.jpg)
Google is transforming digital marketing with the integration of Demand Gen campaigns into Google Maps. Businesses will soon be able to use Promoted Pins on this platform to target their audience effectively, alongside YouTube, Discover, Gmail and Display ads. This strategic advance offers a unique opportunity to reach users at key moments in their search journey.
This development is part of Google Ads' recent updates, focused on artificial intelligence to optimize advertising performance. With a major AI rollout planned for 2025, it is becoming essential for businesses to adjust their marketing strategies in order to stay competitive in a constantly evolving market.
In this article, discover how Promoted Pins work, their impact on Demand Gen campaigns, as well as the best practices for making the most of these new features and maximizing your results.
What are Promoted Pins and how do they work?
Definition and how they work
Promoted Pins are a Google Maps feature that helps businesses stand out visibly on the map. Unlike standard red pins that indicate points of interest, Promoted Pins appear in purple and are specifically designed to capture the attention of users carrying out local searches.
When a user searches for a specific type of business or product on Google Maps, Promoted Pins appear as purple pins, highlighting the businesses that have opted for this visibility. These pins work intuitively: when the user enters a destination or product type in Google Maps, they see both the usual red pins and the purple pins of businesses that have paid to be featured. By clicking on a purple pin, the user accesses detailed information about the business, such as special offers, product descriptions and directions to get there.
Benefits for advertisers
Promoted Pins offer several significant benefits to advertisers. First, they ensure increased visibility in a hyperlocal context, targeting users who are already searching for nearby products or services.
This precise targeting allows businesses to attract potential customers at the exact moment they are ready to make a purchase, thereby increasing the chances of conversion. In addition, Promoted Pins enable businesses to offer special deals and coupons, encouraging users to visit their establishment rather than a competitor's. This ability to provide immediate incentives improves the user experience while driving local sales.
Integration with other Google services
Promoted Pins integrate seamlessly with other Google services, such as Google Ads, YouTube, Discover, Gmail and Display ads. This integration allows businesses to design consistent, omnichannel marketing campaigns, thereby optimizing their impact on their target audience.
For example, a business can combine the use of Promoted Pins on Google Maps with advertising campaigns on YouTube or Gmail, creating a smooth and engaging customer journey across multiple platforms.
Expected impact on Demand Gen campaigns
Increased visibility for local businesses
The introduction of Promoted Pins on Google Maps promises to significantly increase the visibility of local businesses. These pins, displayed in purple on the map, allow businesses to attract the attention of users carrying out local searches. This represents a valuable opportunity for brick-and-mortar stores and local services.
This enhanced visibility can generate an increase in foot traffic to physical points of sale, which is an essential objective for many Demand Gen campaigns.
Improved relevance through geographic targeting
Promoted Pins offer precise geographic targeting, thereby increasing the relevance of ads for users. By targeting consumers at the moment they are searching for nearby products or services, businesses can offer deals and information perfectly suited to their needs.
This geographic targeting improves the effectiveness of Demand Gen campaigns by ensuring that ads reach users when they are most likely to take action.
Optimizing customer journeys
Integrating Promoted Pins into Demand Gen campaigns makes it possible to optimize the entire customer journey. By combining ads on Google Maps with those served on YouTube, Discover, Gmail and Display media, businesses can create a consistent and engaging customer experience.
This omnichannel approach makes it possible to track conversions, whether digital or physical, within a single campaign. This provides a more complete and accurate view of campaign performance. In addition, using attractive visuals with local intent targeting improves engagement and conversion rates.
Implementation and best practices
Setting up a campaign with Promoted Pins
To set up an effective campaign with Promoted Pins, start by optimizing your Google Business profile. Make sure it is complete, including essential information such as your business name, address, opening hours and a clear description of your activity. If you want to use Promoted Pins to interact with your customers, enable the messaging feature on your profile.
Next, connect your Google Business profile to a location asset in your Google Ads account. To do this, create a new location asset via the assets dashboard in your Google Ads account. Select "Our locations" to confirm your business profile manager account.
Move on to creating a new Google Ads campaign and set up the necessary extensions, such as call extensions, in order to display your local phone number and make it easier for customers to call. These fundamental steps ensure that your Promoted Pins appear correctly and attract the attention of your target audience.
Tips to maximize effectiveness
To optimize your campaigns with Promoted Pins, use strategic keywords and locations. Pair your pins with relevant keywords and target geographic areas where your potential customers are most likely to notice them. In addition, offer special deals or coupons to encourage users to choose your store rather than a competitor's.
Maintain consistency in your advertising message across all platforms. Integrate your campaigns on Google Maps with those on YouTube, Discover, Gmail and Display media to deliver an omnichannel and engaging customer journey. This strategy ensures that your message reaches your target audience consistently, while strengthening engagement and conversions.
Evaluating and adjusting performance
To track and adjust the performance of your campaigns with Promoted Pins, use Google Ads' analytics tools. Go to the "Campaigns" section of your Google Ads account, then click on "Segment" and select "Click type" to review performance data. Analyze click types such as "Driving directions", "Location details" and "Location format on the map" in order to identify strengths and areas for improvement.
By regularly adjusting your campaigns based on the data collected, you can refine your marketing strategy and maximize the visibility and conversions of your Promoted Pins.
Conclusion
The introduction of Promoted Pins on Google Maps represents a major advance in digital marketing strategies, particularly for demand generation (Demand Gen) campaigns. These pins allow local businesses to benefit from enhanced visibility, while offering precise geographic targeting that improves the relevance of marketing actions. In addition, they optimize customer journeys by connecting different marketing channels.
To take full advantage of this, it is essential to carefully set up your Google Business profile, to select your keywords and locations precisely, and to regularly monitor the performance of your campaigns in order to make the necessary adjustments. By applying these best practices, you will be able to boost your conversion rates while consolidating your position in the market. Do not wait to integrate Promoted Pins into your marketing strategies and stay competitive in a constantly evolving digital environment.
Want to make the most of Google's latest innovations to boost your digital strategy? Let's talk it through together, our team is here to support you!
FAQ
What are the main objectives of Promoted Pins on Google Maps?
The main objectives of Promoted Pins on Google Maps are to:
- Increase the visibility of businesses.
- Generate more traffic to physical locations.
- Target users during location-based searches.
These pins display essential information such as the business name, logo, opening hours, and promotional offers, in order to encourage in-store visits.
How do Promoted Pins differ from standard pins on Google Maps?
Promoted Pins differ from standard pins thanks to several specific characteristics:
- They are represented by a red square pin.
- They include information such as the business name, address, phone number and website.
In addition, these pins appear at the top of the search results for a specific keyword or location, thereby giving businesses increased visibility.
How do you set up Promoted Pins for an advertising campaign on Google Maps?
Here are the steps to follow to set up Promoted Pins on Google Maps:
- Verify your business with Google.
- Enable location extensions in Google Ads (accessible in the ad extensions tab).
- Update your Google My Business listing.
- Target specific locations and adjust bids for locations close to your business.
- Select relevant keywords, including terms related to your business, your competitors or generic keywords related to your service.
What types of content and information can be displayed via Promoted Pins on Google Maps?
Promoted Pins on Google Maps make it possible to display a variety of content and information, including:
- The business name and its logo.
- Opening hours and contact information.
- Direct links to the website or directions in the app.
- Promotional offers and featured products.
- Information about local inventory.
These pins can also include promotional coupons and allow customers to view listings for specific offers or browse the current inventory before going to the store.
.jpg)
.jpg)