Cuil has announced an interesting new map-based tool called Maplines. On some queries, the Mapline shows in the right column of Cuil’s search results above the Timeline feature.

What’s a Mapline. Here’s Cuil’s explanation: “Just as our Timelines show a concept across time, our Maplines show a concept across a map.”

It’s an interesting idea, but seems to be poorly executed. The Mapline on a search for John Legend, for example, shows a random assortment of places that the singer has performed in the past — certainly not a complete list. The Mapline on a search for Seattle Mariners includes the locations where many current and former players were born.

What would be more useful on queries like these would be to show a map of John Legend’s upcoming tour dates, or a map of upcoming Seattle Mariners games. It’s an interesting idea, though, but one that needs more refinement.

Related Topics: Search Engines: Cuil

About The Author: Matt McGee is Search Engine Land's Executive News Editor, responsible for overseeing our daily news coverage. His news career includes time spent in TV, radio, and print journalism. His web career continues to include a small number of SEO and social media consulting clients, as well as regular speaking engagements at marketing events around the U.S. He blogs at Small Business Search Marketing and can be found on Twitter at @MattMcGee and/or on Google Plus. See more articles by Matt McGee