How AI is reshaping local search and what enterprises must do now
AI now mediates how customers discover and choose local services. Learn how AI systems evaluate trust, data quality, and relevance.
Topic: MapQuest
AI search relies on brand-controlled sources, not Reddit: Report
New analysis of 6.8 million AI citations finds that most AI answers come from brand-controlled content in ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity.
This day in search marketing history: March 14
Learn what happened on this day in search marketing history – including developments in SEO, PPC, search and digital marketing.
This day in search marketing history: February 16
Google says avoid link building, plus: Conductor buys ContentKing, Google shows less than 10 results, Forbes paid links, and more.
This day in search marketing history: February 14
Google Webmaster Tools comes out of beta, plus: Chrome's personal blocklist, AdWords video ads and quality score updates and more
This day in search marketing history: February 11
Yahoo officially rejects Microsoft, plus: passage ranking goes live, Google's SEO consulting services, Google Japan's link penalty and more.
This day in search marketing history: January 23
Expedia buys Travelocity, plus: Don't Be Evil tool, semantic search, Position 6 penalty, unlimited site exclusions and more.
This day in search marketing history: January 16
Google explains crawl budget, plus: website outages and blackouts the right way, Google doing 1 trillion searches, and more.
This day in search marketing history: January 10
Google launches Search Plus Your World, plus: subtopics ranking, Google Ads custom dimensions, links within widgets and more.
Happy 15th birthday to Google Maps, the company’s second most important product
Google updates the app that embodies its commitment to local search.
A eulogy for Mapquest
Once the dominant mapping site, the decline of Mapquest is a story of disruptive competition and corporate complacency.
Why is there so little innovation in local?
The alpha and omega of local is now Google.
Yext files for long-awaited $100 million IPO
Last year the company announced a revenue "run rate" of $100 million.
Saying a third of mobile searches are local, Google brings “Promoted Pins” to Maps
Local searches are growing 50 percent faster than mobile searches overall.
Seeking investments from Microsoft & Amazon, HERE signals intent to compete aggressively with Google Maps
Carmaker consortium seeks additional funds, resources to further develop and grow the mapping platform.
Yahoo Small Business Turns Over Local Listings Management To Yext
Following in the footsteps of MapQuest last year, Yahoo Small Business is outsourcing local listings management to Yext. Late last week Yahoo notified customers of the impending change in email: Yahoo is thrilled to announce that we have partnered with Yext to manage your Local Basic Listing moving forward. Some of the benefits you can […]
Mapquest Gets A New Look And Logo
Mapquest has introduced a new look and a new retro-chic, 1970s-style logo. The changes are part of a series of upgrades begun prior to the Verizon-AOL acquisition and are largely a result of a new Mapquest partnership with Mapbox. The promised and enhanced features include or will include: A faster, more responsive Mapquest.com for mobile […]
Bing Adds New Tools, Enhanced Content To Mapping Upgrade
Earlier today Microsoft announced the next version of Bing Maps will offer many new features, enhanced content and multiple design enhancements. Users can see that version of the new Bing Maps in action today by opting in to Bing Maps Preview. There’s an emphasis on context, exploration and planning, rather than isolated lookups, which is currently the dominant […]
SearchCap: Google Business Photos & Chat, AdWords Spring Cleaning & Google Unwanted Downloads
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Google Search Tests “Chat” Button In Local Business Box Google is testing showing a live chat button in the local search box within the web search results for some businesses. No […]
From Novelty To Foundational Product: The Evolution Of Google Maps
Until Android came along Google’s most important product after search undoubtedly was Google Maps. I know it sounds heretical to say this but in some ways Maps is more strategic to Google than search today. That’s because Google Maps bridge the physical and digital worlds and because Maps are more “useful” to mobile users than […]
SearchCap: Google & Bing Honor Veterans, DuckDuckGo Added To Firefox & Google Shopping Traffic Insights
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Bing Honors Veterans On Both Sides Of The Ocean With The Tower Of London Image On Homepage To honor all veterans, Bing is featuring The Tower of London on its homepage […]
MapQuest Brings Roadside Assistance Service To Mobile App
MapQuest has integrated “Uber for roadside assistance” service Urgent.ly into its updated app. What this means is that consumers are able to summon a tow truck or other service provider directly through the app. Roadside assistance through MaqQuest is available 24 hours a day. Service fees are pre-negotiated and shown to consumers up front. There’s […]
SearchCap: Google AdWords Inventory, EU-Google Antitrust & MapQuest Commute App
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Google Now Lets Travelers Know When Flight Prices Drop Google is helping travelers save money with a new Now card that tells users when a price has dropped on a flight. […]
MapQuest’s New Commute App Helps Optimize Drive Times
