Google Maps managed to beat its downloadable rival Google Earth and become the main product at the Googleplex as the company's employees are more and more focused on the web-based applications. More than that, it seems that the Mountain View company is preparing a major update for the maps service that will allow users to earn money with their own mashups. Google will implement its advertising platform AdSense into Google Maps, helping developers earn money with the maps created by them. Recently, the search giant also debuted the Mapplets, a special Google Maps function that brings more power to the users interested in creating maps, enabling them to build the products straight from a web-based interface.

According to builderau.com.au, a Google software engineer sustained at the Developer Day that the company will include AdSense into the Maps as soon as it will be possible. Bo Majewski added that this interoperability is extremely useful for the companies that are based on Google Maps mashups because they will be able to earn money with these projects.

"We are going to make AdSense available for maps. You have to sign in and you have to create a special AdSense manager. You tell it how many ads you are comfortable with the map, and it displays them. There are people who provide good content on the map, and they want to monetise it. This is the same model we have with regular AdSense," the Google employee said according to the same source.

AdSense, the advertising platform powered by Google, is more than a simple online solution as more and more registered members are earning considerable amounts of money using it. However, Google wants even more and struggles to expand it into the offline media by signing deals with newspapers, radio stations and even billboard owners.