Will Google start inserting links to Google Maps on web pages when it finds location information on those pages? A recently published patent application from Google describes how it might identify location information on web pages, verify the locations found on those pages, and insert links to maps after finding and verifying them.
The patent filing explains that while many websites include an address or addresses for their locations and for the locations of other businesses and organizations, those sites don't often include maps or directions to help make it easier for people visit in person. There are a few reasons why sites might not include those types of features on their pages:
- Including a map or a link to a map might involve the payment of licensing fees from some map providers.
- It can take some work to integrate a map onto the pages of a website.
- Many of the maps available to web site owners don't provide features that are particularly helpful to potential visitors.
I know that I've cut and pasted many addresses from web pages in the past into Google Maps to get directions to places I've wanted to visit or find out more about. If Google made it so that I could press a button on my browser, and any address information on a page would automatically link to a Google Map for that address, I would probably use that feature. That browser button approach is one alternative to address-linking described in the patent filing.
Another alternative might involve Google automatically inserting links into pages when it found location information, though Google might also let webmasters control whether or not to insert map links onto their pages and set preferences for how that kind of information might be displayed.
This process might involve inserting links directly onto a web page, or providing links in a sidebar or in another manner that doesn't involve directly changing the code found on a page itself.
The kinds of location information that might be linked could include postal address information, telephone numbers, names of landmarks and other points of interest, airport codes and others.
Pages where location information might be found and may have links inserted within them could include an organization's or business' web site, news articles that mention a location, directories that include locations for specific businesses and organizations, word processing documents that include addresses, and others.
--
Văn mẫu
Bài giảng
Tài liệu học tập
No comments:
Post a Comment