Coming this summer to the US and Canada, Apple is officially bringing ads to Apple Maps. As part of the broader rollout of the new Apple Business platform, the company announced today that businesses in the US and Canada will be able to place local ads within the Maps app while gaining new tools to measure analytics and manage their brand presence across the Apple ecosystem.
How the ads will work and how Apple ensures privacy
The ads aim to help local businesses reach customers at key moments in search and discovery on Apple Maps. When a user searches for a term like “coffee shop” or “hardware store,” a sponsored result can appear at the top of the results, based on relevance.
Additionally, ads will appear at the top of a new Suggested Places experience coming to Maps. This new section will display recommendations based on what is trending nearby, recent searches, and other context. Apple noted in its announcement that all ads will be clearly marked to ensure transparency for Maps users.
Privacy is a major focus of the advertising rollout. The new Maps ads build on Apple’s existing privacy-first approach to advertising. A user’s location and the ads they see and interact with in Maps are not associated with their Apple Account. Personal data stays on the user’s device, is not collected or stored by Apple, and is not shared with advertisers or other third parties.
Brand management across the Apple ecosystem
The new Apple Business platform is not just about search ads or IT tools. It also absorbs all the brand management tools previously found in Apple Business Connect, making it easier than ever for businesses to control how they appear across Apple services.
- Brand profiles and place cards: Businesses can manage their brand name, logo, and key details to ensure consistent branding. Rich place cards let you customize your listing with photos, hours, and other details that appear in Maps and Safari.
- Showcases and custom actions: Businesses can promote deals, new products, or seasonal items directly on their Maps place cards. You’ll be able to add custom actions, such as ordering or reserving, to direct customers directly to a preferred website or app.
- Branded communications: Businesses can prominently display their branding in the Mail app’s sender icon to increase awareness. This branding will even appear in tracked orders in Apple Wallet.
- Tap to Pay on iPhone: To build trust during checkout using Apple Pay, businesses can display their logo and name right on the payment screen when accepting payments directly on an iPhone.
- Location insights: Apple will provide businesses with analytics into how customers discover and interact with your business on Maps, including searches, views, and taps on custom actions.
To participate, businesses will first need to claim their location on Maps through the new Apple Business portal, which officially launches on April 14. Once the Maps ad platform goes live this summer, businesses will have access to a fully automated experience to create ads in just a few simple steps directly through Apple Business.
Current Apple Ads advertisers and agencies will also have the option to book ads through their existing Apple Ads experience. This unlocks additional customization options for their campaigns, including the ability to target by keyword and specific brand names.
9to5Mac’s take
This is a massive new revenue stream for Apple and a significant shift in Apple Maps’ strategy. Google Maps has featured local advertising for years, and it is a highly effective way for small businesses to drive foot traffic. I recently discovered a few new local restaurants on Google Maps, so I am excited about this rollout. Ads are not inherently bad. If there is a new restaurant in my town, I want to know about it, and that is why Apple Maps’ new advertising program exists.
By integrating the ad buying process directly into the free Apple Business platform, Apple is making it incredibly easy for local shops to spend their marketing dollars within the Apple ecosystem rather than going elsewhere. The strict privacy controls also give Apple a unique selling point over its competitors, allowing it to monetize search intent without building invasive user profiles.
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