Search Engine Optimization News Blog

The leading story this week in the world of Google Maps is the rescue of a little girl taken by her grandmother for what was supposed to be a weekend visit – until granny told family they would ‘never see her again’. This prompted the guardians to call in law enforcement.

Police were called in to rescue the child from her kidnapping relative, and GPS manage to get them in the general area. (Mobile phones are required to be able to provide coordinates within 100 meters of their location at all times.) At that point they were stuck – until someone got the bright idea to Google the coordinates.

Google Maps brought up the nearest intersection, which provided a Street View showing what appeared to be a motel. Back to Google Search to find motels in the town, and hey presto – Budget Inn. State police found the girl and her bad granny in the motel.

The potential for Google Maps has been the subject of much speculation; this happy ending makes one think there really is benefit to having Street View enabled! Of course, detractors still say it is a gross invasion of privacy.

In other Google Maps news, the server just got updated – now if you type in Greene’s Nursery, you won’t get a list of streets named Greene or Nursery. This adjustment makes finding your local coffee-shop a lot easier!

While many countries are still leery of Google Maps, others embrace it with open arms. The capabilities are rapidly increasing, and it won’t be long before mobile map technology will let you see what your friends are doing where, and who with!

Google Maps doesn’t work on all devices, so if you are shopping for a new phone, you might want to take that into account. It could come in handy in a lot of different situations!