8 Things Google Maps is Missing

I’ll divide this into two categories: user features and business/marketing features.

User Features

1. Ability to map the shortest trip between multiple points, with stops numbered. This would be extremely helpful for salespeople, real estate agents, service technicians, etc.

2. A display showing when a travel route involves toll roads. Just a little dollar sign would be a big improvement.

3. Language options for foreign maps. Right now, maps of foreign countries only use the native language. It’s impossible for non-speakers to use those maps.

4. A better “Saved Locations” tool. Yahoo Maps really has a much better interface for this absolutely necessary feature. On Yahoo Maps, I can get directions to and from any two saved locations with no extra clicks. With Google Maps, it takes several clicks and you have to memorize one street address.

Business/Marketing Features

5. An easier way to delete old/closed businesses. Right now, you can’t delete a business listing when the address has changed or company no longer exists, because Google verifies the deletion by sending a postcard to the address on record. What if no one’s there anymore?

6. Ability for marketers to manage listings of several clients. They added this functionality to AdWords a year or two ago, so how about doing the same for Maps listings?

7. One master list of business categories. The categories available in the Local Business Center don’t match the categories that Google’s data suppliers use, which causes frustration for business owners (who want to be listed in the same category as their competition).

8. A big enough support staff to answer all the questions that are asked in the Google Maps Help Group. Jen and Brian do most of the replying there, but the ratio of questions to replies is overwhelming.

Your turn: What features do you wish Google Maps had?

[tags]google maps, local search[/tags]