Apple is preparing to introduce advertisements to its map app later this year. Starting this summer, people in the United States and Canada will begin seeing sponsored listings when they look for places to eat, shop, or visit. The tech company plans to roll this out as a new way for businesses to reach local customers.
It’s worth mentioning that the brand wants to do this without compromising the basic privacy standards people have come to expect from their daily devices.
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What you will actually see when businesses pay for a top spot
When you open the app to search for a coffee shop or a local hardware store, certain businesses can pay money to appear at the very top of your results. This setup ties directly into a free tool called Apple Business Connect. Store owners can manage their public profiles, update their hours, add recent photos, and now pay to boost their visibility on the map.
You will see a clear label on these results. This ensures you know right away that they are paid placements rather than organic recommendations. This represents a noticeable shift for Apple. Up until now, map results were ranked mostly on physical distance and exact relevance to your search. Soon, advertising budgets will play a role in what you see first.
However, the standard search results will still sit right below the paid ones. Small businesses that want to attract foot traffic will likely jump at this option. They can target people who are already nearby and actively looking to spend money in their specific neighborhood.
Your personal tracking data stays private with these new ads
Apple wants to build a new revenue stream from these ads, but they also want to keep user data secure. They are building this system with privacy acting as the main foundation. Instead of tracking your behavior across different apps or websites, the ads will rely entirely on your current search terms and your general location.
If you type the word pizza into the search bar, you might see a promoted result for a nearby pizza place. The company has made it clear that your personal profile will not be shared or sold to outside advertisers. They are keeping the entire ad network contained within their own walls.
This means a clothing company cannot buy your map search history to target you with shirt ads on a completely different website. Apple is trying to prove that a business can run a profitable ad network without hoarding every piece of personal information.
The initial launch across the US and Canada will act as a major test for this approach before they potentially expand the feature to other countries.
Apple Maps blew it when they took the map away when using driving instructions. I wish I could get the old version back that had the map and instructions on the same screen.