How to Place Ads on Google Maps?

About a third of mobile transitions today are navigation-related. And this number continues to grow. What does this mean in practice? A person searches for “coffee shop nearby” or “tire fitting nearby” — Google Maps displays a list of the closest locations. If your business isn’t there or your profile is poorly set up, you’re simply losing customers.

The first step is to register your company in the “Google My Business” system and properly fill out your profile. Add a physical address, phone number, and current name. Upload a quality preview image — this directly affects click-through rate (CTR). For example, if you have a dental clinic: a card with a photo of a cozy facade and a 4.8 rating will attract more attention than a faceless gray rectangle without a single review.

By the way, reviews and comments are a separate story. Positive ratings boost your profile in search results, and they also build trust with potential customers before the first contact. Yes, proper setup takes time. But the result is worth it.

And if after all your efforts your company profile still doesn’t show up high enough — you can set up advertising in Google Maps. This will allow you to appear in prominent positions in search results and capture those users who are looking for services right now, in a specific area.

What Does Contextual Advertising in Google Maps Look Like?

Contextual advertising in Google Maps comes in different formats. Each works differently and suits different tasks. Let’s examine them in more detail below.

In Search Results

Here’s how it works: a person enters a query on the map — say, “pizzeria” or “veterinary clinic” — and a list of nearby establishments with ratings and reviews drops down. Usually, users click on the first two or three results. This is where paid ads provide a serious advantage: the company rises to the very top of the list.

Suppose you’re the owner of a beauty salon in central Kyiv. There are dozens of competitors within a couple of kilometers. But thanks to search ads, your salon appears first. The user sees the name, rating, interior photos, price list — and books an appointment without scrolling down to competitors.

Map Pins

This type of advertising is shown not in response to a specific query, but when a person is simply browsing the map or building a route. Special markers appear on the map — small icons pointing to restaurants, shops, pharmacies, gas stations, and other nearby objects.

What’s interesting: the user doesn’t need to search for anything purposefully. For example, they’re driving to an unfamiliar neighborhood, see a café icon with a good rating in Google Maps — and turn in for a bite. The markers are unobtrusive but attract attention excellently.

Compared to search ads, map pins often prove more effective. They’re already built into the map interface, and the user doesn’t need to take any additional actions — everything is visible.

By the way, the visual style of markers depends on the type of business. A restaurant gets a cutlery icon, a pharmacy gets a red cross. This helps users instantly read what’s nearby.

Promotions

Another format that allows you to display ads about promotions and special offers directly in your company profile. Discounts, seasonal sales, “happy hours,” a gift for the first visit — all of this can be formatted as a promotional post.

Imagine: you have a clothing store, and you’re launching a winter collection sale with a 40% discount. A promotional post on Google Maps will show this offer to everyone who visits your profile or searches for similar stores nearby. The person sees real benefit — and motivation to visit increases sharply. The main thing is that the ad is clearly formatted: specific discount, dates, clear call to action.

Recommended Reviews

Customer feedback is a powerful trust-building tool. And recommended reviews amplify this effect even more. The concept is simple: you select the best comments from satisfied customers (with a high rating, of course) and pin them to your profile.

It’s important to approach this strategically. Want to show that you work quickly and professionally? Choose reviews where customers specifically note this. Betting on affordable prices? Look for comments like “excellent quality for the money.” Essentially, recommended reviews are an opportunity to highlight your strengths in someone else’s words. And as we know, people are more willing to believe someone else’s words than advertising promises.

What Are the Advantages of Contextual Advertising on Google Maps?

