In an attempt to make it easier for marketers to bridge the digital and physical worlds, Google has set up a host of changes to its advertising platform, a significant one being the expected increase of ads on Google Maps. Making a case for advertisers to reach consumers searching for physical business locations, the tech major is introducing new local search ads across Google.com and Google Maps. Given that Google Maps has become a strong offer from the company, it would be interesting to see how the platform is utilized and how consumers are reacting to the changes.
With location-related mobile searches growing 50 percent faster than all mobile searches, it’s clear that consumers are moving seamlessly between online and offline experiences. In this, nearly a third of all mobile searches are related to location. This is the insight that Google has based its decision on. With the opening up of the local search ads, advertisers using location extensions will be able to prominently showcase their business locations when consumers search for things like ‘shoe store’ or ‘car repair near me’.
“We’re investing in more branded, customized experiences for businesses on Google Maps, geared towards helping marketers increase store visits. First, 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. 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, we’re adding new features like special offers and the ability to browse product inventory,” quoted the company in an official statement.
As is known, AdWords is the largest online-to-offline ad measurement solution at present. Since AdWords store visits were introduced two years ago, advertisers have measured over 1 billion store visits globally. Businesses across a variety of industries around the world are using insights from AdWords store visits to measure the impact of online ads on offline activity.
