Everybody With A Maps App Is Piling On Apple

Sep 26, 2012 at 3:43pm ET by Matt McGee

apple-maps-square It’s a marketing tactic that’s about as old as time itself: When a competitor stumbles, you turn it into opportunity for self-promotion.

That’s certainly been the case since the Apple Maps app stumbled out of the gate a week ago on iOS 6.

Bing is the latest competitor to call for attention. The company published a new blog post today touting its Bing App for iOS — not because it has any new features, but because “you may be holding a brand new smartphone and wondering which apps have the essential search and mapping functionality you need.”

Bing wants everyone to know that its existing app has things like walking, driving and public transit directions — one of main things missing in the new Apple Maps app — not to mention local search options and other things that have been the subject of complaints in Apple Maps.

Of course, the big question remains what Google will do about trying to get a standalone Google Maps app on iOS. While we all wait for that to play out, Google let its Motorola division take a potshot at Apple Maps with this “iLost” ad.

motorola-ilost-ad

Google has also posted no fewer than five new map-related updates on its Lat Long blog — including things like better map search syncing on Android devices, underwater “Street View” images in Google Maps and more. (Touché!)

Then there’s Garmin, that just announced yesterday that it’s adding Google Street View — non-existent in Apple Maps — to the majority of its iOS apps. (Take that, Apple!)

And let’s not forget Foursquare, which only needed two days after iOS 6′s launch to tout its iOS app in a blog post entitled, The Perfect Map. (Fighting words!)

Clearly, piling on is this week’s Big Thing. Apple has given its competitors a proverbial inch, and they’re trying to take a yard.

About The Author: Matt McGee is Editor-In-Chief of Search Engine Land. 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. You can read Matt's disclosures on his personal blog. See more articles by Matt McGee

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airmanchairman

StreetView in the App Store is a little-known but perfect stop-gap solution that incorporates Map View, Street View and even the JogMan feature – ideal for those who have upgraded but still long for the missing Street View feature jettisoned with Google Maps in iOS 6.

No jail-breaking required. Win-Win.