1. Huge audience reach. Google Maps is one of the most popular mapping services in Ukraine and worldwide. Millions of people open it daily to find the nearest coffee shop, build a route to a new address, or simply see what’s interesting in the neighborhood. By placing ads on maps, you automatically gain access to the entire audience — and specifically to that part that’s already primed to make a purchase.
2. Native and unobtrusive nature. There are no flashing banners or pop-up windows covering half the screen. Ads in maps look organic and don’t cause irritation. Here’s a simple example: a person drives to work through the same neighborhood and uses Google Maps as a navigator. They see a store marker with a logo on the map. They don’t click — yet. But when they need what you’re selling, they already know where to go. This works as a soft, unobtrusive reminder.
3. High conversion. Conversion rates here are often higher than similar advertising channels. A person searching on a map has usually already made a decision. They don’t need to “think about it” — they need to find where to order. Suppose someone searches for “dentist nearby.” They’re not just interested — their tooth already hurts. Showing them a relevant ad at this moment means getting a call or appointment with high probability.
4. Geolocation targeting. An interesting point: to show ads, you don’t always need a search query. Sometimes it’s enough that a potential customer is physically near your location. Simply walking by or parked nearby. Businesses that depend on foot traffic and walkability (restaurants, pharmacies, small shops) get a serious advantage here.
5. Quick interaction. Google Maps offers a whole set of tools for instant contact — right within the app. Call with one tap, build a route, save a location, send an address to a friend. No extra steps. The person saw — tapped — came. This simplicity of action significantly increases the likelihood that a potential customer won’t postpone the visit “for later” but will respond here and now.

How to Set Up an Advertising Campaign in Google Maps?

So, how exactly does setting up advertising in Google Maps work? What parameters should you consider for maximum campaign performance? Let’s break down the entire process step by step.

Add Your Business to the Map

First, you need to register your company profile. Previously, the Google My Business service was used for this, but now it’s updated and called Google Business Profile.

Open your company profile in Google and click “Get Started.” Then fill in the fields in order:

1. Specify the address and postal code. If you only work in a specific city or region — mark this separately. This way customers will immediately understand where to find you.
   
2. Fill in contact details — phone number and website link. They will be displayed on your company card in search results, so double-check everything.
   
3. Describe the products or services you offer. This will help Google show you to the right audience.

Attention: to get into the top-3 local search results, you need to collect at least 5 reviews with a rating of 3 stars or higher. After this, users will see extended information about your company.

If you have multiple branches — add each separately. In the “Labels” section, you can enter a branch code in the “Advanced information” field to systematize data and simplify analytics. By the way, one location can have up to 10 labels.

Don’t forget about business hours. Sounds obvious, but people do check if you’re open right now before coming. Also — enable notifications in your business profile. This way you’ll promptly receive information about new reviews, questions, and comments. Quick response to audience activity is both about service and about rating.

Photos are a separate story. Quality shots of the facade, interior, products, and team make your profile lively and inspire more trust. Suppose you’re a bakery owner — a photo of fresh croissants in the display case will work better than any description.

When uploading photos, consider the requirements:

• format — JPG or PNG;
• file size — from 10 KB to 5 MB;
• minimum resolution — 720×720 pixels;
• shots should be clear, well-lit, without excessive processing;
• photos should be real, not downloaded from stock photo sites.

Also check the “Attributes” section — there you can mark parking availability, wheelchair accessibility, card payment options, and other details. Minor details? Perhaps. But these are exactly what sometimes decide whether customers will come to you or to the competitor across the street.

By the way, if you don’t have your own website yet — that’s not a problem. A properly filled-out profile in maps can fully replace it. Registration is free, and all essential customer information will be in one place.

Choose a Verification Method

After filling out your profile, it needs to be verified. Currently, three options are available:

1. By phone (call or SMS).
2. By email.
3. Via video call.

Which method is offered — Google determines automatically. The fastest and easiest is by phone, but it’s not always available. If the system offers it — agree immediately, no hesitation.

Don’t have that option? Try the others. You’ll have to act according to the situation. But the main thing — don’t delay verification. Without it, your company simply won’t appear in search results, and all your efforts to fill out the profile will be in vain.

Creating an Advertising Campaign

You can launch advertising in Google Maps in two ways. Each has its pros and cons.

In Search Network

This is the classic path — setting up a standard search campaign in Google Ads. When creating it, be sure to activate display in the “Search Network” so ads appear on maps as well.

