The engineering work to launch search ads in the Apple Maps app is already underway.
Ads in the Apple Maps app would not be the standard banner ads seen on websites.
For example, a fast food chain could pay Apple to appear near the top of the results when a user searches for "burgers" or "fries.
Apple already displays search ads in the App Store, allowing developers to pay to promote their apps to users who enter relevant keywords into the App Store.
Gurman stated last week that Apple intends to significantly expand its advertising business over time.
He stated that Apple's advertising division generates approximately $4 billion in revenue per year.
Todd Teresi, Apple's advertising chief, hopes to increase that figure to at least $10 billion per year over time.