I suppose I need to take my hat off to Google once again. Don’t get me wrong, I love capitalism, but Google has got the market cornered in so many ways. We, as people, love things for free. Once something has been given away for so long that it becomes a part of our daily life and then a small price is all the sudden associated with it, shock comes over people. This one shouldn’t be a shock to anyone, Google has paid it forward in so many of the services they provide for so long, it’s time to figure out how to monetize it.
Google’s Local Extensions in AdWords have been a favorite paid advertising technique for small business owners since it was released in 2009. With Local Extensions, business owners are able to attach relevant business information (like their address, phone number and a link to directions) directly to their ad, making it easier for searchers to take action after seeing the business appear in the search results. During this past holiday weekend it was announced that Google would be making a small change to the system. Business owners will now be charged when a user clicks on the directions link in their ad, the same way they’re charged when a user clicks on their headline or on their phone number.