Get Your Coupons on Google Maps
Everybody wants a piece of the Sunday papers.
While Craigslist takes on the classifieds, Google today announced it will soon be displaying printable coupons for local businesses in its Google Maps search results and business listing pages.
Local businesses that want to add their own coupons to Google Maps
can do so for free in Google’s Local Business Center, according to a statement.
There they can
also add and update their business listings for Google Local.
As part of the announcement, Google partnered with Valpak to add its coupons to the Google Maps coupon collection.
Google did not return a request for comment.
If the coupons move encourages local businesses to begin adding
themselves to Google’s local listings, the Maps product will become
more relevant to users.
The more relevant and useful Google Maps is
to users, the more it becomes a desired space for advertisers seeking
their clicks.
JupiterKagan analyst Sapna Satagopan told internetnews.com
it’s an effort to get local business thinking about online marketing.
Satagopan said Google is smart to form relationships with local
businesses that might not be ready to pay for online advertising yet.
“I think it creates that talking point between Google and the local
advertisers,” she said.
She thinks Google will keep track of how many users print coupons.
That will give Google data “to go into that local
advertising market and say, ‘look you’ve got so many coupons being
printed out and those many that are being used. We can provide you
more of that traffic if you want to sign up with us,” she said.
Google wants a piece of the local advertising business traditionally
owned by newspapers and yellow pages.
They’ve tested a pay-per-call model, started selling radio air
time, and have begun experimenting with television ads.
And Satagopan thinks Google is going to get a sizeable bite.
“Local advertising is still going to be a much smaller percent over
their overall business, but it’s starting to play a much larger role
as the local marketers understand a bit more,” she said.