14 DAY TRIAL // Google is making it easier to find places that are part of a larger structure. For example, individual shops inside shopping malls are now highlighted in Google Maps. Instead of simply getting a place search result indicating a store's address, you also find out that it's housed inside a larger complex.
"When appropriate, the name of the overarching location will be added to the listings that appear in Google Maps, just beneath a place’s address," Google's Sean Wonjoon Choi explained.
"For example, you can now easily tell that the Disney Store near you isn’t a standalone store, but rather, located at the Hillsdale Shopping Center," he said.
"Similarly, you can more easily see that a specific doctor’s office is at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, or that the restaurant you’re looking for is actually in the same structure as a local hotel," he added.
This is another example of a small addition that makes a world of difference when you really need it.
If you really have no idea about the area you're about to visit, you could find yourself at a loss, if you don't realize that the place you're looking for isn't a stand-alone building, even if you have the address right.
Google is making use of the new data it is now incorporating and making it possible to see all of the businesses or offices inside a single overarching location as well. This too makes it easier to find out what else is near the place you want to visit.
Just last week, Google introduced interior maps for some places in the US. Shopping malls, airports and large retailers are some of the places where you'll get detailed interior maps, for every floor.
The feature is only available on Android devices for now, but it indicates that Google is getting more serious about turning Google Maps into a tool that not only helps you get to a place, but also navigate inside it.