• Screenwerk, Friday, May 23, 2008 4 PM

Looks like we can expect ZIP code-targeted ads some time in the future, as Google is working on making ZIP code-based local searches more plentiful. Greg Sterling recaps a presentation by Carter Masian, Google's director of product management for local, during the "Google Factory Tour" earlier this week--and sheds light on the giant's ZIP code-based strategy.

For general queries like "pizza" that likely have a local intention, Google has introduced a ZIP code prompt that shows up above the results (but below the related searches suggestions). Sterling says that this development is interesting for two reasons--one, because Google can aggregate ZIP code info for personalized searchers and deliver more localized results on subsequent queries. And of course, there's the aforementioned possibility of rolling out ZIP-code targeted ads.

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