Google have recently announced major changes to how ads will soon be displayed in Google Maps. The announcement outlines Google’s plans to remove Google Maps from the list of sites included as their Search Partners. This change will impact the way ads will soon be shown in Maps, with Google stating that only ads containing location extensions will be featured – normal text ads will no longer be displayed.
The announcement is a warning for advertisers who don’t currently use location extensions but had selected to use Search Partners. These advertisers may experience a drop in impressions and clicks as their ads will no longer display in Google Maps. This is likely to affect localised businesses.
On the other hand, advertisers who had previously opted out of Search Partners may start seeing an increase in impressions and clicks as their ads begin to display in Google Maps. For advertisers and PPC agencies, this could be both a blessing and a curse as they gain higher impression rates for these ads.