5 Ways to Enrich Google Maps Experience

Google Maps are much more than what an average web surfer thinks about them. It's not just about scanning geographical terrain, but it goes beyond that helping you visualize the globe from a completely different perspective. Some of the features of Google maps makes it a very useful tool and gives you several unique options that you may have never used before. Much of these features are in labs state but works very well. I'm compiling the best 5 Google Maps features that I found quite useful while scanning my favorite maps. They're now integrated deeply within Google Maps and works seamlessly. Whether you're going on a travel adventure or just trying to understand the terrain, these features can ease the analyzing process by many folds. Make sure you're using a modern web browser else it may not work at all. While going to the new cities, I regularly use its distance measurement feature which saves my time as well as my money. Let's check out these useful Google Maps features every user must try at least once.

Distance Measurement: It is one of the most useful features for city travelers. Once activated, you can easily calculate the distance between two places on a map in your preferred distance metric.

If you want to travel to multiple locations on a single route, it can calculate the distance between two points within a route as well as the overall distance from the starting point till the endpoint. It's one of my favorite features of Google Maps.

Short URL: This feature can be very handy for social media enthusiasts and mobile users. When this feature is turned on, you can obtain a shortened URL for your Google map to share it easily over different social media platforms.

There's no need to separately used any 3rd party URL shortening service for your map access link. Just activate this feature and get instant shortened URLs to share and distribute your custom Google Maps among your network.

Search Nearby: As the name implies, this useful feature lets you find nearby restaurants, hotels, bars, and pubs for the selected location on the map.

All you need to do is to right-click on the desired location on the map. Thereafter, you can click 'Search nearby' option from the context menu. Finally, you can select which type of places to search for from a separate menu. I often use this feature while dining out with friends and family.

Rotatable Maps: Are you tired of scanning the classic map alignment with the north direction always on top. As the name suggests, this feature lets you rotate your maps in any direction giving you more flexibility in scanning.

Make sure you're not confused about directions while using this option. Rotatable Maps feature is ideal for architects and civil engineers who regularly use a similar feature for their work. Make sure to activate the satellite view to get the compass.

Embed Map: Businesses and Freelancers often add maps of their whereabouts on their contact or about page. It is an easy way to let your target audience know your approximate geolocation on the globe.

Fortunately, Google Maps provides a user-friendly way to embed a custom map on any web page. It generates an <iframe> wrapped embed code which even a layman can easily paste within a HTML block container. Do try it once to enrich your contact page.