When shoppers type a “near me” search into Google, are they finding you—or your competitors? Google Maps ads push store pins to the top of local search results when customers look for things like “coffee shops,” “hardware stores,” or any other type of business nearby.
Google Maps ads offer one-tap directions, click-to-call options, and even feature in-stock products, nudging nearby shoppers straight to your door. As the most downloaded navigation app, with more than two billion monthly users, Google Maps delivers a reach few platforms can match. Some 83% of US consumers already rely on Google when reading reviews for local businesses.
Ahead, you’ll learn how to set up Google Maps advertising for your store and turn every ad dollar into more foot traffic, more sales, and more loyal customers.
What are Google Maps ads?
Google Maps ads, also known as local search ads, are promoted Google Business listings that appear when you perform a location search on the Google Maps app. When doing a mobile search for a business in your area, Google often returns results based on your physical location and the business’s ratings.
Brands can buy these placements through Google Ads. Today, they are typically delivered via Performance Max for store goals, which lets Google AI optimize bids and creative across every channel.
A single ad unit can:
- Push your branded pin above organic pins, even if a rival is closer
- Offer tap-to-call, directions, and website links
- Showcase hours, ratings, photos, and live inventory
How Google Maps ads work
Google Maps ads take three inputs to function effectively:
- Business Profile and location assets to provide the address, hours, photos, and other information for the ad
- Local store inventory data from your Merchant Center (optional)
- A Performance Max for store goals campaign with average daily budget and Smart Bidding
Ad Rank in Maps blends the usual bid-and-quality formula with offline relevance signals, like distance, search text match, store rating, and inventory match. This makes it possible for a well-rated store slightly farther away to outrank a closer but lower-quality competitor.
Ads are charged by views or clicks. If you opt for the latter, charges apply when a user completes one of these actions:
- Location detail click that expands the Business Profile
- Directions click that opens turn-by-turn navigation
- Click-to-call that dials the store from mobile
- Website click that opens the retailer’s URL
Performance Max uses one shared asset library for every channel it serves, including Maps. Any AI-generated headlines, business descriptions, or lifestyle images are automatically eligible for your Maps placements once location assets are linked.
Where Google Maps ads can appear
When Google detects local intent (e.g., “clothing store near me”), the campaign’s locations enter a real-time auction. Winning ads can appear in four spots:
| Google Maps ad format | Where they appear | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Promoted pins | On the map when users browse the local area | Capturing immediate intent |
| Map search ads | Top of local search results | Reaching local customers who search “near me” |
| Map suggest ads | In the user’s autocomplete | Discovery and awareness |
| Placesheet ads | On the profile of another related business | Influencing undecided shoppers |
Important limitations and eligibility
Google has a set of ground rules retailers must follow before running Google Maps ads.
You can’t run ads exclusively on Google Maps
Maps are one part of Google’s ecosystem, but you can’t exclusively advertise on this channel. Your ads might appear on other Google properties, including Google search results, Gmail, YouTube, and the Google Display Network. There’s no way to opt out of your ad being displayed on a specific channel.
What you need to be eligible
Every business needs a verified Google Business Profile to advertise on Google Maps. Location assets from these listings provide Google with your physical address, phone number, and operating hours. It uses this data to dynamically pull your location into the Google Maps search results when a customer is nearby.
You’ll also follow Google’s advertising policies and sell products in an eligible category to run Maps ads.
Benefits of advertising on Google Maps
With more than two billion people using Google Maps each month, advertising on Google Maps has two distinct benefits for retailers: increased visibility and foot traffic to your store.
Increase visibility in the local Map Pack
If you want to sell your products to more local customers but don’t want to buy a billboard ad, Google Maps marketing is a smart move.
For example, if you’re an apparel brand that wants to test local advertising for your brick-and-mortar store, it makes sense to run local search ads. You can end up as a promoted pin on Google maps, above all organic listings, so potential customers see your business first.
Drive qualified foot traffic to your store
Offline purchases often start online. In a 2025 study from Rio SEO, 84% of consumers search for local businesses online daily, with 70% willing to drive up to 20 miles to visit a business they find.
When New Zealand grocer Four Square added Maps placements via Performance Max, it logged 419,000 incremental store visits while the campaign was live, as reported by Google.
Maps ads convert “near me” intent into an in-store visit. With an AI-driven bidding strategy and clear offline attribution, you can scale ad spend and know you’re getting real-world results.
How much do Google Maps ads cost?
There’s no flat Google Maps fee for ads. You set a daily budget and pay only when someone interacts with the ad.
Across all Google Search campaigns, the average cost per click (CPC) sits at around $2.69 in 2026, while the average CPC for display ads is 63¢. Industry, competition, and auction dynamics push some verticals (legal, technology, consumer services) well above the average.
What you’re charged for
Promoted pins may be charged by views or clicks depending on campaign type.
If you opt for clicks, Google bills advertisers when customers interact with their campaigns. Interactions are classed as any click that brings the customer one step closer to your store, whether that’s:
- Clicking your promoted pin on Google Maps
- Getting location details
- Clicking for directions
- Pressing the Call button
- Visiting your website
- Making a booking
There are some exceptions—like if a customer clicks to read reviews on your Google Business listing or adds your Map listing to their saved lists. You aren’t charged for these actions.
