Following on the heels of both Google and Yahoo, Microsoft’s “Live” search now shows an interactive map as the top result if you search for a precise location (full story on their blog). While its noticeably later than Google or Yahoo’s implementation, I must give them credit for taking it a bit further than either of the other guys has.
On Live, when the map comes up it’s a fully interactive scrollable map. On both Google and Yahoo, it’s just a screenshot of the map. You need to click it to get to the “real” map.
Here are links to search for “1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC” on all three search engines (that would be the White House, if you weren’t aware):
This technique has been Microsoft’s mojo for years now – wait and see what the other guy does, then copy it and do it just a bit better. Sadly, it tends to work. They’ve failed miserably in search thus far, but they’re always someone to keep an eye on.
