UPDATE: The Google beacon platform was shut down on April 1, 2021. In the marketing industry, it's not uncommon for new technologies to emerge and then quietly disappear for a few years. ... This means proximity marketing will be a priority for a lot of brands in 2020.

What is Google Beacon Technology?

You may have heard the term “Google Beacon” and wondered what this was referring to. A beacon is a piece of technology that marks a location or object. What does this mean for search engines and how does it affect local SEO?

Project Beacon by Google

Project Beacon by Google was created to improve proximity-based communications for local businesses. The idea was based on technology that sends and receives signals, much like how our smartphones receive signals. The Beacon project was meant to bridge-the-gap between the physical world and the digital one. Think of it like marking landmarks in the digital world for searches looking for information. The technology is improving and has come a long way since the early days.

What is a Google Beacon?

A beacon is a digital transmitter used to locate places or things. Google Beacon is a type of Bluetooth technology with proximity-based triggers. These triggers affect both the physical and digital world. Using Bluetooth low energy (BLE) hardware technology, beacons communicate with nearby smart devices like smartphones, tablets, and etc. There are different types of beacons that perform different tasks. 

Beacon technology emerged in 2015, but it was not up to the challenge at that time. It needed more time to mature and there were a few issues that had to be addressed before it could be deployed. Google decided to take the initiative to solve these problems, and they have made a lot of progress over the last few years.

Beacon Types

What types of beacons are involved? They each have different purposes and work together to create a link to certain locations.

Receiving

A ‘Receiving’ beacon is configured once and then can be remotely managed through the cloud. The beacon is capable of accessing messages that have been stored in the cloud with, or without, an app. It uses what Google calls “Nearby Messages” and “Nearby Notifications.” It can be achieved by adding elements to the beacon signal.

Integrating

A ‘Integrating’ beacon requires registering it with Google. You can access the Google Beacon Registry through the Beacon Tools app on Android and iOS. Having the app unlocks more data pertaining to location like latitude, longitude, and floor level through Google Places ID / API.

Interacting

An ‘Interacting’ beacon interacts with the “physical web.” This involves broadcasting a link to a web page using Eddystone-URL frames which can then be read by Chrome browsers and Nearby Notifications. It makes the connection from the digital world to the physical world.

How Google Beacon Works

While it may sound like an overly complicated piece of technology, the beacon device itself is actually remarkably simple. It works like a signal repeater if you know anything about Wi-Fi technology. Each beacon device contains a CPU, radio, and batteries, and repeatedly broadcasts an identifier. This identifier (unique ID number) is then detected by your mobile device and marks out an important place in that particular area. 

How Google Beacon Affects SEO

The beacons do not affect SEO directly, but more indirectly. If a local business wants to attract more customers but their location is hard to get to or the building faces a side street so it is less noticeable. This is where proximity-marking can help. The store can set up its own beacon, linked to its Google my Business Listing, to broadcast specials and alert people to things going on at the store. Everyone with smart technology in that area would be able to pick up that signal. This would boost their local SEO efforts as they can target users in close proximity of the store.

Bluetooth Low Energy Beacon

A Bluetooth Low Energy beacon (or BLE beacon) allows smartphones to perform specific actions through a wireless personal area network (through Wi-Fi). The technology was created by Bluetooth Special Interest Group. The beacon uses proximity data provided by BLE hardware transmitters. Bluetooth beacons use less energy than some other transmitters.

Benefits of Google Beacon Technology for SEO

Google Beacons can help improve your company’s visibility. It can help with lead generation, target marketing, and more. You can offer user generated content by allowing users to download photos of products, your storefront, and access promotional messages. There are so many things you can automate with Google Beacon Technology.

According to Google, 61% of shoppers prefer to buy from brands who have a physical location over online-only businesses. Online shopping is more convenient and offers many benefits, but a majority of consumers still like to shop in-store. And they tend to use their smartphones more often for help in locating goods and services.

Many shoppers use terms like “near me” or “close to my location” when searching for products or services to buy. They search for things like hours of operation, product availability, and deals and discounts. People like to preview deals before they get to the store to save time.

How to Use Google Beacons to Your Advantage

As it was mentioned above, you can set up a Google Beacon linked to your Google my Business listing. That will enable you to use the beacon to help bring in customers and increase revenues by allowing you to map out your store for easier navigation and target certain customers who are searching for the products your store offers. You can also offer a mobile-first rewards program and allow customers to apply rewards to their digital accounts to be used in-store or online purchases.

If you are given a free Google Beacon to use for your business, all you have to do is activate it. It is already registered by Google because they own the product. It is about the size of a thumb drive and it starts working or transmitting a signal the minute it is activated.

How Do You Know If It's Working?

Well, there are no outward signs of anything happening, but you should see improvements in your in-store and online sales and more traffic to your location. This may take a few weeks to see improvements so give it time and be patient.

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