Users of Google Maps can now get special offers from 12,000 US companies

Google Maps will begin offering printable coupons for everything from pizza to car washes on Wednesday as the search giant makes a move designed to appeal to peoples' appetites for a bargain.

Online maps from Google and rivals Yahoo, Microsoft and AOL have been racing to offer the most bells and whistles to attract more eyeballs that can then be fed advertisements.

Google is the first to offer coupons, which not only appeal to cost-conscious consumers but also offer advertisers a reliable way to gauge the success of an ad campaign.

Read more: ZDNet UK