Google Maps is More Important than What You Think
I would’ve loved to have been a fly on the wall at the first meeting Google executives had about Maps. Imagine a business decision to invest Billions in mapping the entire planet – including sending cars and bicycles outfitted with 360-cameras to record street views. This was before every person in the developed world carried a GPS device in her pocket.
With the benefit of hindsight, we now know the strategic importance of this decision. Today, most internet searches have a location-relevant context. For example, if I search for “pizza”, it’s most likely I’m looking to order a pizza near me as opposed to seeking information about the origin of the pizza.
Maps are core to Google’s strategy. You need to consider this when planning your own marketing strategy.