Specify the exact organization address and set a display radius — optimally 2–3 km. This way you’ll reach people who are nearby and highly likely to become customers. You can set this up in the “Location” section by activating “Advanced search.”

Important: don’t forget to enable the “Location” extension in your Google Ads account settings. To do this, go to the “Ads & extensions” section, click “+” and link the required Google Business Profile account.

After this, your ads will start showing in priority order — above the organic Google Maps results. The result — more website visits and calls.

Performance Max

The second option to launch contextual advertising in Google Maps is to set up a Performance Max campaign type. It launches ads simultaneously across all Google services:

• Display Network (GDN);
• YouTube;
• Gmail.

Sounds tempting — maximum reach with one click. But there’s a nuance: you’ll have to pay for clicks on all connected platforms. The cost of advertising specifically on maps will depend on the cost per click and the number of transitions.

And honestly, the Performance Max budget can be tens, and sometimes hundreds of times higher than the cost of a regular text campaign launched only in maps. So if your budget is limited — start with the search network. Connect Performance Max when you’re ready to scale.

Types of Clicks on Google Maps Ads

When a business launches advertising in Google Maps, users can interact with it in different ways. And each type of click indicates a different level of interest — some are just browsing, while others are already ready to come to you.

Here are the main types of interactions:

• Click on photo. Often an underestimated type of transition, but shouldn’t be. If a person opens photos — they want to understand what your establishment looks like inside, what the atmosphere is like. For example, choosing a restaurant for a date — they need to see the interior, not just read a description.
• “To website.” A link click means the user wants to learn more — see the menu, price list, portfolio of work. This is typical behavior at the comparison stage. The person is still choosing, but already interested enough to dig deeper.
• “Route.” Perhaps the most valuable click. If someone clicks “Build route” — they’re already planning to come to you. Not “maybe someday,” but right now. That’s why this type of interaction is considered the most expensive in terms of conversion.
• “Save.” The user adds your location to their personal list — “Want to visit,” “Favorites,” etc. There may not be instant conversion here, but in the long term, these clicks work. The person will return when needed.
• “Send.” Essentially, this is a mini-recommendation. The user sends a link to your card to a friend or colleague. Free word-of-mouth — what could be better?
• “Call.” Clicking the phone icon is a signal of maximum engagement. The person doesn’t want to read, compare, save for later. They want to contact you right now. These clicks are especially important for businesses where decisions are made quickly — food delivery, calling a technician, doctor’s appointment.

How to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Promotion on Google Maps?

Launching ads is just the beginning. Much more important is figuring out whether they’re delivering results. To understand how well your advertising campaign in Google Maps is working, you should regularly monitor several metrics:

• Clicks on location details — these show how many people were interested in your ad and wanted to learn more.
• Route requests — if a person is looking at how to get to you, that’s already serious intent. A cold user won’t build a route.
• Clicks on the “Call” button on mobile — the hottest signal. A call means the potential client is almost ready to purchase or visit.

Suppose you notice a strange picture: impressions are accumulating nicely, but clicks are minimal. The first thing to check is your geotargeting settings. Sometimes the display radius is set too narrow, say, one kilometer around the location. While your real customers live or work two to three kilometers away.

Expand your coverage area, based on how far people are willing to travel to reach you. By the way, a useful technique — set bid adjustments for those areas where the main bulk of orders comes from.

Note: in Google Analytics, transitions from maps fall into the direct traffic category. Because of this, it’s difficult to immediately determine that a visitor found you specifically through the map. For a more accurate picture, it’s better to work with Google Ads reports — add the “Click location” column and analyze available metrics: impressions, clicks, cost per transition, etc.

Pay attention to which neighborhoods your card appears in most often, where more transitions come from, how often users build routes. All this helps you better understand your audience — where they are, what they search for, what they respond to. And then it’s a matter of practice: adjust settings, update ad texts, test new hypotheses.

And most importantly — don’t leave your campaign on autopilot after initial setup. It’s regular statistical analysis and step-by-step optimization based on real data that ultimately delivers a steady flow of customers.