Google makes it easier to find Maps locations
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Google Maps has been updated to make it easier for users to find places in a nearby location, the search giant announced Thursday.
Whenever a person searches for a particular locale in Google Maps, they will now find suggestions in a drop-down box below the search box they’re typing in. But rather than offering suggestions based solely on the words the user is typing, the items in the drop-down will be based on the location they’re viewing at the time.
According to Google, if a person is viewing a map of San Francisco and types in ‘Mandela’ into the search box, they will find related items to that keyword that are in and around San Francisco. If a person enters ‘Mandela’ into Google Maps while viewing London, different results in and around London will be displayed.
Since Google is able to narrow down the location in which users are trying to search, the company can also provide more information in the drop-down box, including the location’s address or city district.
Google has been investing heavily in location-based suggestions lately. Last week, the company announced that Google Search now identifies a person’s location to offer more relevant search suggestions.
The Google Maps location-based suggestion feature was in limited testing in Germany, China, and Hong Kong before the announcement. It’s now available to users in the U.S., Canada, and several European countries.
--Don Reisinger