Google to push search offering to SMB

GOOGLE    SME   SEARCH ENGINE MARKETING

Hong Kong - As part of its Greater China commitment to the small and medium-sized businesses (SMB), Google has announced a $100 million investment plan for local SMBs to provide them with its search engine marketing solutions. 

The program, titled "Google Online Marketing: Exploring New Business Opportunities" will be rolled out for a one year period targeting 270,000 SMBs in Hong Kong. 

John Liu (pictured), vice president of sales, Greater China Region for Google, said they believe the local economy has reached a turning point and the city has climbed out of a year-long recession. 

"SMBs should take advantage of this opportunity to look for innovative, cost-effective and flexible ways to market themselves and their product offerings," he said. 

Liu explained that SMBs are the backbone of the Hong Kong economy.

He said as Hong Kong is such a strategically important market for Google, they are fully committed to contribute in ways that will support the local SMBs to seize business opportunities and quickly expand into the global market until the recovery is firmly in place.

Under the $100 million investment plan, Google will provide registered local SMBs a one month free trial on its Adwords platform as well as online marketing training. 

This include helping businesses upgrade their websites, select search keywords, track web traffic and analyse consumer behaviour. 

Google aims to educate local SMBs to become more aware of effectiveness and measurability using SEM to reach global audiences and to look beyond website and banner advertising in online marketing. 

The company also sees e-commerce has potential as a new additional business expansion channel for local SMBs to generate new business leads. 

Asia Pacific contributes US$145 billion or 24% of total e-commerce market, according to eMarketer and Collins Stewart LLC, with China having the highest growth rate of 42%. 

In September, as reported in Marketing, Google invested RMB50 million in Mainland China targeting the SMB sector as part of its SEM roadshow held across 27 cities in China that include Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Taiwan and now Hong Kong. 

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