Google Links Ads to Local Map Searches

Google Inc. started displaying ads within its local maps service Thursday as the online search leader tries to find new ways to make money from the free services it has been introducing.

The ads, which feature a small image and two lines of text, will appear only if a search request mentions a product, service or specific business name, said Dominic Preuss, a Google product manager for local advertising.

The company doesn’t plan to display the ads when a user is looking up an address or searching for driving directions, Preuss said.

Mountain View, Calif.-based Google makes virtually all of its revenue from text-based advertising links that trigger commissions when they are clicked on. Besides enriching Google, the system has been a boon for advertisers.