Google tests video in local search ads

Get those cameras ready.  

What’s happening: Google seems to be inserting videos into certain local search advertisements, news outlet Search Engine Land reported Monday. 

• “These video ads appear within the local pack — the map-based listings that show businesses near a user’s search,” the publication explained. 
• It shows an example of a traditional ad for ‘Motorcycle Accident Attorneys’ — along with an aerial video of the exterior of the company’s office building. Watch it here

Go deeper: Through a setting in Google Ads’ Location Manager, businesses can choose whether to allow Google to insert its “rich media” — defined as “photos, videos, icons, 3D assets, text and more” — into an ad campaign. 

Why it matters: The change suggests local businesses could potentially display video content in ads to highlight products or services more effectively than static listings.

• Yes, but: Getting into video production could add a new level of complexity, and the “feature appears to be in early testing,” per Search Engine Land. “It’s unclear how widely it’s available or how performance compares to traditional local ads.”
• A representative for Google didn’t return a request for comment.