Navigating Maps

Google has latched onto the idea that users want the quickest way around their online map site. They offer an easily accessible search bar on every page. They also make the maps so you can click and drag them to move side to side or up and down.

Zooming into certain regions on the map can also be quite useful. When in satellite view, zooming in gives you the ability to see buildings and landmarks clearly. The zoom defaults to a semi-distant range, giving you the best picture of the area you are searching. Adjusting the range is as simple as clicking on the slide rule on the left hand side of the page. This is standard to online map services, though. You don’t need to hear about this? What about all the advanced, yet simple features that are Google trademarks?

Searching Maps

Google does one thing exceptionally well – online search. They did not forget this when they created Google Maps. With the maps you can do point A to point B directions as we discussed, but you can also do a more general search within a city. For instance, if you were travelling to Chicago, you could search for Chicago coffee shops to see nearby locations.

After you input your search query, the map returns all destinations that fit the criteria. So if you searched for coffee shops, then you should find a number of locations pinpointed on the map. The red indicators on the map can be clicked to bring up an address, photo of the location, and contact information, including a website address if one exists. If you had a flat tire in a city you didn’t know your way around this feature could help you find the nearest tire shop in a minute.

Inside the pop out window, you can also select to print directions, see the street level view, save the location to your maps, or read reviews of the store—Google Maps users can review the sites they frequent to better help others find the best location.

Tip: Did you know you can use Google Maps on your mobile phone? The map search can help you find gas stations, restaurants, laundry mats, grocery stores, and any many other type of business.

Google Maps and Developers

About a year ago, I ran across a site that posted New York City stories. The site utilized the Google Maps API to mark each story’s location. This innovative feature was only available because Google allows anyone to use their maps for their own creations. Google maps can be tremendously powerful tools for many sites and services on the web.

You can visit the API blog to hear about features and tips to help utilize the API on your site. The limit to its use depends on your ability and creativity.