I just read an article on the new Google Boost program. So what is Google Boost? Basically it is a watered down version of Google Adwords (pay-per-click) and any business owner that has a Google Places page will know about it pretty soon. Currently it is being tested in a few select cities, but once it goes nation-wide expect Google to send you lots of marketing emails.
I did some test searches in some of the cities to see what it’s all about. The ads definitely stand out, but they are not necessarily ranking all that high. It will be interesting to see what happens.
Here is the referenced Article: http://blog.smallboxweb.com/2011/01/13/google-boost-fear-not-ppc-managers-sem-pros-boost-is-a-gateway-drug/
Google Boost: it should be available in most major cities by this summer. Is it going to be a big hit or not? Is it going to change the landscape of our profession or is it just going to be another little bump on the road? Our guess is: it will make the pie bigger, but it won’t be replacing PPC management any time soon.
Pros of Google Boost include: ease of use, and an eye-catching factor. Boost’s ads will stand out from other sponsored links, because they’ll be including star-ratings, reviews, and you’ll get a blue pin to distinguish you on the map from all the other red pins. Also, it’s minimum price-tag is $50 dollars, which is lower than most PPC campaigns if you want to outsource the heavy-lifting to a professional. The cons include: limited control, diminished effectiveness, and a loss of equilibrium in terms of how sponsored links will be ranked.
Scanning the articles that have been written about Boost, and consulting our in-house specialists (re: Ben), the consensus seems to be that Google Boost will most likely act like a gateway drug–introducing small businesses to the power and potential of Search Engine Marketing, but ultimately leaving them wanting more.
Here’s the theory: Businesses who have yet to be sold on the concept that AdWords campaigns will produce a solid, measurable return on investment for them (especially if they hire a professional to run their campaign), will buy into Google Boost because its entry-level pricetag is relatively cheap. When they start to see the response, they will become intrigued–they will want to know more. When they know more, they will want more control–so that they can make more money. But they won’t be able to refine their campaign because Google Boost is opaque and one-sided. Boost is not designed to integrate business-owners’ knowledge and input to make campaigns more profitable. At this point small business owners may try to mount their own AdWords campaigns, which, oftentimes, they will probably end up turning over to a professional. Other business-owners will go straight to professional PPC managers when they see the results of their Boost campaigns.