MapQuest has introduced a new app for Google Play and iOS: “Commute.” Just as the name suggests, it’s a stand-alone app intended to help drivers manage and optimize their daily driving to and from work. Commute is the third stand-alone mobile app produced by MapQuest. The others are a gas prices app and a travel […]
SearchCap: Google’s Secret Translate Service, Animated 3D Maps & Bing Wake Times
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Bing: The Earliest & Latest Searchers By City Microsoft Bing posted data on the earliest risers by city based on Bing usage data. Bing said they “thought it would be interesting […]
Recce’s Cool Animated 3D Maps Now Available Via SDK
I’m a big fan of independent mapping platform Recce. The company has created a unique, animated UI that’s very different from those offered by Apple, Google, Bing, Nokia/Here and Mapquest. That UI and all the company’s data are available to third party developers through an SDK. The SDK is available for both iOS and Android […]
SearchCap: States Threaten Action If Google Doesn’t Delist “Illegal Sites”
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: States Threaten Action If Google Doesn’t Delist “Illegal Sites” According to the Washington Post, 24 state attorneys general are trying to pressure Google to discontinue ads and the indexing of sites […]
SearchCap: Official: Google Brings “Not Provided” To Ads, Will Withhold Search Query Data From Paid Clicks
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Official: Google Brings “Not Provided” To Ads, Will Withhold Search Query Data From Paid Clicks As suspected, Google is moving to secure search for clicks on paid search ads. In an […]
MapQuest Aims For Reboot With New Content, Partners, UI
A few years ago, while others were investing in their mapping platforms, AOL was coasting with MapQuest. AOL’s sustained neglect of the online mapping pioneer cost the site its leadership in digital maps. Now, the company hopes to claw its way back with new content and functionality in what was described to me as phase […]
YP Wants To Compete Directly With Google And Yelp In Local
When one looks across the local digital landscape there are many companies and apps but few consumer “brands.” In specific verticals, like travel or automotive, there are companies such as TripAdvisor or Cars.com. But “horizontally” on a national level there are very few top-of-mind, major players. That list starts with Google and Yelp and could […]
SearchCap: The Day In Search, January 23, 2014
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: MapQuest Transfers Local Listings Management To Yext Last October, MapQuest started outsourcing local business listings management to Yext. The “claim your MapQuest listings” page is hosted by Yext (I believe) with […]
MapQuest Transfers Local Listings Management To Yext
Last October, MapQuest started outsourcing local business listings management to Yext. The “claim your MapQuest listings” page is hosted by Yext (I believe) with a co-branded look and feel. Yesterday, MapQuest notified business users that its local business center and basic local listings product would be formally shutting down. Here’s the text of the email that went out: […]
Consumer Watchdog Says Google Shopping Costs Consumers, Complains To FTC
Consumer Watchdog has lodged a new complaint about Google’s “search monopoly” with the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC), this time saying Google Shopping results don’t pass the sniff test. The group calls the way the search engine displays its Product Listing ads “deceptive and unfair”, adding that Google Shopping’s paid listings are price gouging consumers. […]
SearchCap: The Day In Search, November 15, 2013
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the Web. From Search Engine Land: Report: Search Trends Hint At A Holiday Season Filled With Tech Gadget Gifts Analyzing search data for the four weeks leading up to November 9, Experian Marketing Services claims online product […]
MapQuest Aims For Revival With New Mobile App
Once the leader and innovator in online mapping, MapQuest has fallen pretty far from that perch. While the brand survives and the site is still widely used, it has for several years been overshadowed by rivals including Google and more recently Apple. According to recent comScore data MapQuest’s mobile apps aren’t in the top 15, although […]
Maps Roundup: Google Avoids Waze Antitrust Fight, Scout Social Mapping, deCarta Route Patent
Google spent just over $1 billion to take Waze away from Facebook, Apple or Nokia and Microsoft. It equally sought the real-time driver feedback that Waze crowd-sourcing provides. Given the size of the transaction the US FTC got immediately involved to bring antitrust scrutiny to the acquisition. Now Bloomberg reports that the FTC is unlikely […]
Japan Tells Webmasters Not To Use Google Maps Over Disputed Territory
Fox News reports Japan has instructed their government authorities and state-run universities to not use Google Maps on their websites because of a conflict over disputed territories. The territory is Takeshima in Japan and Dokdo in South Korea. Apple Maps had a similar issue back in November of last year. The territory is based in […]
SearchCap: The Day In Search, August 13, 2013
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the Web. From Search Engine Land: AdWords Editor Update Brings Upgraded Sitelink Management And More Google released an update to AdWords Editor, version 10.2, that supports upgraded sitelink management and several other smaller feature updates. Apparently now […]