Google adds sponsored company logos to Maps

This new feature helps users find familiar brands and companies to promote themselves. Company logos will now replace the standard grey default icons on the map interface and appear automatically when users zoom in to for a close-up view of an area.

Logos are also clickable and open the place page for that particular business. Place pages contain information, including operating hours, product information, photos and videos.

According to Google's Lat Long Blog, "By helping users identify popular businesses, we're making it easier to browse the map and navigate the real world."

The sponsored map icons will be made available on mobile phones over the next few weeks for the convenience of those on the go.

Sponsored map icons are currently being offered as a limited beta to companies in the US with multiple locations and a well-known brand. The new feature is only available to businesses that already appear on the map, and whose default icons can be swapped out for their logo.