Not long ago, the four of us at Inside AdWords got together for dinner at a local Cuban restaurant after work. While we promised we wouldn't talk about AdWords (we do that all day!), we found it difficult to extend that agreement to other Google products. From locating the restaurant to finding our favorite Cuban recipe online, we were reminded how Google services come in handy not only when you're hungry, but also when you’re trying to maximize exposure to your local business.
First, we found the restaurant using Google Local. Luckily for us, this restaurant was already listed in the local search results. If your business isn’t, be sure to visit the Local Business Center to learn more about how to get listed for free. Next, we performed a quick search on Google.com to locate the restaurant’s menu and ensure that there was something for everyone (check out last week's post for more about search results inclusion). To save paper, we sent the address to Sarah's mobile phone and were on our way.
The next day, both Blake and Vivian found themselves looking for mementos from our team dinner. In an effort to diversify his Google t-shirt collection, Blake searched for one of the restaurant's t-shirts on Froogle. Unfortunately, this didn't lead to what he was looking for, but if the restaurant owners had made their shirts available on Froogle, he would have been able to get pricing information and more online. Meanwhile, Vivian couldn't shake her craving for fried plantains and wanted to make them at home. So it was off to Google Base, where she found relevant recipes -- but none from the restaurant itself. Had the chef of this particular restaurant wanted to share his sweet secrets to success, he could have submitted his own recipe to Base too.
While you're already well aware of how AdWords ads can help people find your business, remember that making it accessible to users doesn't stop there. By using a variety of Google services, you may reach potential customers wherever they're searching, whether they’re looking for an address, a menu, or a t-shirt.
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