Google AdWords customers can now better target mobile device
owners via an updated ad experience within the Google Maps app on
Android, iPhone, and iPad, Google announced today. This news follows a recent update to the Google Maps
app, which previously saw a number of changes and additions, including
an updated user interface, integrated traffic reporting, Zagat reviews,
changes to how business ratings display, and more.
In the updated Google Maps application, advertisers can now target
Maps users after they’ve performed a search. Here’s how it works: after a
user performs a keyword search in the native app, a box appears at the
bottom of the screen which includes a title, text and link to get
directions for a relevant business. Users can also tap or swipe up on
this box to see more information.
In the example Google provided today, a user searches for “gardening
shop” and an ad appears below for a gardening supplies store nearby
their location.
When
clicking (err, tapping) on that ad, Maps users will also be able to
view the business address, phone, photos, reviews and more – just like a
regular business listing would show. However, the listing is preceded
by a small purplish icon reading “ad” to indicate that this is, in fact,
a paid placement. The icon on the map is also purple, as opposed to the
standard red.
Some actions a user takes are free, including saving business
information for later, sharing a business listing with a friend, or
starting navigation, for example. Meanwhile, others are paid.
Advertisers who want to enable the initial “get location details” click,
the “get directions” option, click-to-call’s, and clicks on the ad
headline, have to pay, says Google.
Reporting is available for both types of actions, and can be filtered by choosing the “click type” in the reporting screen.
To get started, Google advises advertisers to add location extensions to their search campaigns or create an ad with AdWords Express. Ads also have to be configured for mobile devices and on Google search partners in the AdWords settings.
Prior to today’s change, Google’s Map apps on iOS and Android
had been updated with a new interface where business listings appear at
a box a the bottom of the screen. Users can swipe up on these in order
to flip through them one-by-one, or they could just tap on the “list”
icon next the search box at the top of the screen to see a full list of
nearby results. Now Google is making it so advertisers can pay to be
that “first click,” so to speak, which could boost a business’s exposure
in terms of attracting foot traffic to their store, or reaching those
in search of something in particular (e.g. sushi, and not just restaurant).
Google first previewed its updated version of Google Maps at this year’s I/O developer conference, when it announced new plans for AdWords location extensions, which would enable ads beneath the search box and on the map on the web, too.
Maps has long since been used by
Google advertisers, but this year’s user interface overhaul changed the
way ads will display, and what sort of options advertisers can now pay
for and track.
Google offers more details about the setup process here.