Google Local Blows Up Blue Adballoons

Google has started placing blue balloons on Google Maps to indicate sponsored search results. Clicking on a balloon pulls up a dialogue box with a brief description, logo, street and web address, and phone number. Right now, it only appears to work with hotels in New York City.

This may be part of the arrangement Google made with America Online as part of the deal that allowed the search giant to acquire 5 percent the ISP and Web portal. The deal promised AOL an increase in advertising presence on Google Web pages.

A few short tests reveal that the sponsored links do not show up in Los Angeles, Mountain View, San Francisco, or Chicago, so the new feature appears to be limited to New York for now. Starwood, Marriott, and Intercontinental hotel chains are sponsors.

ClickZ credits blogger David Galbraith with snagging the information. Galbraith calls the "Adballoons" a Yellow Pages killer.




View All Articles by Jason Lee Miller