The Ad Preview tool lets you view your ads as they would appear on a Google search results page without accruing extra impressions for your ad. You can filter your test search by Google domain, language, and location to understand exactly how your ad appears to different users.

In addition to showing a preview, we will also tell you why your ad may not be showing in certain scenarios. By integrating this information directly into the Ad Preview tool, we hope to save you time and several extra steps. Previously you had to visit the Ads Diagnostic tool separately in the "Opportunities" tab of your AdWords account to understand why your ads may not be showing for a particular keyword.



Click on the "new version" link in the current tool to check it out, and stay tuned for increased availability of this tool in the coming weeks!

Posted by Kelly Blackford, Agency Training Team

I love to discover new places, from sandwich shops in my neighborhood to great museums around the globe. When I start looking for something in a new area, like a barbecue restaurant in Sydney, I usually do quite a few searches. I might search for a list of restaurants and then search for details about each place, like which one has the best atmosphere and menu options.

Today we’re introducing Place Search, a new kind of local search result that organises the world’s information around places. We’ve clustered search results around specific locations so you can more easily make comparisons and decide where to go. Say you’re looking for that great barbecue restaurant. With Place Search here’s what you’ll get:



The new results are marked with red pins, and each one is a unique restaurant with relevant information and reviews from across the web. The information is now grouped conveniently to make it easier to digest and compare.

Place Search results will begin appearing automatically on Google when we predict you’re looking for local information. In addition, you’ll find a new link for “Places” in the left-hand panel of the search results page so you can switch to these results whenever you want. For example, when I’m in Melbourne, I love to go out for sushi, but a search for [sushi] doesn’t automatically show me Place Search results. If I click “Places” I get the new view:



We’ve made results like this possible by developing technology to better understand places. With Place Search, we’re dynamically connecting hundreds of millions of websites with more than 50 million real-world locations. We automatically identify when sites are talking about physical places and cluster links even when they don’t provide addresses and use different names.

One of the great things about our approach is that it makes it easier to find a comprehensive view of each place. In our new layout you’ll find many more relevant links on a single results page—often 30 or 40. Instead of doing eight or 10 searches, often you’ll get to the sites you’re looking for with just one search. In our testing, Place Search saves people an average of two seconds on searches for local information.

Place Search is rolling out now and will be available globally in more than 40 languages in the next few days. During the roll-out process you can use this special link to preview the new results. Our goal is to help you feel like a local everywhere you go!

Posted by Kelly Blackford, Agency Training Team
This is a cross post from the Official Google Blog

Whether consumers are looking for a great lounge to hang out with their friends or a trusty shop to repair a bicycle, the web is a great place to discover and learn about local businesses and services. Some of the listings on Google Maps showcase reviews to help prospective customers make informed decisions and find the places that are just right for them. Reviews on Google Maps are assembled from a variety of sources on the web to give you the best possible overview of what people are saying about a specific place. We also encourage users to share their opinions by writing reviews directly on the Place Page of any place they’ve visited, be it a local business, tourist attraction or the like.

If your clients are verified Google Places business owners, they can publicly respond to reviews written by Google Maps users on the Place Page for their business. Engaging with the people who have shared thoughts about their business is a great way to get to know their customers and find out more. Both positive and negative feedback can be good for a business and help it grow (even though it’s sometimes hard to hear). By responding, your clients can build stronger relationships with existing and prospective customers. For example, a thoughtful response acknowledging a problem and offering a solution can often turn a customer who had an initially negative experience into a raving supporter. A simple thank you or a personal message can further reinforce a positive experience. Ultimately, replying to reviews provides business owners the opportunity to learn what they do well, what they can do better, and show their customers they are listening.



Before writing a response, we recommend reading our handy tips on how to respond to reviewers. You can also follow these instructions. If your client has not yet verified ownership for their business on Google, please direct them to Google Places to claim their listing.

Posted by Kelly Blackford, Agency Training Team