Google To Test New Business Icons In Google Maps
Sep 28, 2009 at 2:34pm ET by Matt McGee
Google will soon launch a limited test in Australia that will show additional business logos/icons inside of Google Maps. A Google spokesperson tells us that the “limited experiment” will only affect some Google Maps users in Australia.
The Sydney Morning Herald recently reported on the upcoming test, saying Google Maps will be “plastered” with ads.
“Google confirmed it would begin ‘the experiment’ shortly but declined to name the participating companies or to say whether company logos would be shown in response to a user’s query and subsequently plotted along a route, or if they would remain live on the site permanently.”
Google also told Search Engine Land that it had nothing to announce about the test right now, and didn’t answer a question about whether the test will only involve the business logos of existing advertisers. The company did say that the Australian test is “in line” with the recent addition of special icons and labels of prominent places and businesses in Google Maps.
As Barry Schwartz pointed out on Search Engine Roundtable, Google already allows advertisers to show logos in their paid Google Maps business ads.
Postscript by Barry Schwartz: Tim Cohn spotted these icons not just inside the maps but also top sponsored results. I can reproduce them by searching for computer repair las vegas. Here is a picture:
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Google do not have very accurate Geocoding (in the US to 3 digit postcodes and 4 digit in the UK) though and with no contract they can cut services, I was pushed to pay for an upgrade this year – So It’s rarely free.
Now Google maps in Australia are trailing putting logs of business’s in these maps too, Oh, don’t trust the directions either ! You get what you pay for remember and nothing is ever free.
Latest Google maps news September 2009.
Uproar as Google to trial advertising business logos within Google maps across Australia to raise revenues http://www.tinyurl.com/ycahzkz