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Navigational Ads Spotted Live On Google Maps

A GPS navigation screen on Google Maps displays a route along Atlantic City Road with a blue arrow. A Navigational Ad for Royal Farms, rated 2.9 stars, suggests a 2-minute quick detour. Options to "Cancel" or "Add stop" are available at the bottom of the screen.

Google Maps is testing navigational ads that suggest adding a stop along the route during navigation. These stops could be gas stations, restaurants, or shopping centers.

To minimize distraction, the driver is given two options: “Add stop” or “Cancel.”

This screnshot was shared by Anthony Higman who spotted this navigational ad live in the U.S.

Ginny Marvin added more information:

  • These ads are part of Promoted pins.
  • They are not new; they have been in testing for a while.
  • The ads expand only when they are tapped on.
  • They disappear quickly after a short time.

This ad inspiration came from Waze, also owned by Google, where similar ads had been running since 2018. These ads appeared only when the car was not in motion. However, Waze discontinued these ads in September 2023.

Promoted pins, first mentioned in 2019, are primarily known as locations marked with a pin or business logo on Google Maps, but they also include the navigational ads mentioned above. These ads can be achieved through Smart Campaigns, Performance Max for Store Goals, or Performance Max for Omnichannel Goals.

Here is an example of promoted pins for Dollar Tree, Costco Gas Station and AutoNation Honda Miami Lakes showing on Google Maps.

Here is a mention of navigational promoted pins from the official Google Ads Help page.

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