Google Map Search Layer - Innovation in Local Search
Google Maps team has added a new feature that allows you to look at the entire scope of local businesses by showing more than 10 results on the map. The idea is of using layers on the map that gets activated when there are more relevant results to show.
Below are some of the things the feature can be used for.
Neighborhood Exploration / Discovery
When visiting a new city or area, doing a search on a business category (restaurants, bars, hotels, rental cars) informs you of certain areas that have high density for that category. For e.g. I searched for “Bars in Hollywood, CA” (screenshot above) - you can, at a glance deduce that Hollywood Blvd, between Highland and Vine is where the action is. You can directly go to that street and explore.
As David Mihm points out - it’s like a Heat Map of the city which tells you the hot spots.
More Relevant Local Results
Below is a snapshot of a search for “Dry Cleaners in 90278″. The search query is already very localized as I am providing a zipcode. In the past, Google would show the top dry cleaners (perhaps based on ratings, reviews, authority, etc) but not necessarily the closest one. With the new feature (Andrew Shotland calls it K-Pack) I can quickly find that there is a few Dry Cleaners that are more closer than the ones in the top 10 results and I might not even have to take out the car for going to one.
Business Research / Market Research
As Miriam Ellis’s post points out, there is another aspect of the feature that Business enthusiasts can take advantage of. They can use this to identify the various pockets within an area that are not served well within a particular category and capitalize on that.
This feature has taken local search and exploration to a next level and the whole experience feels lightweight and fast.
Improvements?
I would like Google Maps to give me the ability to combine directions and local search. That way, when I am looking at the directions for a place I want to go to, I can find relevant businesses along that route.
