Google’s newest strategy: an app for businesses and partnership with Facebook

Google’s goal is to drive traffic to businesses. A large part of that strategy is ads, but they’re also focussed on making it easy to get businesses interacting with their customers; both current and potential. It seems Google has found common ground with a competitor, and may be picking a fight with another.

Today, Google has announced a partnership with Facebook to sell ads through their Doubleclick bid manager service. By offering clients the ability to use FBX, Facebook’s ad placement service, via Doubleclick, potential advertisers get a very robust avenue for their ads to be seen. For the unfamiliar, FBX offers an oddly intuitive way to track your browsing history and offer ads based on your web traffic once you visit Facebook.

Another means for Google to engage businesses is via their new Google Places for Business app, which is now available on the Play Store. That app provides a very intuitive, simple way for businesses to interact with customers via Google+. It also allows for tracking of metrics like impressions or actions, giving business owners a real-time idea of just how well they’re performing in a mobile environment.

The new business app makes sense, and seems as though google is keen to take some of the thunder away from Yelp. By offering businesses a really easy way to interact and notify customers of their goings-on, Google+ becomes a much more visceral service for everyone. Google City Experts give a much needed boost to the Google+ business review database as the service becomes increasingly centric to all things Google.

Facebook ads make sense for everyone, as Doubleclick will undoubtedly see a surge in activity and Facebook will reap benefits as well. Ads targeting consumers work well, and business interaction only strengthens the bond they have with Google.
VIA: Social News Daily, Android Mixer