Features of Google Maps ads
Learn some of the key features of Google Maps, including:
Promoted pins
Unlike the standard red pins representing a business entity on Google Maps, promoted pins appear as a square on the map. They also appear at the top of map-based search results to stand out from the rest.
Here’s what a promoted pin looks like:
While promoted pins are a great way to get noticed when users browse nearby areas on Maps, they’re more than just another form of paid search, as they are tailored to the searcher’s profile.
When recommending a promoted pin, Google Maps considers the following:
- The person’s search history
- The person’s buying history
- Places they’ve previously been
When someone clicks on the purple pin or a Maps-connected search result, promoted pins can show customized web pages or personalized deals to encourage the searcher to visit the store.
Where promoted pins show up
Promoted pins appear where users are likely to make a shopping decision:
- Maps search results: When a user types a relevant keyword like “coffee near me” or “boutiques” into the Google Maps app, your business can appear at the very top of the list with a distinct purple or square-shaped pin. These ads can carry over to the map snippet shown on the main Google Search app, ensuring you’re the first physical location a user sees before they even open the Maps app.
- Navigation routes: As a user is actively navigating to a destination, Google may display your pin along their route to encourage a quick detour.
- “Near Me” suggestions: Sometimes your pin will appear even if a user hasn’t finished typing their search, showing up as a suggested location based on their current GPS coordinates and past behavior.
Some users may find it difficult to distinguish between sponsored pins and organic recommendations since both appear in the same local results. Make sure your profile is fully optimized with high-quality photos and positive reviews to maintain trust.
Featured customer reviews
Nearly eight in 10 US consumers say they always or regularly read online reviews before choosing a local business, according to BrightLocal. Every Google Business profile, which Maps ads pull data from, has this feature.
To help customers make faster decisions, Google now features an AI-powered summary by Gemini that distills the key points from customer feedback. BrightLocal’s data found 23% of shoppers are willing to rely solely on these AI-generated review summaries to make a decision.
Below this summary, users can still read individual highlighted reviews to get a deeper sense of your business.
If you’re going to run local ads on Google Maps, be sure to get more reviews beforehand. Encourage customers to leave reviews on your Google Business Profile so they display on your ad. This helps build trust with customers and maximizes your ad spend.
Custom messaging
Google Maps ads also allow businesses to feature custom promotional messages directly within the ad. This is done using customizable headlines (like “Celebrate Special Occasions” below) and descriptions from your Google Ads campaign assets.
While this can include traditional deals like discounts or coupons, it’s also a good way to showcase a special service (like permanent jewelry), a new product line, or a unique in-store experience to entice customers.
Customizable business page
Stores that advertise on Google Maps also have their own business profile with information like their address, phone number, website, store hours, photos, directions, and reviews. Google pulls up this information from the store’s Google Business listing. Searchers can chat with your business through Google’s Business Messages feature.
Local inventory search
Local inventory ads integrate Google Shopping and Maps functionality by allowing you to advertise products available at nearby businesses when potential customers search for the item or place.
When you have inventory ads enabled, shoppers can check your available products when they click on your location. You can promote in-store inventory and offer local customers store pickup options.
It also works the other way: Customers can use Google Search to look for an item they’re interested in. When they click on the ad showing your product, they arrive on your local storefront, Google Business page, or landing page.
Tip: With Shopify, you can have your products found by more nearby shoppers looking for what you sell on Google. Sync your store’s products with Google, create free listings, and manage online and in-store pickup orders from Shopify.
How to set up Google Maps ads
- Optimize your Google Business Profile
- Link your Business Profile to Google Ads
- Build a Performance Max campaign
1. Optimize your Google Business Profile
Your Google Business Profile is the starting point for your Maps ads (and any other Google display ad). Make sure every store is fully verified in Business Profile Manager before you start.
Pick one primary category and up to nine secondary ones that match products or services, like a running shoe store or an athletic apparel shop. Also, check that your business name, address, phone, and URL exactly match what’s on your site and other directories.
📚Read more:Google Business Profile Optimization: Improve Local Ranking
2. Link your Business Profile to Google Ads
This step pulls your business information into every Maps placement.
- Go to Assets within the Campaigns menu.
- Select the plus button and then select Location.
- Select Our locations, and then select Continue.
- Your domain should show up. If it doesn’t, enter a domain to discover potential Business Profiles.
- Select Countries by selecting the pencil icon. Then, select Save.
- In the list below, find the Business Profile that best matches your business, then select Save.
- Confirm that the correct Business Profile is showing in the preview, then select Continue.
3. Build a Performance Max campaign
Set up the Google & YouTube app on Shopify. After you complete this step, your Merchant Center and Shopify accounts will be linked.
Then, complete these steps:
- Navigate to the Google & YouTube app in your Shopify admin.
- Scroll down to the Performance Max campaign module.
- Select your Google Ads account and click Connect.
