Well this might be a no-brainer, but I’ve seen it often go wrong:
If you are a business owner (using Adwords), and have some ‘Local Business Ads’ running or if you have some of your competitors local business ads appearing in the Google Map near your store location make sure you don’t embed this map! Try using different keywords or your direct business location for your marker to appear and try again. Otherwise you might end up having an embedded map like the one below on your website – triggering info balloons that are too wide for the window to contain them, having links to your competitors, or even your own paid advertisements where people would be able to click, resulting them to go to the website where they already are or away from your website! In any case, money or effort not well spent.

an example, showing results for hotels in Barcelona.

View Larger Map

Now another question raises. My website is now displaying ads, although they are embedded in Google Maps, I still consider these ads to be shown on my website (although this open for discussion, being it an iframe). So where is my PPC award if someone clicks these markers? Isn’t an embedded map – into some extent – the Adsense content network?

Feel free to leave a comment and discuss..

Post from: Local Search - martijnbeijk.com

When you embed your own Google Maps, don’t forget to…

It must have had a different reason, and my idea is, that this is all because of the ‘blue line’ upgrade. The ‘blue line’ upgrade made sure that there was now the possibility to fold away all the text (and ads!) on the left. By implementing text underneath the maps Google made sure there is still some more exposure to these Local Business Ads. It would be unfair for the Local Business Ad owner if it was counted as an impression but didn’t get its maximum possible exposure inside Google Maps when people were using Google Maps Full Screen. Also the CTR was apparently quite low, and these ads are a way to encourage google maps users to click more ads. Although, if many people didn’t notice them at first, are they really that visible?

some apparent facts:

• The ads shown in the adsense box underneath the maps correspond with the ones already shown in the maps markers (with the customized icons) and the ones on the left.
• Some ads might be added/shown in this bar if the ads on the left do not count up to three items.
• your ad shown two times counts as two impressions (haven’t tested this yet but googleguy mentioned it)

If item number 3 in fact is true, I am wondering if this negatively affects your quality score. 2 impressions and most likely just one click at max. would lower your CTR, affect your Quality Score and affect prices of the keywords you are bidding on negatively.

These are my thoughts, what are yours?

Post from: Local Search - martijnbeijk.com

The Real Reason for more AdSense underneath the Maps

Some ‘statistics’:
amount of impressions were in thousands, the amount of clicks in hundreds. But no URL listed. Oops!

lesson learned: provide Local Business Center with full details about your business. This will increase traffic at no cost.

Post from: Local Search - martijnbeijk.com

Local Business Ads owners – please use the LBC to the fullest