I’m a Google Local Business Rep
I applied to be a Google Local Business Rep and forgot about it until tonight when I got an email saying I got accepted. No, I’m not a Google employee (though some day I’d love to be), I’m an independent contractor.
I’m also a huge fan of local businesses. When I totaled my car a few months ago I went with the auto body shop my insurance company listed that sounded like it was a local business. They were and they were superb. They even donate cars to needy families at Christmas.
Google is impressive. They have a training module about it. Here’s the slick part - they pay for fliers and their site connects to FedExKinkos and orders them. Then you go pick them up - which I did this morning.
Here’s how it works: I go to local businesses and take a picture. I enter the businesses information into Google Local. For that I get $2 and if they get a postcard and confirm the listing I make an additional $8.
Since I’m affiliate of OrangeSoda (and you can be too) and they are interested in someone managing their PPC campaigns (easy to start, complex to manage), I can make 5% of their spend for the lifetime of their account. Note that the minimum they can sign up for is $100 a month. I wouldn’t recommend starting that small, but you can. I don’t know anyone else who will take customers with that size of a budget.
Now I have a confession: if I’m bored on a date or I amuse myself by figuring out ways to help them market their business. That includes how to put their business on Google Local (if it qualifies).
I’d do it even if I weren’t paid, but now there’s an incentive. Plus, it makes me go out of my way to patronize local businesses which I want to do anyway. No more Del Taco lunches for me. Instead, it’s another favorite - El Gallo Giro (which is now on State Street in Orem).
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One Response to “I’m a Google Local Business Rep”
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March 10th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
Yep, independently owned local directories are pretty much doomed. I did the thing for awhile where you just convince local businesses to link to other local businesses. You can really increase traffic to local businesses that way.
Anyway, I doubt there will be any financially viable local directories in a year or so.