New Map Links in Natural Search Results

How to get G to add a map link to a B&M site?

[FlwrLdy]

This morning I'm seeing map links in blue text and indicated with a +. They appear on a new line between the page description and URL and show up in both general widget searches as well as those more specific to locations.

This is certainly a positive development to help surfers distinguish between local companies that make and deliver widgets and affiliates with locally targeted doorway pages.

I can't find a pattern as to why some sites of B&M companies trigger the map link and others don't. Is anyone else seeing this? Any idea why some sites get a map link and others don't when they both have physical addresses on the home page?

[jonrichd]

You might try getting added to Google Local and see if that helps you get in the mainline search results. Go to local.google.com, and look for the link for adding or editing your business.

I won't guarantee that will do it, but it certainly won't hurt, either.

[FlwrLdy]

That's not it. Many of the sites with correct listings in Google Local are not displaying maps in the main search. Any other ideas?

[jd01]

I've seen the same thing a couple of time.
My basic thoughts are:

1. You might be hitting different datacenters.

2. They might be updating sites to include maps in some order, based on x+y/z = easy to add a map to right now.

3. They have their own little hidden agenda for adding maps to some sites and not others, like to encourage people to ask questions about why some sites show maps and others don't.

Justin

[edited by: tedster at 8:34 am (utc) on Dec. 10, 2006]
[edit reason] member request [/edit]

[atlrus]

I see the same thing, but on websites which DO NOT have an offline presence at all...

[tedster]

Here's a new thread with some authoritative information:

[webmasterworld.com...]