Today we’re announcing a $200m increase to our annual ​Ad Grants​ commitment, to offer a total of $1bn to better support nonprofits. This $1bn helps nonprofits around the world that are tackling pressing issues like COVID-19 response and recovery, especially in developing economies. And we’re doing more.   

Typically during this time of year, we gather at Google Marketing Live, our annual event to discuss new products and hear feedback from you. In lieu of our in-person event, throughout this summer we’ll host “virtual product roundtables” with our product managers, announce a number of new products, share new  insights and kick off a new weekly video series, ​The Update on Think with Google​, discussing industry  trends and best practices.    

Helping businesses and organizations recover is the first topic we'll explore. Today we’re sharing updates for small businesses ahead of a Google-wide initiative, International Small Business Week, taking place June 22-27. This is a week dedicated to celebrating small businesses when we’ll share tips, trainings and products to help them get back on their feet.    

Helping consumers connect with businesses    

As people spend more time at home, we’ve seen searches for local services, like “carpet cleaning” or “air conditioning repair” increase by 50 percent in recent months. We’re now making it easier to ​book these services​ directly in Google Search on mobile​ through ​Local Services Ads​ in the U.S.​ ​Local Services Ads help people discover and connect with trustworthy, local professionals backed by the ​Google Guarantee​.  Later this month, ​we’re also launching a new mobile site for the U.S. and Canada, to help more people find, compare and book nearby service providers faster.      

As people search for products they urgently need and limit their in-person store interactions, they’re looking for real-time updates on product availability at local stores. Searches for “curbside pickup” and “in stock” have surged by more than 70 percent in recent months. Our goal is to help people find and buy the things they need, quickly and easily. Starting today the Shopping tab will show helpful ​local store information, including product availability, locations, and fulfilment options like delivery and curbside pickup. This information will show up in all countries where the Shopping tab is available.   

Helping businesses connect with customers 

 For many small businesses around the world, digital tools have become a lifeline this year. ​1 in 3 small business owners​ say that without digital tools, they would have had to close all or part of their business.  With businesses at various stages of digital transformation—some are online, some are halfway there and  others have a long way to go—we’re committed  to helping businesses get online and grow with  easy-to-use tools.   

To help businesses quickly improve their online presence, today we’re introducing ​Grow My Store​ to retailers in the U.S. In Europe, Grow My Store​ ​has been an effective way for many small retailers to get quick tips on how to improve their online store and understand how they are doing compared to peers in the industry. Businesses just need to enter their website URL into the tool and within minutes they will get a custom report.    

To help make local businesses more discoverable, this week we’re introducing Local Opportunity Finder.  Enter the name of your business and Google will provide personalized suggestions on how to make improvements to your Business Profile on Google. For example, ensuring your opening hours are current, adding curbside pickup information, or uploading a photo that represents your business.   

Finally, to help small business advertisers easily promote their businesses, we’ve expanded ​Smart campaigns​ to 150 countries and now we’re making it easier and faster to sign up using the ​Google Ads app​. You can set up a Smart campaign and create your first ad in just 15 minutes while on the go. And starting today, you can use Smart campaigns to display a prominent, square-shaped Google Maps pin with your business category logo, highlighting specific services that you offer, like curbside pickup or delivery. We’re bringing Promoted pins to Smart campaigns advertisers for free through the end of September.