Google Maps Ads: A Beginner's Guide for 2025

When shoppers type a “near me” search into Google, are they finding you—or your competitors? Google Maps ads push your store pin to the top of local search results when customers look for things like “coffee shops,” “hardware stores,” or any other type of business nearby. 

These ads offer one-tap directions, click-to-call options, and even feature in-stock products, nudging nearby shoppers straight to your door. With over 2 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 ads 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:

1. Business Profile and location assets to provide the address, hours, photos, and other information for the ad
2. Local store inventory data from your Merchant Center (optional)
3. A Performance Max for store goals campaign with average daily budget and Smart Bidding 

When Google detects local intent (for example, “clothing near me”), the campaign’s locations enter a real-time auction. Winning ads can appear in four spots:

• Promoted pins on the map
• Map search ads atop the results list
• Map-suggested ads in autocomplete
• Placesheet ads on the business details page

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.

These ads are pay per click, so charges only 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, descriptions, or lifestyle images are automatically eligible for your Maps placements once location assets are linked.

Benefits of advertising on Google Maps

With more than two billion people using Google Maps each month, it’s clear that promoting local search ads is beneficial to your business. Let’s look at two other major benefits of advertising on Google Maps: increased visibility and driving foot traffic to your store. 

Increased visibility in the local Map Pack

Reaching targeted customers requires strategic ad placements throughout Google. If you want to sell your products to 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 shoppers see your business first. 

Drive qualified foot traffic to your store

Offline purchases often start online. In a 2023 shopper study from Google, 91% of in-store buyers used Search before walking into a store. 

When New Zealand grocer Four Square added Maps placements via Performance Max, they 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 AI-driven bidding 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 Maps fee for ads. You set a daily budget and pay only when someone interacts with the ad. 

Across all Google Ads campaigns, the average cost per click (CPC) sits at around $5.26 in 2025, though highly local categories like restaurants can see CPCs closer to $2.05. Industry, competition, and auction dynamics push some verticals (legal, insurance) well above the average.

Features of Google Maps ads

Promoted pins

Pinterest isn’t the only platform with promoted pins—Google Maps has them, too.

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

So, 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. 

Featured customer reviews

Nearly 8 in 10 US consumers say they always or regularly read online reviews before choosing a local business. Another excellent feature of Google Maps ads is displaying customer reviews.

To help customers make faster decisions, Google now features an AI-powered summary by Gemini that distills the key points from customer feedback. 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 search 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 a customer searches for the item or place. 

When you have inventory ads enabled, shoppers can check your available products when they click on your location.

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.

Local inventory search allows you to promote in-store inventory and offer your customers store pickup options.

💡 PRO 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

1. Optimize your Google Business Profile
2. Link your Business Profile to Google Ads
3. Build a Performance Max campaign

Step 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 name, address, phone, and URL exactly match what’s on your site and other directories.

📚 Read more: Google Business Profile Optimization: Improve Local Ranking

Step 2: Link your Business Profile to Google Ads

This step pulls your business information into every Maps placement. 

1. Go to Assets within the Campaigns menu.
2. Select the plus button and then select Location.
3. Select Our locations, and then select Continue.
4. Your domain should show up. If it doesn’t, enter a domain to discover potential Business Profiles.
5. Select Countries by selecting the pencil icon. Then, select Save.
6. In the list below, find the Business Profile that best matches your business, then select Save.
7. Confirm that the correct Business Profile is showing in the preview, then select Continue.

Step 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:

1. Navigate to the Google & YouTube app in your Shopify admin.
2. Scroll down to the Performance Max campaign module.
3. Select your Google Ads account and click Connect.
4. Click Create Campaign. You'll be redirected to the Ads onboarding flow in Merchant Center.
5. In Merchant Center, you'll be asked to provide your payment information.
6. Provide your daily budget and campaign name.
7. Click Create.

💡 Note: Smart Bidding inside Performance Max weights 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 your Google Maps ad performance

Your ad is now up and running. Congrats! Next, you’ll want to find out how it’s performing. 

You can track its 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: Lets you 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. 

Start advertising your store on Google Maps

There’s no doubt that 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.