posting this. :)