Google Sightings

Will new inside views of a restaurant, bar, or other local shop, be the next click  on Google Earth?  Just what will Google’s latest view of local merchants look like?

These are the questions being asked in Seal Beach as merchants report that Google has been photographing Main Street Seal Beach businesses. A Google Maps’ sales representative would not elaborate on whether inside photos beyond current street views of merchants’ shops will be coming to Google Earth, adding only, “It’s in the works, and it is being developed.” 

Google Earth visited Tom Rowe, new owner of on Main Street, while doing a photo shoot inside his business. He was told this new view of The Abbey would be on Google Earth at the end of February.

Erik Dreyer-Goldman, on Main Street, said Google had reached several local businesses, including his. Dreyer-Goldman said he thought they were building a directory of local businesses. 

and are two other Main Street businesses that were photographed by Google Earth.

 According to Google, one in five searches on Google are related to location. Currently,   a Google Earth search allows people to swoop down for a street view of a business.  Also, an advertiser can set up a free Google location listing on Google Places.

 Merchants can opt for “Google Tags,” that will come up in a Google search. Google advertises, “Your tag can highlight a coupon for new customers, a video about your store, or even a link to your menu. There is a free 30 day trial period, followed by a $25 monthly fee.”

An intriguing possibility on the horizon is that a customer might use Google Earth to move inside and take a spin around a local restaurant or even scan the menu to see if they have a favorite sandwich or beer.

Ilya Vedrashko, a media strategist at Boston ad agency, Hill Holliday, recently commented on advertising and maps in Wired magazine. ”I believe the integration of advertising into mapping technologies like Google Earth will become increasingly common,” he said.

He cited collaboration between Google and automaker, Saturn, as an example. “In that campaign, clicking a Saturn banner ad launched a special Google Earth application that zoomed down to the nearest dealership before rolling a sales pitch from that dealership's manager.”