Google brings ads to its Maps app

After recently revamping the Maps app for iOS and Android, Google has now introduced a new way of displaying advertisements on the Maps app. It will now feature more search-relevant ads in a rather interactive and interesting way, which the company believes will help both the users as well as the advertisers.

With this new update, an advertisement in the app will be displayed at the bottom of the screen after every search by the user. This ad will include a title, ad text and an icon to get directions to the place. One can simply tap on the ad or swipe it upwards to see a card-like interface featuring all other information related to the place featured in the ad. The information will include location details, business address, contact details, photos, reviews, and even shortcuts for sharing these on social networks like Facebook and Twitter.

Any further information can be used, saved or shared on the basis of either paid actions or free click actions. Free actions include saving business information for later, sharing a business with a friend, or starting navigation, while paid includes location details, directions and more.

And unlike the usual ones, these ads could actually be useful than being annoying to you, considering that these will be mostly searched item related. So those looking for a Chinese restaurant might get an advertisement for a popular restaurant serving Chinese or other cuisine in the nearby area. Similarly when searched for a petrol pump station, the app showed an ad for a car service station in the nearby area.