Google Tops the Charts

A recent addition to its online services, Google Maps has vaulted to the front of the pack with cool offerings such as satellite imagery

by Ben Elgin

Editor's Rating:

The Good: Many features, from satellite imagery to draggable maps

The Bad: Jumbo maps can be a pain to navigate

The Bottom Line: More useful and user-friendly than rival services

Reader Reviews

In a rush to offer just about every online service imaginable, Google often struggles to duplicate the popularity of its Internet search service. Indeed, most of its extracurricular endeavors -- from its commerce-search product Froogle to its social-networking site Orkut -- have gained little momentum among users.

A major exception is Google Maps, the subject of the fifth in a series of reviews of Google tools (see BW Online, 11/14/05, "Google's Glitchy Picasa"). Launched in February, the service vaulted past MSN and RandMcNally.com this summer and is now threatening to overtake Yahoo! (YHOO) as the No. 2 destination for online maps (Mapquest remains the leader). With good reason: Google (GOOG) has introduced a handful of new, eye-popping features, such as satellite imagery and draggable maps.

Perhaps more important, Google is ahead of the pack in its efforts to integrate maps and local search -- a hugely important step for search companies seeking to tailor results to users' needs. It's a good bet that maps will be the future starting point for a whole slew of online searches that contain a local bias.

EYE IN THE SKY.

Consider queries like "Boston seafood" or "locksmith Detroit." A page of typical, dry-as-dust search results can only convey so much. But when those results are flagged on a map, offering reviews or pricing information at the scroll of a cursor, they become much more appealing.

Google's fledgling map offering, however, isn't without its flaws. Google serves up massive map images, which can take several minutes to load over a dial-up connection. And the default zoom of the map is often too large. It takes only one click to tighten the map's zoom, but dial-up users may rightfully grouse about the minute or two it takes for the image to gel.

Google's map product was thrust into the spotlight by the company's foray into satellite imagery. In April, Google integrated its nascent maps offering with a satellite-imaging service acquired in 2004. Users can toggle between traditional maps and a satellite picture. Search for your apartment building, for instance, and you can zoom in close enough to see the chimney or a car parked outside.

KIND OF A DRAG.

Even after the cool-factor wears off, the satellite images still boast utility, beyond being an additional lens for geographic info. Landmarks that don't turn up on regular maps, such as a massive apartment complex or a parking lot, can be pivotal markers for users finding their way around town. These come through loud and clear on a satellite map.

Google also one-upped competitors with its so-called draggable maps. Press down your mouse button over a map and simply drag it in any direction you choose. Most competitors use arrows to move the map in a particular direction, often requiring a flurry of clicks. The recently launched beta of Yahoo's new mapping product (maps.yahoo.com/beta) also includes a dragging feature, but other competitors, including Mapquest, have yet to catch up.

Perhaps most core to Google maps is its tight integration with local search. Type in a query like "sushi 94121" or "pizza Fergus Falls, MN," and Google will return a map dotted with red flags. Search results next to the map correspond to each flags. Simply scroll over the flag to get information about the establishment, including driving directions, a link to reviews, and possibly a Web site.

SINGLE SEARCH CAPABILITY.

Competitors, such as Yahoo and Mapquest, also intertwine maps with local results. But Google has a slight edge on both. Mapquest does a lot of things very well and offers almost everything that Google does. Type in a query that includes a location and a keyword, and it will give you a map with markers indicating relevant businesses, as well as links to driving directions.

But Mapquest falters by not offering that next level of local information.