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🔍 Local services ads heard in Google Assistant voice results

Good morning, search marketers, have you heard any local ads on your Google Home?

There have been lingering questions around how Google (and Amazon) plan to generate revenue via smart speaker devices, and it looks like we may soon have an answer. Reuters reports Google is delivering local services ads in voice search results for local queries.

A search for a plumber, for example, takes the user through a series of questions to determine their location and service needs, and then offers to call available plumbers and emails a list of results. While the email list includes Google's green badge that identifies Local Services advertisers, there is no ad or "sponsored" disclosure in the email or in the voice interaction on Google Home.

The move to include Local-Services ads in Google Home results likely means Google will have to make new disclosures around the ads so that they do not violate FTC regulations and incur fines. For search marketers, though, we're getting a glimpse of Google's latest plans to generate ad revenue from its smart home devices.

Keep reading for tips on conducting a major content migration audit and news on Google's Search Console.

Amy Gesenhues,
Staff Reporter

Quick links to stories mentioned above:
+ Local services ads appearing in Google Home voice results.

 
 
 
Pro Tip
 

Here's why it's good practice to do a content migration audit

"Not all content is worth keeping on your website, explains Nick LeRoy of ICF Next. "Many are seeing performance increases with content pruning. A few KPIs to review the fate of each piece of content include traffic, keywords, page one keywords, inbound links and conversions. It's also important to pull both traffic and conversions by channel. While many consider content migration a strong SEO play (it is), removing content that performs well in other channels is just as crucial to examine."

Read More »

 

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Search Shorts
 

Out with the old, in with the new.

Old Search Console closing. The old Google Search Console may close by the end of the year according to some folks.

Sweet 16.  Google Ads Grants has turned 16 years old – it has given over $9 billion to non profits over those years.

SEOs looking bad. John Mueller of Google said it is not just SEOs that look bad in the eyes of the New York Times, it is other industries as well.

Unique SEO. Google's algorithm uses hundreds of factors, so even if you don't do well with one tactic, others might work well for you — so be unique.

 
What we're reading
 

We've curated our picks from across the web so you can retire your feed reader

Google Blocks Ads In China From Serving On Sites Bypassing Censorship – MediaPost

Google continuing to test new icons in search results – Brodie Clark Consulting

Google Won't Say When Its New Web Rendering Engine Will Be Released – Search Engine Roundtable

How Voice Search Will Revolutionize Your Marketing – Martech Advisor

Now Live for Your SEO Learning Pleasure: The NEW Beginner's Guide to SEO! – Moz

Startpage Voted Best Search Engine in Germany, Beating Google – The Mac Observer

 
 
 
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