Google is testing an interesting way to get data for Google Maps.  When doing a search query – and a query that seemingly has nothing to do with local or location – Google will display a map with a pin and ask the searcher if they know what is located at the location marker.

Here is what it looks like:

On the right side, underneath the question mark pin, Google asks “Do you know this location? Add this location to the map, so that also other people may find it” with the button saying “Add to Google Maps”.

The search query loosely translates to “sales successes” – not a local query or a business name – and shows an area of Hamburg from where the search was done.  And the searcher isn’t clear why Google showed this particular pin or location area.

It is an interesting move for Google to make their maps more accurate for areas the searcher might be familiar with.  It does make sense somewhat that Google is showing it for non-location-specific queries, since it would appear Google doesn’t want to remove or swap out true local results for this “do you know” map.  But its implementation does appear a bit clunky since it isn’t a local query.

Thank you to Frank Sandtmann for noticing this and sending the screenshot to The SEM Post.