Google offers ad tools for small firms

Google Korea on Tuesday introduced its diverse ad tools for small businesses, including the popular Google AdWords, that it claimed will help Korean startups expand their presence in global markets.

“For small businesses lacking resources, online marketing is the perfect and effective sales person,” said Google Korea CEO John Lee, who joined the Korean unit as of January. “Google will support Korean firms to enter overseas markets.”

Google AdWords is an online advertising service that places advertisements at the top, bottom or beside the list of results the search engine displays for a particular query. 

Other Google services include Google My Business, a streamlined platform that allows businesses to update their information, add photos and see reviews, and Google Analytics that tracks visitors from all referrers, including search engines and social networks they use.

Google officials said the service was accessible to nearly 90 percent of online users globally.

In an era of one-click shopping, when Korean consumers are increasingly flocking to foreign online retailers, they said, Google’s ad tools help Korean firms attract new customers from around the world.

Design Maker is a Seoul-based smartphone case maker that has seen more than 170 percent growth in sales over the past year thanks to its advertising through Google services.

“Google, a global platform, helped us to reach foreign customers in the U.S., Europe and Southeast Asia,” said Design Maker CEO Sohn Jong-soo.

Attracting more Korean business clients is also crucial for Google, whose main profit source is search ads but has struggled with lackluster sales here.

Despite its global dominance, Google’s market share stands at less than 5 percent in Korea, while local search engines Naver and Daum take up more than 90 percent of the market.

By Lee Ji-yoon (jylee@heraldcorp.com)