- Click Create Campaign. You’ll be redirected to the Ads onboarding flow in Merchant Center.
- In Merchant Center, you’ll be asked to provide your payment information.
- Provide your daily budget and campaign name.
- Click Create.
Note:Smart Bidding inside Performance Max weighs factors like distance and time of day at auction time to maximize store visits or location actions for every dollar spent. It will automatically adjust toward searches most likely to end in a directions tap, call, or in-store visit.
Tracking Google Maps ad performance
Track Google Maps ads performance in Google Merchant Center. Access it by clicking on Manage campaigns in the Overview tab on your Shopify app.
Some metrics to monitor include:
- Impressions. Understand how often the pin or listing showed in Maps results.
- Click type. See which actions shoppers prefer, like whether they want directions right to your store or to give you a call.
- Store visits. Connects ad spend to in-store traffic.
Find click history in Google Ads
Click history shows how many people clicked to get directions, call your business, or expand ads from the search results. To find this data:
- Open the Campaigns tab.
- Select Ad Groups.
- Choose Ads or Keywords.
- Find the segment icon and press Click type.
Use what you find to adjust your local campaigns. If you have a high volume of “location details” clicks but few taps for directions, for example, your ads are attracting people who aren’t ready to visit. Pique their interest by updating your Google Business profile with more enticing interior photos, or use Google Posts to announce in-store events.
Tip: Don’t tunnel vision on direct clicks. Google Map ads often drive branded search lift, where the user sees your ad on the Map while planning a trip, doesn’t click it, but then searches for your store by name a few hours later. Monitor the branded search queries report in Google Search Console to determine whether this is the case for your store.
Review shop visits (and shop visit values)
Google records a shop visit when someone interacts with your ad and physically visits your store within a set time frame (30 days by default). It relies on aggregated data, provided the user has opted into location history in their Google settings, to attribute foot traffic to your local advertising campaigns.
To find this:
- Go to Goals.
- Find Conversions and click Summary.
- Add the Store visits column.
Assign a store visit value—a rough estimate of the dollar value each store visit is worth—with this formula: Average in-store conversion rate × Average order value. Add this number to a new column under Shop visit value.
Troubleshooting: Why you may not see your Google Maps ads
Google Map ads can be active even if you don’t see them in your own search results. Here are a couple ways to troubleshoot finding your live ads:
Zoom level and relevance checks
Promoted pins appear only when a user zooms in close enough to a specific neighborhood. If your search is too broad, the algorithm might decide your business isn’t the most relevant option to show. Zoom out and be more specific with your search results to see whether your Google Maps ad shows up.
Location setup and campaign status checks
If you’re still not seeing your campaigns, there may be something inside Google Ads Manager that’s impacting online visibility:
- Is the connection to your Google Business profile still active?
- Have your location assets been approved?
- Has the campaign already hit its daily budget?
- Are you checking the campaign outside of its scheduled times?
- Is the maximum bid too low? (You’ll see a “Limited by Budget” status inside Ads Manager if this is the case.)
Start advertising your store on Google Maps
Promoting your business on Google Maps has its advantages for local SEO. You’re getting in front of targeted customers at a critical moment in the buyer’s journey, and motivating shoppers to come to your store. Plus, you can take advantage of different features, like in-store promotions and local inventory search, to encourage sales.
Test the waters by creating a local search ad on Google Maps today using the guide above. You’ll soon start to see a rush of foot traffic and sales that will impact your bottom line.
Google Maps ads FAQ
Can you do ads on Google Maps?
Retailers can run paid placements, called local search ads, through a Performance Max campaign set to the Local store visits and promotions objective. The targeted ads appear as branded pins, top-of-list results, and other in-map formats whenever Google detects nearby intent.
Can you run ads exclusively on Google Maps?
You can’t run ads exclusively on Google Maps. Campaigns will appear wherever relevant across the Google search network, which may include YouTube, the Display Network, and Gmail.
Why can’t I see my Google Maps ads?
Google Map ads may only trigger at specific zoom levels or when you’re physically within your campaign’s defined target radius. There could also be issues with your campaign setup, like low budgets or unapproved location assets.
Which Google Ads campaigns can show on Maps?
Google Ads campaign formats that can also appear in Maps include:
- Demand gen campaigns
- Performance Max campaigns
- Search campaigns with enabled location assets
- Local services ads (LSAs)
- Smart campaigns
Why is my credit card being charged by Google Ads?
Google bills the primary card on your Google Ads account for the cost of billable clicks. Charges post automatically whenever the running balance hits the account’s payment threshold or on the monthly billing cycle, whichever comes first.
Are Google Maps ads worth it?
For location-based businesses they can deliver a strong return because every paid click is a high-intent action, like opening navigation or placing a call. With store visit and offline sales tracking enabled, advertisers can verify foot traffic and revenue lift and scale budgets only when the cost per visit meets profit targets.
Is it free to advertise on Google Maps?
A basic Google Business Profile listing is free, but paid Maps ads operate on a cost-per-click or cost-per-view model. You’re charged only when users take qualifying actions, yet daily budgets and bidding caps still need to be set to control spend.
