Google has upped the ante again in the white-hot local search area, integrating Keyhole satellite mapping into Google Maps. I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes. The coverage is already extensive… and best of all, free.
Link: Google Maps
As with all things search, it promises to shine a bright light on things that were once the province of obsfuscators and smooth talkers. The truth cuts both ways. Is it really going to be possible for that real estate agent to tell you it’s only “steps” to shopping when your map shows clearly that it’s 38,052 steps? With the satellite maps, not only will you be able to verify whether that home you’re considering is “steps” from a park, you can see clearly whether it’s a “parkette” or a big-ass oasis from urban life. You’ll be able to distinguish between properties that “back onto a golf course” or “back onto a golf course but are also right near that major underpass.”
Mapping for the masses is an interesting concept. The particular group I’ve always noticed getting into aerial maps has been cottagers. Many will have the aerial map of the lakes and forests in their region, and they burst with pride when they point to where their little piece of land is. Now, no matter where you live, you can do the same thing. The fun never stops!
Andrew Goodman is Principal of Page Zero Media, a marketing consultancy which focuses on maximizing clients’ paid search marketing campaigns.
In 1999 Andrew co-founded Traffick.com, an acclaimed “guide to portals” which foresaw the rise of trends such as paid search and semantic analysis.
