Google Australia is set to heavily target small business owners following the appointment of Julian Persaud as its new head of online.
Persaud, who was previously head of business development at the search giant's Australian operation, has been tasked with luring small and medium sized businesses to Google's online advertising offering.
Google said it wanted to help SMEs (small to medium enterprises) understand the opportunities of online advertising and the need for measurability and accountability.
The company has launched a set of new tools aimed at SMEs that are looking to use online marketing. The tools include a 10-step guide to successfully advertise on the internet, which promotes search marketing via Google.
Google claimed that its research has found that online advertising was the one marketing channel on which SMEs are planning to increase their spending over the next five years, due to cost-effectiveness and the growing number of customers that use the internet.
"Research indicates that around 40% of Australian small businesses have an active website, and a further 20% have a site under construction, so there's lots of Australian business owners seeing the benefit of getting online," said Persaud.
He added: "It's a particularly valuable and cost-effective way to reach new customers when budgets are tight."
Prior to joining Google, Persaud held roles at Yahoo! Search Marketing and UK auction house QXL.
