Being quite busy lately I’ve somehow missed some changes on the Google Maps website’s interface.
They have rolled out the “text-view” which gives them way more space to add textual information to the core business listings.
This finally is way more of a local search than a maps product. Although positioning the former Local Search product as part of the Maps product quite a while ago was a very clever decision – the mum and pop user out there will much more likely get the idea and concept of a Map product than the one of a local search.
Really ask your friends / the ones not working in the industry / what local search is and you will understand what I mean. Over time it needs to be seen if this newly declared standard of calling Local Search – Maps – is going to be adopted by the masses.
The second “new” feature is the sort by distance functionality which I haven’t seen before – rather basic but still crucial for a local search – ehm maps product nowadays.
