After Google’s phenomenal success in connecting home services owners to local residents in the San Francisco Bay Area last year, the search engine giant has now taken a new step in the direction that includes Electricians and HVAC Services.
Google Home Services Expand
In 2015, Google launched a new format for their Home Service Ads (HSAs) wherein users in a matter of minutes were able to locate local home services professionals like plumbers, locksmiths and home cleaners by just keying in their zip codes on Google. Users were just required to enter their ZIP codes along with the type of service they needed and Google would pull up a list of local service providers. As an addition to this format, Google has now added two more services to its portfolio — Electricians and HVAC Services.
With initiatives like this one, Google offers small business owners an opportunity to connect with potential customers. Keeping its success in mind, Google is now actively considering expanding the availability of this experience to residents and business owners in Sacramento, California. Additionally, the Google Home Services Ads features only background checked and insured service providers to ensure the safety of the users. Upon completion of the job, Google also sends an email out to each user to rate and review the business. This internal feedback mechanism helps Google to evaluate these qualified professionals, and ensure that they are meeting the standards to stay within the program. In case of negative feedback, it is likely the professional may be disqualified, suspended or even terminated from the home services ads program. This feedback system would eventually reduce the amount of poorly executed work being performed. For reputable, established companies and franchises, this is great news.
Recently, many well-known companies have come forward to tap the potentially lucrative home services market. In early 2015, Amazon launched its own listing service for all sorts of home chores in more than 25 cities nationwide.
Google Home Services Support Small Business
This is a huge opportunity for small business owners as they can now focus on customer experience, given that the Google service will pull from the list based on customer reviews. If this initiative by Google scales, many service-based businesses like carpet-cleaning, roofing, painting and others may follow suit in the program. And if Google’s technology and massive reach is to be acknowledged, then the new featture will definitely be a game changer small home service business owners.
Google Photo via Shutterstock
I’m interested to see where this goes because Google tried to be the lead-generating middle-man for insurance products and ended up shuttering that product. Here they’re trying the same play, but in a slightly different market and actually adding value by providing the background and insurance checks.
I run AdWords advertising for an HVAC company and the area is very competitive and expensive to advertise in. It doesn’t surprise me that Google has chosen such a lucrative test bed.
Johnny
they will close it also… i think they will lose money like that.
Adrian
it depends on the area of the country.. in San Fran Yelp dominates (same thing in NYC) but in Texas Google searches dominate from what I can tell.. so I think their revenues are not the same in each region
Vinny Nguyen
It was a clever expansion. However, Google tries too many things and it spreads its service too thin to be successful.
Good luck.
This discriminates against larger businesses and may put them out of business…. Let the lawsuits fly!!!!
Mike Ruhl
Google Home Services Ads are not to be confused with Amazon Home Services that have Verified Providers with Background checks and have proven a Business. Amazon has strict rules that have to met prior to and up kept to hold the tittle of “Verified Provider”, unlike some other home “Advising” companies that will accept you with a membership fee and then also charge a fee for a “lead” that is given to out to other members with hopes that you might get the job. What a scam. Its a slap in the face to those of us that are Real Professionals with a proven track record. Does anyone else feel that paying an agency to list you as a “Pro” doesn’t qualify you? I hope I’m not alone when it comes to refusing to pay for that tittle. #ruhltechservices #amazonpro #hirepros #REOCheeze #AgirlAndHerCamera