Google's Next Big Money Maker Could Be the Maps on Your Phone

Google became the world's most profitable internet company on the back of search advertising. Now, it's turning another popular web service into a major cash machine. From a report: Google Maps is an indispensable part of life for more than 1 billion people, who use it to commute, explore new cities or find a hot new restaurant. The service has been mostly free, and free from ads, since it launched 14 years ago.

Interviews with Google executives and customers show this is changing as the internet giant increases the ways advertisers can reach Maps users, while raising prices for some businesses that use the underlying technology. The app now regularly highlights sponsored locations, and shows extra paid listings when people look for nearby gas stations, coffee shops or other businesses. 'There's a big opportunity for them to ramp up monetization,' said Andy Taylor, associate director of research at digital marketing agency Merkle. 'They've been slow-playing it.'

'Sometimes I say the most under-monetized asset that I cover is Google Maps,' Brian Nowak, an analyst at Morgan Stanley, said while interviewing Google's business chief Philipp Schindler at a recent conference. 'It's almost like a utility where it's kind of waiting for you to flip the switch on.' Schindler's response showed that Google isn't waiting anymore.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.