Dive Brief:
- Android Google Maps users have a new update according to a company blog post enabling them to swipe up from the home screen to access three tabs with real-time information on nearby restaurants, tips on bypassing traffic and spots to catch the closest bus.
- The tabs are called “places,” “driving” and “transit" and eliminate the need for users to open an app to conduct nearby searches.
- To get optimized traffic suggestions, users have to have home and work locations saved.
Dive Insight:
The update reflects Google's efforts to try to better meet the needs of mobile users, who are often on-the-go. Nearby searches are a growing category for Google and the update aims to streamline the experience for Android users by eliminating the need to open an app, providing key functionality directly from the home screen.
The Google post didn’t mention any paid marketing opportunities, but the “places” tab provides users with a curated list of restaurants under categories like “best dinners,” “cheap eats” or “business dining,” as well as other places like ATM machines, pharmacies, gas stations and grocery stores. The implication is shops with strong organic SEO with Google — particularly for mobile SEO — will get a better seat at the table, so to speak, on the new places tab.
Overall the updates improve the functionality of Google Maps making it more of a go-to resource and giving marketers more of a reason to ramp up their location marketing game. Google research has found that 70% of smartphone users who bought something in a brick-and-mortar store used their mobile device for information beforehand and that one-fourth used a map before making a transaction.
