The clean and quick interface of Google Maps may soon be bidding us farewell. According to a company blog post, Google Maps is about to get local search ads in the form of promoted pins and other ad formats.
Promoted pins are like normal pins which appear whenever you click a location, except for the company’s logo. Businesses’ links will also be getting a new look which should encourage more people to explore the place on their phones, before going visiting the actual place in person.
“We’re experimenting with a variety of ad formats on Maps that make it easier for users to find businesses as they navigate the world around them,” the post announced. “For example, Maps users may start to see promoted pins for nearby coffee shops, gas stations or lunch spots along their driving route.”
“Local business pages are also getting a brand new look — to encourage consumers to explore your store before they even arrive.”
Apart from that, businesses can also bring special offers through their Google Maps link and post their product inventory on the app for people to see, all of whom should promote their reachability and ultimately their profitability.
Google does understand the implications of a thing like advertisement in a service like Maps. As a result, it will be making sure that the ads blend in with the rest of the service and take regular customer feedback.
With half of all web traffic now coming via handheld devices, the importance of the medium can’t be possibly stated more and this step will ultimately move Google towards increased profitability.
Million $ question is when G maps going to be available in PK for iPhone users