MiamiBeach411.com is in a recently launched Google Advertising Campaign, the details of which can be found here. Google has been a supporter of our site since 2004, and we are honored to be chosen, among a few others, as a featured company. See a screenshot.

From Google:

The campaign is meant to drive acquisitions and bring high potential publishers such as yourselves into the Google Display Network. We have highlighted your personal stories as proof points that AdSense enables success for publishers in a variety of ways.

As you browse around the web, you may see display ads, like the one below, these are part of the campaign and link to a page at Google where our story is featured.

I’ve been through some grueling auditions, but Google’s selection process had Michelle and I on pins and needles. I guess you could say it felt like a mix of being on “American Idol” for web publishers. The difference being, working at MiamiBeach411.com is an ensemble production.

It’s the people behind the company that make it successful

Miami Beach 411 is indeed a creative ensemble! The following individuals work hard to ensure that you and your loved ones have the best time possible:

Customer Support
Mirna Arce, Katalina Calderon, Mario Mendoza, Doug Eames, Cheryl Willett, Christy, Jess, and Laurie

Drivers / Tour Guides
Jim Moore, Susie Launiere, Eddie Torres, Jorge Torres, Derek Sanberg, and Jeffrey Lieberman

Editorials and Video
Matt Meltzer, Carlos Miller, Maria de los Angeles, and Bill Cooke

Developers
Atiosis Blanco, Juan Carlos Pini, Frank Galletti, Olesya Vinogradova (X-Cart), Michael Miller (Innovation by Instinct), Tim Mahoney (eevolution),

Advisers
Fred Garvin, rk, Under the Sun, coach, GandJ, wpns4l.

During the interview, Google asked Michelle “What has working with AdSense allowed you to do?”

From Michelle Moore:

It’s been exciting to see how much the company has grown. To basically go from waiting tables at a restaurant full-time, and working on the site out of our apartment, to today, managing tours and transportation for over 3,000 people a month.

Working with AdSense enabled us to quit our day jobs and dedicate more time and income to grow our business. In the past 6 years, we’ve hired 8 full-time employees, and 21 independent contractors.

With more writers, more phone lines, and now Miami Tour Company, we get to SHOW visitors the Miami we love rather than just telling them about it.

Asked what she would recommend to other publishers, Michelle added the following:

If there was something I was going to recommend, it would be to learn about Google’s entire suite of products, and see how they can assist you to grow your business.

Since we’re travel-related, we have to manage thousands of different pick-up times and locations every month. Google Apps for Business allows us to have one central location to manage all the reservations. When a customer makes a booking, their details are immediately added to a Calender so we can see who is traveling with us at what time.

We couldn’t get by without Google—AdSense manages our display advertising, and Apps For Business takes care of everything behind the scenes.

Now, if Miami Beach 411 could just teach Google how to drive a tour bus. Oh, wait… You’re working on that. Please keep us in mind for a test case.”

(Above: Sebastian Thrun helped build Google’s amazing driverless car, powered by a very personal quest to reduce traffic accidents. This 4-minute video shows the car motoring through busy city traffic, with no one behind the wheel.)

Seriously, will a computer be driving the tour bus?

No, we are still a few years away from self-driving tour buses, but Miami Beach 411 is serious about using Google Apps to streamline the travel experience, and providing our guests with first class sightseeing tours in their native language.

To accomplish our mission, we need an amazing team in Miami, and software that is easy to use, and works on everyone’s computer.

We got the “amazing team” covered.

Thanks again to, Google, for giving us the technology and means to take our business offline.

We are honored to be featured in the campaign, and we won’t let them down.

The Miami Beach 411 Travel Store Is Open 24/7

About the Author: Gus Moore heads up Miami Beach 411 as site administrator, where he has been helping people understand how Miami works for over a decade. See more articles by Gus.