Apple Maps ads might start showing search ads as soon as next year. This would change the way you use your iPhone to find stores and restaurants. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says that Apple is proceeding with its plan to put ads in its Maps app. This effort is a big step in Apple’s larger goal to bring more ads to its iOS ecosystem.
Businesses will be able to pay to have their ads show up higher in search results with this new system. People say that Apple wants to use AI to make sure that the ads you see are useful and relevant. They also promise a better interface than their competitors. This is like how ads work on Google Maps.
The move comes with some risks. Gurman says that Apple might have a lot of unhappy customers. Some people are already upset that their pricey iPhones are turning into “digital billboards” for Apple’s own services. Adding Apple Maps ads to a core app like Maps could make that even worse.
The New Look of Apple Maps Ads
Anyone who has used the App Store will be familiar with how Apple handles ads in Apple Maps ads. When you search, businesses like restaurants and other brick-and-mortar stores can target certain keywords so that their listings show up in a promoted slot. The goal is to make it easier for you to find things and give local businesses a powerful new way to get customers.
With this change, both of the top mapping apps will now show search ads. The table below shows how their advertising methods are different from each other.
The quality of the business data that Apple Maps ads use is more important than ever for this new system to work well. These ads will only work if you get useful, accurate results when you search.
The announcement has gotten people talking, and some people hope that Apple will use the move as a chance to improve its business data, maybe by not relying on third-party services like Yelp for reviews.
What this means for your iPhone
Apple’s plan to grow its advertising business on iOS includes adding Apple Maps ads. Apple has already added ad space to its apps, such as Apple News and the App Store. Adding ads to Maps, which is one of the most popular iPhone apps, is a big step forward for this project.
The most important thing for you, the user, is how this endeavor will change the way you find a coffee shop or hardware store every day. Apple says that using AI will make the ads feel less like they are getting in the way and more like a normal part of your search results. The company is betting that if the promoted listings are really useful, people will accept them.
But the main problem is still there. One person who commented on the news said that people think “there is never enough money for Apple.” They also said that Apple is starting to use an advertising model that is similar to Google’s.
People will think this new feature is either a useful tool or just a way for Apple to make more money, depending on how well the company balances its desire to make money with your experience on a device that can cost up to $2,000.
