Announced in a Google blog post, the rollout sprinkles promoted pins and banners across its 1 billion monthly users' navigation app, turning a free staple into a revenue engine. With Alphabet's valuation steady above $2 trillion, this isn't a side hustle-it's a bold play to juice its ad empire. What's behind this shift, how does it work, and what's it mean for users? Here's the deep dive into Google Maps'ad era, straight from the source.
ADS HIT THE MAP
Google's February 19 blog confirmed the news-Maps now features ads worldwide, from New York to Nairobi. Promoted pins highlight businesses (e.g., Starbucks near you), while banners nudge deals during searches―think "20% off at Target" on your route. Reuters pegs the target at $11 billion yearly, doubling Maps' prior $5 billion ad haul (2024 estimate). It's live across Android, iOS, and web, with no opt-out-users see it unless they ditch Maps entirely.
This builds on pilot tests—ads trickled into U.S. Maps in 2023, per TechCrunch. Alphabet's Q1 2025 earnings (due April) loom; analysts at Bloomberg expect a $2 trillion valuation boost if this sticks. Sundar Pichai, in a January statement, called Maps "a growth pillar”—1 billion users (Google's 2024 stat) make it a goldmine too big to ignore. For users, it's a shift-free navigation's now a billboard.
HOW ADS FIND YOU
Google's ad tech is no mystery-Maps taps its core engine. Location data (1 billion devices, daily pings) pairs with search history and Al, per Google's blog. Search "coffee"? A promoted Starbucks pin pops up-48% more clicks than organic, per Alphabet's tests. Banners use Gemini AI (launched 2024) to tailor offers-your sushi craving triggers a "$5 roll" ad, not pizza. It's seamless, running on Maps' 250 million mapped places (2024 stat).
この記事は AppleMagazine の February 28, 2025 版に掲載されています。
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この記事は AppleMagazine の February 28, 2025 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
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