Google is preparing changes to its Maps service. The company has recently announced that it will display local search ads on Google Maps, dubbed as "promoted pins," which will allow companies to promote their businesses, when users make a relevant search.
These "pins" will appear on the map a user is viewing, or on the navigation view. For example, if a user searches for "restaurants near me," promoted businesses will appear, along with organic results displayed in red pins. They will be accessible whether a user is on desktop or mobile, and will be labeled by purple pins with the word "Ads" in them.
"Nearly one third of all mobile searches are related to location," according to Google"s blog post. "People’s online and offline worlds are colliding — whether you’re researching restaurant ideas for dinner on Friday night or looking for a store that sells rain boots in your size."
Moreover, Google is providing advertisers the capability to customize their business pages within the Maps service. They can opt to include their local inventory, as well as offer coupons for potential customers, like the example for Walgreens pharmacy shown above.
Lastly, Google emphasizes the evolution of the "mobile-first" world, expanding its text ads in AdWords to provide a larger space for advertisers to show off their products. Advertisers can now use up to 30 characters for their ad headline, which was originally 25. As for the body, they can utilize 80 characters, up from 35. According to Google, having more details in ads increases their clickthrough rate by at least 20%.
Source: Google (1), (2) via Techspot | Image via Google