Search for a local business by name and you might notice something new in the right-hand panel (the knowledge graph):
Click the “Send” button and you’ll send a push notification to your phone or tablet, which will open up a Google Maps app search result for that business.
You can also go to Maps to pull up “Send to your phone.” (Thanks to Michael Andrews for the tip.)
What’s interesting is if you look up a service-area business with a “hidden” address you’ll see a map pin on its exact location. So much for privacy.
This strikes me as more useful for Google and its data-mining than for searchers or for local business owners, but maybe I’m missing something.
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What practical uses do you see for “Send to your phone” for business owners and their customers?
Any observations?
Leave a comment!
I actually see it as a feature I would use quite a bit, if I had Google Maps installed on my phone. If I am browsing on the desktop for a place that I intend to visit it would be really useful to have directions front-and-center without having to re-search.
(Good to see you in Seattle last week!)
Hey David,
Good call. I can see the “send” feature being especially handy if you’re looking up a specific location of a multi-location business, where it can be easy to pull up the wrong one.
(It was nice to see you, too!)
I think this is another move by Google in the map marketshare battle vs Apple. You will recall they pushed out local guides last year. You have to be logged in both device with the same username.
I tried to test it but could not get it to work.
I don’t see in the search results. Looks like they pulled it…
Dear Google… please take privacy/security concerns into consideration before you release some of the new Local features – thanks 🙂
Have to second Andy on this. Some home-based business owners are not going to appreciate this. Interesting new feature, though. Thanks for reporting, Phil.
It appears they fixed the privacy issue by pulling the feature. But I’m sure it will be back at some point – and more well-thought-out, I hope.
I saw it, and then took a call – when I went back, it was gone lol 😉
This can be an issue (not sure) with companies want to hide their location information but it is surely beneficial for the searchers, and I believe Google always wants the searchers to get the relevant results.
This does not work correctly for one of my businesses. I operate two service area only business from the same address and information for the wrong one is sent to my device. I worry about this. I’d love to know how to report this without getting in trouble fro operating two businesses from the same address.
fyi, if you want to hide the address of an SAB, you can just move the pin/circle to a different location by editing your gmb, wherever that pin is, that’s the address that shows when you search for directions. I like to move the pin/circle to a nearby major intersection, which is usually commercial anyway.
Not sure why, but Google used to show the pin/circle right on top of the location the hidden address (back when they used to show the pin for sab’s) which was sort of ridiculous, just changed it from a pin to a circle. That’s why I started moving the circle elsewhere.