How the Google Guarantee Will Impact Your Home Services Business

Google Guaranteed: What You Need to Know for Your Home Services Business

While it is still a new concept, the Google Guarantee is quickly staking its claim as an internet advertising game-changer. In 2018, the popular search engine celebrated its 20th anniversary. Twenty years earlier, the world was a very different place. In 1998, Apple released the first iMac, Michael Jordan was playing basketball for the Chicago Bulls, and Google was born.

Fast-forward to the present, and Google is positioning themselves to be more than just the most utilized information source on the planet. Now they also guarantee the work of some of the local businesses you may hire.

Need to know more? Digital Shift has the latest information on the Google Guarantee and what it means for your home services business.

What Does the Google Guarantee Mean?

With the Google Guaranteed program, Google is making things easier for you. They have entered into the operation of vetting businesses on behalf of their users. Prior to this development, users were only seeing the businesses with the deepest pockets make it to the top of the page.

Now, Google wants to make sure the best-qualified business is showcased first and foremost. Google is making it clear how much they believe in the work of each business and their own robust vetting process. When you choose your preferred vendor for a job through the use of Local Services Ads, their work will be guaranteed by Google for up to $2,000.

In order to qualify for the Google Guarantee, a business must meet certain standards of reliability and commendable work. Remember, Google is guaranteeing that your business will be doing the job the right way for the customer. You can be certain they aren't offering this kind of guarantee on a hunch.

Developments like this are meant to bring value to both the businesses being advertised and the arena that is advertising them (Google). The program is also designed to do some of the lead generation work for you.

What Can My Business Expect from Google Guarantee?

Over the last eight years, various studies have done their best to quantify the value of being at the top of a Google search engine results page (SERP). While there's no data currently available on how the Google Guaranteed badge may increase click-through-rate (CTR), there's no doubt that it does offer an advantage and it's a clear win for the business in the top spot.

On Google's behalf, this proves that their hard work is paying off. The entire experience surrounding a visit to their website is to solve problems. Prospective customers come to Google to get connected with the answer to their questions, and they tend to find it at the top of the first page. On the customer's behalf, it shows that users are continually satisfied by their experience with Google. If they were not, the numbers would not be so immensely lopsided in their favor.

"The businesses in the (Google Guarantee) beta test have had drastic amounts of success with increased leads by 1800% when compared to other companies who are using other forms of advertising!" - OMGNational.com, 2018. With a Google Guarantee ad placement and that green checkmark under your business name, you can expect to see major growth in the effectiveness of your marketing to the target audience.

Your potential customers' peace of mind is being backed by the popular search engine with a consumer protection service. These people already associate their problem-solving process with Google being able to find them the answer. Now they are also going to recommend your business and guarantee the quality of the work you're going to do.

Who Stands to Benefit the Most?

The company spending top dollar for the top spot on Google Ads is usually the company with the deepest pockets. Becoming guaranteed will not affect their business success as much as it will for the small businesses in a local area.

When you're a small business owner, you hang your hat on keeping up a stellar reputation. Warm referrals are the best present a customer can give you because you don't have the big bucks to spend on high ad placements.

The tremendous benefit for those taking part in the Google Guarantee program is their exposure level will go above even the top spot in the Adwords display, leaving your competitors out of sight below. No business in their right mind would turn down such an opportunity. Every business wants to get more cost benefit out of their limited advertising budget and this is the ticket toward that goal.

Is Google Guaranteed the Same as Google Screened?

Both Google Guaranteed and Google Screened work in pretty much the same way, but Google Guaranteed is for home service providers while Google Screened is geared towards coverage for professional services such as law, real estate, and financial advising. It's currently only available for select verticals in the United States.

How Will the Google Guarantee Affect Google My Business (GMB)?

If your business is Google Guaranteed, you can upgrade your Google My Business listing for a per month or per year charge to have that green badge added to your Google My Business profile. This makes it easier for potential clients to identify your business as covered by the Google Guarantee.

Signing Up for the Google Guarantee

The registration process is quick and easy. Simply follow these steps:

1. Sign up for Local Services Ads. A Google account representative will reach out to you shortly thereafter and begin the process.
2. Submit to Google's background check. This service is conducted by Pinkerton Consulting and Investigations Inc. for free. It will encompass all of your employees who would be authorized to serve at the home of a customer.
3. Google will require your license and insurance information be verified and kept on file as part of the qualification process. This verification is the final step in joining the ranks of those few businesses who can claim to be a part of the program.

Which Locations and Businesses are Eligible for the Google Guarantee?

Beware that Local Services Ads are not available in all areas right now. It is available in some countries, including the United States and Canada. Also, this service is not available for all industries — it's mostly limited to home service providers. You can see a list of eligible industries in your country on Google's Local Services help page. For other trades and regions, you can expect to see this program expand over time.

In the United States, the following service categories and service industries are eligible to be Google Guaranteed:

• Appliance repair services
• Carpentry
• Carpet cleaning services
• Countertop services
• Electrical
• Fencing
• Financial planning services
• Flooring
• Foundations
• Garage door services
• House cleaning
• HVAC
• Junk removal
• Landscaping
• Law
• Lawn care services
• Locksmith service
• Moving
• Pest control services
• Plumbing
• Real estate services
• Roofing
• Siding
• Tax services
• Tree services
• Water damage restoration
• Window cleaning services
• Window services

How Did We Get Here?

When Google saw the opportunity to become the new and improved phone book, they jumped on it in a hurry. Gone were the days of thumbing through pages and pages of potential options, and in came a new verb - "I'll Google it."

