Google Maps for iOS and Android Brings 'Relevant Ads' to Search Results

Starting today, Google Maps for both Android and iOS will now show 'relevant ads' at the bottom of your screen after a search result. Sometimes the ad could be the first result after you make a search, but any ad will clearly be marked and labeled as one.

Whenever you make search for the nearby grocery store or restaurant, users will now see the businesses that pay Google to be one of the promoted/top results. Google claims it will only display a promoted business when they happen to be relevant to your seach result.

Over one billion people use Google Maps services every month. On the Google Maps app, these users are often searching for local businesses - from restaurants, to car dealerships, to dentists, and more. Recently, we launched a new version of the Google Maps app for Android, iPhone, and iPad where we introduced several new features. Today we’re introducing an updated ad experience we think is more attractive for users and more effective for advertisers.

Relevant ads on the Google Maps app can now appear at the bottom of the screen after a user performs a search. They include a title, ad text, and a link to get directions. Users can tap or swipe upward to see more information — this is a new click type known as “Get location details” and results in a standard CPC charge.

When users click on an ad to get location details, they’ll see additional information such as the business’s address, phone number, photos, reviews and more. From here, there are a number of paid and free click actions they can take. Free actions include saving business information for later, sharing a business with a friend, or starting navigation. Aggregated reporting for these free clicks is available in your account.

Paid clicks include the initial 'get location details' click, get directions, click-to-call and clicks on the ad headline. AdWords will only charge for up to two paid clicks per ad impression. Reporting for these paid clicks can be found by segmenting reports in your account by ‘click type.’

Google Maps has always had some businesses as 'promoted' and highlighted on search results, but this is the first time that the ads will be displayed as a top choice for search results.


Read More via TheNextWeb