Next Up at Google, Local Coupons

Note: If you are looking for online coupons, then try out a coupon site like Latest Coupons.

I’m beginning to believe that Google wants to be synonymous with Internet, Google Videos, Google Maps, Google News, Google Talk, Google Coupons, everywhere you turn there they are with their fingers in the pie. Now, they are going to start promoting printable coupons using the Google Maps service. How will it work? A business, even one without a web site, will be able to create a coupon, upload that info, including pictures, and Google will display a link to those coupons whenever that business name is shown in the results. Users will be able to print out the coupons and then take them to use at the business. This sounds like a great feature to users, and I will definitely be testing it out locally, to see if anyone is using the service.

More broadly, Mr. Rao said Google’s objective was to encourage local entrepreneurs to start using the Internet to promote their businesses, something that other Internet companies have found difficult. A dry cleaner or pizza shop can create a coupon, he said, without going through the trouble of making its own Web page.

“The big picture here is that to make local search really work you need massive participation by really relevant local businesses,” he said. ““It’s hard enough getting small businesses online. It doesn’t make sense to put up a lot of roadblocks.”

Greg Sterling, an analyst with Sterling Market Intelligence, said that among the challenges for Google’s plan was that the company might not be able to attract many coupons given its reluctance to spend money to market its services to business owners. Source: NYTimes

This gives me an idea for a side business. I’ll be checking back in later to revisit this I’m sure.

Added: Techcrunch brings up a fantastic idea, one I’m sure Google has already thought of,

Apparently users will print the coupons on paper. It would be nice if there was a mobile tie in like Cellfire offers. The primary problem with Cellfire is the relatively limited coupons available, presumably this won’t be an issue with Google. An Adsense tie in appears to be the next move on the way, with ads being sold that point to coupons. All of these are very logical ways for Google to leverage Google Local, almost predictable. I guess when you’re the market leader you don’t have to make what you do too exciting, it just has to keep on working.

If they could tie it all in, say a user searches for pizza on his cell phone, numbers pop up to local pizza joints with links to coupons the user could just show at the restaurant. Win-win for everybody.

From the Google Local Business Center page,

Add Coupons to Your Google Maps Listing - Free!

Let Google users print your coupons and bring them to your business. Coupons will appear alongside your business listing on Google Maps.

A new way to attract customers. Adding coupons to your listing in Google Maps will bring new customers to your business. The better savings you offer, the more customers you’ll gain.

It’s free and it only takes a few minutes. Just enter a few lines of text for your coupon, set an expiration date, and tell us which of your locations accept the coupon. Users will start seeing your coupons within a few hours.

Added: A website called Mine Your Own Business has already setup one and goes throught the procedure here.

Every day millions of people search Google Maps. The great equalizer is the fact that your map pin is exactly the same size as everyone else’s.

Coupons are a very effective form of advertising, especially when a consumer has searched for your type of business. If the search returns several businesses, your coupon might just be the tie-breaker.

Posted by Jimmy Daniels Posted in: Coupons, Google, Online Marketing No Comments » August 2006