New Features for your Local Business Ads

Since 2006, AdWords local business ads have been connecting your business with local customers. Today, we're excited to announce some upcoming new features for local business ads, making it faster and easier for potential customers to find your business.

Before we give you the details, we want to point out that while local business ads can appear in several countries and on a number of web properties, the changes described here will only affect local business ads that appear on Google Maps.

Info Window Features

Beginning today, your ad’s information window in Google Maps will feature new interactive links that are designed to connect users to your business quickly. The info window is the window that opens when a user clicks on an organic search listing or a sponsored result on Google Maps.


Previously, a click on your ad's info window could only take the user to your website. Now, users will be able to interact with the info window to get the information they’re looking for about your business, right away. The new links include "Get Directions," "Street View" (where available), and "Save to My Maps." Shortly after we implement these links, we’ll also add a "Send" link, allowing the user to send your business info to their email. Users will still be able to click through to your site if they wish -- the info window simply offers additional free functionality.

Reporting Capabilities

We've also heard your requests for a local business ad report so, starting in a few weeks, a new interaction report for local business ads will be available through your account’s Report Center. The report will help you accurately assess your return on investment with local business ads by detailing how many users opened your info window and clicked on each of the new interactive links.

Often, Maps users are looking for different information than Search users. The new interactive links and the interaction reports should not only help customers connect with you faster but should also help you understand how to better target Maps users versus Search users. We’ll post again on this blog when the new changes to the reporting capabilities take effect.

With these changes, we're excited about providing users with more information about your business and providing you, our advertisers, with more features for your ads. If you're not already advertising with local business ads, this might be a good time to experiment. If you're interested in learning more about this format, check out the AdWords Help Center's section on local business ads.

Posted by Amanda Kelly, Inside AdWords crew