San Francisco — Internet search titan Google is intensifying its effort to combat the declining ad market said today that it would offer a free AdWords campaign to the tune of $75 to help more than one million Australia’s small and medium businesses with the stated aim of giving them a boost in tough economic conditions, in addition to energizing the web giant’s declining AdWords revenues.
The company stated that the offer is specifically for those who had not yet used its AdWords search advertising service and was open until 30 June. Businesses interested taking advantage of this scheme can apply through Google’s website.
According to Google, more Australians than ever before are looking into products and services online, before venturing into a shop, with Monash University study showing that this trend makes up 50 per cent of Australian shoppers.
“At Google, our aim is to help propel the Australian digital economy,” the search giant Australia’s head of Online Julian Persaud said in a statement. “The Internet drives efficiencies and opens new markets. Encouraging more Australian businesses to connect with customers online is a major part of that vision.”
Google said the offer made today is designed to help Australia’s 1.88 million small and medium enterprises “reach new customers and drive sales during this tough economic times”.
But the “stimulus offer” is only available to small businesses “who have not yet dipped their toes in the AdWords water”, Google said.
While Google branded the offer as its own “small business stimulus”, it is more likely in response to rumors that Yahoo7 is set to launch a similar campaign — called the “Yahoo Big Bang” — which is also expected to involve offering SMEs free advertising.
Google general manager of Australia and New Zealand, Karim Temsamani, says Google is keen to help small businesses through the downturn.
“It is really important at a time when more and more Australians are looking for their information online, that businesses understand the power of search as a medium to provide them with very efficient, low cost ability to reach users.”
Temsamani also stated that while Google is financing new products such as the Android operating system, there is also a wide-spread company move towards primary revenue-generating products such as AdWords.
“Clearly search holds a very important part of Google’s products, and we are putting resources into that and making sure people are using Google products in search. Search is a very key product for us, and we will continue to invest in it.”
This could significantly affect how many businesses will benefit from the offer.
The company said that in addition to its “stimulus offer” it would provide existing advertisers a webinar next month to help them improve the performance of their search marketing campaigns.
With some of those selected will get “free, tailored campaign optimization from a Google expert to drive better results and increased sales”, Google said.
Temsamani added that the campaign will allow businesses to track which key-words are generating the most leads, and then can develop those that work while discarding others.
“It requires very little upfront cost and provides companies an ability to manage them on a continuous basis,” he says.
Google last week said its Adsense program, which serves AdWords advertisements, saw a 3% revenue decline in the first quarter compared to the same time last year.
The Council of Small Business of Australia (COSBOA) welcomed the Google initiative, stating that it could possibly put millions of dollars into the small business sector.
“We would like to see more companies supporting Australian small business with creative offerings like this, as this will boost the overall economy and directly assist a sector that employs over four million Australians,” COSBOA CEO Jaye Radisich said.
Interested business can take advantage of Google’s $75 stimulus offer before June 30, 2009 here.
However, Google did not specified how big a business could be to still qualify for its $75 offer. Those interested can apply here.