During the course of their time thus far, Google has continually innovated and redefined what it means to serve the best interests of their customers. Such a focus has rewarded them handsomely with regard to market share. In the first three months of 2018, Google accounted for over 71 percent of all global desktop search traffic and over 90 percent of all global mobile search traffic. By 2021, Google controlled a staggering 92.2% of the search engine market share worldwide.

It's clear they are the overwhelming favorite for the vast majority of the world's search traffic. The average Internet user feels confident in turning to Google for finding the information he needs to stay in touch. There are billions of searches conducted online every day, and these searches cover all areas of interest. Some people need answers for buying intentions, some do not.

Thankfully for Google, it's the diversity in its use that has helped solidify their reputation. Internet users know that Google is the go-to option for research, news, and customer reviews.

Google Local Services Ads Are Born

Local Services Ads is a new and exciting method of reaching possible customers. These are the good folks in your local area who are looking for someone who does what you do.

Since the introduction of Adwords, Google has allowed businesses to buy the potential interest of someone searching for help by providing ad space at the top of their SERPs. This is an extremely powerful offering from the world's most visited website, and it's been utilized heavily by companies in every industry.lo With Local Services Ads in play, Google is upping the ante for every other search engine on the market today.

Gone are the days of serving customers an ad that might fit their needs (but never being involved after making the initial connection). Now, Google is choosing to help farm the leads for these businesses and guarantee their recommendation to the user.

Eligible Claims under the Program

In order for payments to be made on a claim against a Google Guarantee, certain criteria must be met:

• The claim must have been for a job that was elected for and accepted by a lead submission on a Local Services Ad. Additionally, the claim will only cover the job on file, and not any other.
• Services and upsells beyond the original election are not covered by the Google Guarantee. Other potential exclusions are new jobs completed at a later date and property damages.
• Dissatisfaction with the prices being quoted, the responsiveness (or lack thereof) of the business being recommended, and the cancelling of a job signed up by a Local Services Ad is also not covered.
• Jobs that have been completed for more than 30 days are not allowed to be submitted to claims. Failing to submit your claim within the 30-day time period, no matter how legitimate the claim may be, will result in a dismissal from Google.

Good Luck to Those Who Don't Make the Cut

Each business that gets approved for the program is stepping into a wonderful opportunity in a new development from Google. On the other side of this coin, the businesses that don't make it into the program are potentially in for a rough ride.

The Google Guarantee is designed to take the guesswork out of the vetting process and optimize the customer experience. Additionally, it will reward businesses that are keeping their reputation in great condition.

How Can I Increase My Chances of Being Approved for the Google Guarantee?

Want to get in on this opportunity to boost your online reputation and indicate that the world's largest search engine has put their trust in the capability of your services? There's a couple of things you can do first to improve your chances of getting Google Guaranteed.

Cultivate Positive Google Reviews

If you are interested in qualifying for the Google Guarantee, it is more important than ever before for you to cultivate a positive reputation on Google Reviews. It's far more difficult for the staff at Google to deny a company that customers enjoy working with. Use their reviews platform to your advantage, and make your case for this new option as strong as you can.

One way to encourage customers to leave reviews for your services is by responding to all the reviews you do receive. This actually inspires more people to engage with your business by leaving reviews. Don't have time to respond to every last review and query on your GMB listing? No problem — Digital Shift provides done-for-you Google My Business management. We'll respond to positive reviews by thanking them for their contribution, and if you get a negative review, we'll consult with you on the best way to create a positive outcome for both you and the customer. We will also refresh your GMB listing regularly with new, engaging content and make sure it's fully optimized to get you the best results.

Ramp Up SEO Efforts

Another thing you can do is to revamp your local search engine optimization (SEO) value. Google will be judging your business not only on how well you do your job but also how well you serve their interests. Paid advertising is part of a sound online marketing strategy, but it needs to be supported by a strong SEO game plan if you want your business to experience long-term, sustainable growth.

Digital Shift focuses specifically on SEO for home services, so we're uniquely positioned to help you prepare to be Google Guaranteed with our proven SEO strategy. When a potential client in your local area enters a search term into Google that is relevant to the services you offer, your business website should appear in the first few organic search results. Digital Shift can find out exactly which keywords your prospective customers are using, and optimize your site so Google sees it as a relevant, authoritative response to their queries. This will increase web traffic to your site and help you convert local people who need your services into happy customers. It will also indicate to Google that people already trust and respect your business, making them more likely to approve you for the Google Guarantee.

There is Still Time to Get Your Business Ready

You can be sure the first cities in their beta testing phases didn't have the time to make adjustments to their business and the way Google judged them. But, whether Google Guarantee is already available in your region or you just want to prepare for that eventuality, you can take the time you need to get ready before you apply.

The value of squashing a negative review or improving your local SEO is exponential if the process starts now rather than later. Developments like this have the potential to change the tide for your business, so this shouldn't be taken lightly.

Local Services Ads is specifically for home services businesses just like yours. The competition in any location is sure to be fierce, including your own. Upon submitting your application for Google Guaranteed, they are going to dive deep into your business.

Start Taking Steps Now With Digital Shift

Tomorrow will be here before you know it, and the Google Guarantee will be nipping at your heels as well. Don't sit around and wait for this incredible program. Take the necessary action today so that you can reap the rewards tomorrow.

We're here to help with the process. Take advantage of our many digital services. See for yourself what enlisting the help of trusted professionals can do to improve your chances with this amazing new program.

Our team is always producing great new content to keep up with the latest developments in the industry. If you have any questions about any of this content or would prefer to speak with us about your specific interests, feel free to contact us. This is an incredibly exciting time to be in business, and our team is ready to support you along the way!