Close
  • Latest News
  • Cybersecurity
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Mobile
  • Networking
  • Storage
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Menu
Search
  • Latest News
  • Cybersecurity
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Mobile
  • Networking
  • Storage
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Blogs Google Watch
    • Blogs
    • Google Watch
    • Search Engines

    Google Maps Now Serves Branded Map Icons for Businesses

    By
    Clint Boulton
    -
    September 2, 2010
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      Google, whose Place Pages aggregate information about restaurants and landmarks on Google Maps, has integrated ads directly into Google Maps by offering branded icons for, well, whatever store or franchise wants to participate.

      Google is letting businesses pay to sub their brand icons on the map for the standard icons. The search engine isn’t saying how much it’s charging.

      Sponsored map icons are being offered as a limited beta to companies in the United States with multiple locations and a well-known brand.

      The company stressed that the new feature is only available to businesses that already appear on the map and whose default icons can be swapped out for their logo.

      In other words, businesses don’t improve their placement on Google maps by participating in the beta.

      But they sure will improve their visibility to users, as Google Maps Product Manager Matthew Leske, who explained:

      “These logos appear directly on the map when you zoom in to see a close-up view of an area. Just like the existing default business icons that appear in gray, these colored logos are clickable and open the Place page for that business. Both large and small businesses can claim their Place pages and enhance them with information including hours of operation, product inventory, photos and videos.“

      Check out the red HSBC bank logo on this map result:

      Sure sticks out, no?

      In time, Google will also make the sponsored map icons available for Google Maps for mobile phones.

      Curiously, Google piloted this program in Australia and New Zealand in March.

      Stateside, Google already offers Tags, little ad call-outs for $20 per business per month to accompany its Google Places local business offering.

      While I think that’s the best option to help small mom-and-pop shops get noticed on Google Maps, the branded icons are a great way for the big businesses with famous brand logos, such as Starbucks, Target, Best Buy and others, to catch users’ eyes when they’re looking at a map.

      Wouldn’t it be easier to spot the red Target “target” logo than a nondescript, gray shopping icon?

      No doubt it would, and this will help those stores get more clicks online, and perhaps more visitors to their brick-and-mortar locations.

      As word spreads about the click-throughs, Google will find itself teeming with customers demanding to put their logos on Google Maps. Ca-ching.

      Avatar
      Clint Boulton

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Android

      Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro: Durability for Tough...

      Chris Preimesberger - December 5, 2020 0
      Have you ever dropped your phone, winced and felt the pain as it hit the sidewalk? Either the screen splintered like a windshield being...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Why Data Security Will Face Even Harsher...

      Chris Preimesberger - December 1, 2020 0
      Who would know more about details of the hacking process than an actual former career hacker? And who wants to understand all they can...
      Read more
      Cybersecurity

      How Veritas Is Shining a Light Into...

      eWEEK EDITORS - September 25, 2020 0
      Protecting data has always been one of the most important tasks in all of IT, yet as more companies become data companies at the...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      How NVIDIA A100 Station Brings Data Center...

      Zeus Kerravala - November 18, 2020 0
      There’s little debate that graphics processor unit manufacturer NVIDIA is the de facto standard when it comes to providing silicon to power machine learning...
      Read more
      Apple

      Why iPhone 12 Pro Makes Sense for...

      Wayne Rash - November 26, 2020 0
      If you’ve been watching the Apple commercials for the past three weeks, you already know what the company thinks will happen if you buy...
      Read more
      eWeek


      Contact Us | About | Sitemap

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      Terms of Service | Privacy Notice | Advertise | California - Do Not Sell My Information

      © 2021 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×