With the goal of changing the development of the local business presence in search results, Google is currently testing out a new ad type, the swipeable carousel. As opposed to listing only one nearby location beneath an ad and linking to that location when you click the listing, Google is allowing you to swipe through multiple locations for the same business from within the ad itself.
This function may be particularly useful to multi-location businesses such as restaurants, retail chains, gyms, medical offices and other companies that offer services at multiple physical locations.
What is Google Swipeable Location Carousel?
The new ad type displays multiple locations for a business in a horizontal “carousel” that users can swipe through without leaving the search result page.
The following items may be present on each business location card in the swipeable location carousel:
- Business Name
- Star Ratings
- Distance to the User
- Address Or Area
- Directions And Store Measurement
Because Google is putting together the business locations in a more interactive format that is mobile-friendly, customers can view many locations at once rather than having to scroll or click through many separate location listings.
The Others Are Out of the Ordinary
In the past, Google Ads would typically only display one advertisement with a location extension per advertisement or would display a number of branches of the same business in separate static vertical lists. This required users to click through or view an ad separately to compare different locations.
With the new carousel, every nearby branch will be grouped into a single ad unit, making it faster for users to compare which location is closest and best.
The Benefits of Using Landing Pages for Multi-Branched Companies
Companies that have multiple locations can use the same advertisement to promote all locations instead of giving one location the entire focus. For example, if a customer were to search for “pizza near me” they would most likely see advertisements for multiple pizza restaurants if the restaurants are located close to their current location (i.e., one advertisement consisting of each restaurant).
More clicks on local advertisements
- Higher rate of store visits
- Better likelihood of matching customers with the correct location
- Increased success of local advertising campaigns
This type of advertising will greatly benefit multi-branched businesses, chains, and other businesses that depend upon people visiting their stores.
Increased Competition Inside the Ad
Although the carousel can help show multiple locations, it does increase competition among the different locations in the carousel advertisement. The location with better reviews and pictures may have the edge in gaining a click on their advertisement compared to all other local businesses in the advertisement. A poorly maintained (or inaccurate) location advertisement can also hinder the results of the advertisement.
What Advertisers Should Do Now
Even though this is currently an in-depth evaluation, advertisers can begin preparing for this now with some simple steps to get their business ahead if it expands beyond just this test.
Here’s how.
- Audit your Google Business Profile for every business location.
- Enhance the number of positive ratings/review responses received.
- Install higher quality images on every branch you have.
- Ensure you have the correct phone numbers/hours listed for each location.
- Properly connect all of your locations within Google Ads.
The brands that put themselves in a position to stand out early will have a greater chance of positioning themselves significantly higher than their competition as users start comparing various locations right inside search ads.
