In an unsurprising move, Google has started to show their Google Ads on their Google Maps service. As thought, it was only a matter of time before this happened, I mean, let it be known, Google Maps is a great service, but even Google (the company who in my eyes is trying to take over the world, slowly) must pay for it somehow. The ads show as little ‘Place’ icons, and just as normal addresses would they pop-up in iPhone-esque bubbles. These ads are indicated by stating ‘Sponsored Link’.

In the screenshot circulating you can see an ad for a fancy restaurant on West 52nd Street, New York. The 21 Club. The ads are fairly unobtrusive, in fact – very – unobtrusive. In order to view one of these ads, you actually have to click on it’s icon on the map.

These ads are also very sparse. In my recent use of the service I only ran into two or three, that said, with recent reports of Apple buying it’s own maps company, and possibly developing its own mapping system, perhaps Google Maps is becoming less attractive as each day passes.

Have you seen one of these ads? We’d love to know. Hit up the comments.