According to Mark Gurmans Power On newsletter, Apple is once again considering monetizing its Maps app with search ads. The company already does this with its News and Stocks apps. The goal is to boost its in-house advertising business.This isnt the first time Apple has looked into this idea. Gurman reports that Apple looked into integrated search ads a couple years ago, where companies could pay for more favorable search ranking:A few years ago, Apple employees exploredintegrating search ads into itsMaps apps. It would work similarly to Google Maps, where a businesscould pay Apple to have their restaurant or venue appear higher in search results.Now, the idea is back in Apples mind. In a recent hands on meeting, the idea of monetization being explored came up once again, specifically with search ads. Gurman also floats the idea of certain locations appearing more prominently on the map.There isnt any timeline for when search ads for Apple Maps may roll out. Engineering for such an effort hasnt even begun yet. However, the company is certainly planning how they might approach such a change.What do you think about search ads coming to the Apple Maps app? Let us know in the comments.My favorite Apple accessories on Amazon:Follow Michael:X/Twitter,Bluesky,InstagramAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel