Forum Moderators: Robert Charlton & goodroi
What is the deal with this?
Unless they had some sort of deal with Google (subsidizing the commercial?) why wouldnt they just tell people to go direct to Pontiac.Com?
Anyone know?
(Go to YouTube and search for google pontiac)
Pretty interesting marketing idea.....
When they advertise 'search google for pontiac' a % less than 100% will come to them - some will come to other AdWords, other SERPS, etc.
I guess the only argument is that they are leveraging Google's brand by aligning themselves with them, and maybe generating more overall interest.
Thoughts?
Seems suspicious.
Seems like a sneaky way to lock in their placement in the serps by giving Google some mention
What's sneaky about it? And why do you assume that the commercial will "lock in" their search rankings, or that it was needed to lock in their search rankings?
If Pontiac ranks high for "Pontiac," it's because it should rank high for Pontiac, and unless the company's Web site has pulled a BMW-style SEO stunt, there's no reason to assume that those rankings will change during the life of the TV commercal.
I guess the real question is was it done in official connection with Google or not?
At the very least, Pontiac must have sought Google's permission, since the TV spot is showing a screen capture with Google's logo.
There's probably more to it than that, however: I'd guess it's an experiment in cross-promotion. Maybe Pontiac got some money or AdWords credit in return for the plug.
[webmasterworld.com...]
Pontiac clearly think that more consumers are familiar with using the Google search bar than their own browsers address bar, and they might have a point.
Thinking outside the box, very clever if you ask me.
At the very least, Pontiac must have sought Google's permission, since the TV spot is showing a screen capture with Google's logo.
Kaled.
If Pontiac ranks high for "Pontiac," it's because it should rank high for Pontiac
Everyone has heard of pontiac. And people can remember "pontiac dot com", so what else do they stand to gain by even suggesting that people "google pontiac"? Why not just say "visit pontiac dot com"? Further, to say they rank high for "pontiac" just because they should is the same logic many webmasters use: shouldn't my website rank #1 for it's unique name that I made up myself? I think it should. But it doesn't.
But now Pontiac has given Google free advertising. Everyone wins. Big corporations get away with a lot...I mean, BMW was let back in the index after only 3 days. They didn't have to fulfill their whole 30 day penalty. And no, the two events (BMW and pontiac) are not related, but it says something, I think. Small businesses/websites are being penalized one by one because of link exchanges that probably don't amount to a hill of beans anyway and getting the penalties removed is next to impossible.
Is that fair? I know I sound ridiculous because I am just venting. Just irritated about how the penalties imposed on my site never seem to go away, no matter how much I do to try to improve. But BMW gets back in the very day they make the changes that were publicly suggested to them.
As for pontiac, I just don't understand what they stand to gain by mentioning Google. There has to be a reason. Pontiac is a brand people are already going to know.
As for pontiac, I just don't understand what they stand to gain by mentioning Google. There has to be a reason. Pontiac is a brand people are already going to know.
As someone else suggested, Google may have paid part of the advertising costs, either in cash or in kind.
But there's another reason why Pontiac may have done this: to show that Pontiac isn't like your father's [now defunct] Oldsmobile. Pontiac is the closest thing GM has to a "youth brand," and Pontiac or its advertising agency may feel that doing a tie-in with Google helps to promote a hip, youthful brand image.
