"Google is experimenting with plotting local advertisers’ locations on its Maps product, giving marketers a visual and spatial accompaniment to their locally targeted ads.
A search on "hotels" in New York City returns an organic list of local hotels, plotted on the map with red markers and bracketed by sponsored hotel listings, plotted on the map with blue markers. The same search in other locations, such as San Francisco, doesn’t yet return the paid listings."
Another way to take advantage of the Google Maps is, of course, painting your logo on the rooftop and hoping the mapping satellite passes above your head.
Advertisers are slowly discovering the potential of Google Maps, and some, like a Target store (more at Google Sightseeing), are even enjoying some unexpected windfall. Poynter Online talks about realtors tapping into satellite imaging tools. Google Maps Mania is running a log on map hacks, some of them by businesses. Scavengeroogle is an armchair scavenger hunt based on the service - you too can have people looking for your brand landmark (like, again, the Target stores). Here’s a how-to on integrating Google Maps into your website .
The Toronto Star