Google Adds Advertising to its Maps

Google took the lid off an anticipated new feature for users of its mapping service Friday that would let advertisers promote their businesses directly on Google Maps. The ads would appear as small icons, and would be clickable to reveal logos and pictures of the business in question.

Certain searches would make these advertisements appear. For example, while the service was in testing, Barnes and Noble and Ralph Lauren bought keywords such as "Philadelphia Books" or "Ralph Lauren New York." When people searched using these keywords, the ads appeared.

The Mountain View, Calif., based search giant said it would open the feature up to any advertiser wishing to place their ads on maps covering the U.S., Canada and the U.K.

Payment for the advertising would be similar to Google AdWords in that customers would bid on them. Alongside the graphical representation, a text ad would also appear on the page.

"Both small businesses and large chains can easily target multiple locations within a single Ad Group using the same keyword list - yet another way of targeting more customers more effectively," a Google spokesperson told BetaNews.

In the future, Google may add options to directly contact the advertiser through chat or VoIP, but it has no immediate plans to do so, the company said.