Google: Project Beacon

Just when you thought Google couldn’t possibly come up with any other ways to be a part of your life, there’s Project Beacon! Although it’s been around for a little while, it’s only recently begun to be noticed and talked about. The rationale behind this new product goes something like this: Google knows that our cell phones have now become such an integral part of daily life that we turn to them many times each day. And, one of the things we look for is location information about somewhere we want to go, how to get there, and what other folks think about that location.

How does it work?

Beacon is a small, Bluetooth device that sends a one-way signal to a user’s phone.  The device is installed at your physical business location giving your venue the potential to be more “visible” on Google when a user is nearby (typically a range of a few meters). These “beacons” (sort of like tiny lighthouses) ping out a signal to nearby mobile users who have location services turned on. When users are near your beacon and search for certain things related to your business, there is a higher likelihood that your business will appear in an organic search. It does not store customer information, it only sends out a location-based signal. Beacons utilize Eddystone, the open platform from Google.

Can we get one for our business?

According to Google, in most cases, businesses receive beacons after requesting them from Google. Some beacons have been sent to businesses who’ve used Google’s advertising services and are likely to benefit to from location features. From the Google instructions for set up: “If you weren’t expecting to receive a beacon and need help setting it up, you can contact your operations department. If need be, ask them to reach out to their Google sales representative for more information.

What else can a beacon device do?

In a few words: Beacons can help improve the location information Google provides to you and your customers. Here are a few key features:

• Provide higher visibility on personal Google maps if a user has “opted in” for location history.
• Allow user-generated content (photos and reviews) to be collected from visitors.
• Increase accuracy of visit statistics such as popular times and length of visit.

So, there seem to be a lot of great features packed into a small device. With usage of mobile phones higher than ever before, this device seems like a potential win-win for customers and businesses. Evolve Impact Group has a Google beacon in our home office and is already looking to roll out its use for some of its digital marketing clients, especially service-based businesses. Contact EIG today for more information.

Resources:

Google Developers. Mark up the work using beacons [online]. {Accessed 5 Oct 2018]. https://developers.google.com/beacons/

Ockrim J. Google ‘Project Beacon’: What it is and how it can help you. Doozy Dog Marketing [online]. 29 Sep 2017 [cited 5 Oct 2018]. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/google-project-beacon-what-how-can-help-you-jamie-ockrim/

Schwartz B. The Google Beacon Project – Did you get your beacon? Search Engine Roundtable [online]. 25 Jun 2018 [cited 5 Oct 2018]. https://www.seroundtable.com/google-project-beacon-25950.html