A new feature on Google maps which suggests “nearby places you might like” seems certain to drive up competition for local search engine marketing.
Users in America will now see a list of similar businesses when they perform a search on Google maps, displayed along the left hand side of the page and with a metascore of their review scores and their distance from the location used in the query. This feature aims to make local search more prominent among casual users. It also introduces a new factor to consider in localised SEO and search engine marketing, though it is unclear exactly how these suggestions are formulated.
On the Google ‘LatLong’ blog, which features ‘news and notes by the Google earth and Maps team’, employee Tammy Stern explains the aim of the new feature.
“When you live in New York City, everyone has an opinion on where to eat. And usually, telling someone a place you love will lead to a long conversation of a string of other places you should try” writes Stern.
“Now on Google Maps, you can get these types of suggestions automatically. Just look up a place that you know or love, and we’ll provide a set of ‘nearby places you might like’…you’ll notice that we do not limit these suggestions to places sharing any specific characteristic; instead, we use a broad set of signals to come up with what are hopefully the most interesting suggestions. We’re still working on refining these signals, so bear with us if your serendipitous discovery of a new place is even more unexpected than you’d anticipated”
