Downloader: Google introduces location-based search results with "nearby" option

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Google introduces location-based search results with "nearby" option

Filed under: Web services, Google, Search

Google continues to get better at narrowing search results based on your location. First, they implemented the "near me now" search option for Google Mobile and Android, and now they're bringing location-based results to the desktop. If you pop open the search options panel on Google.com, you can choose "nearby," and Google will return only results from your general geographic area.

At worst, this saves you the trouble of adding the name of your city to your search queries. At best, it shows you useful results you might not have seen if you put in just your city name. I take it for granted that I live in a major metropolitan, but what about people in small towns, who might want to search the whole region? Google's got them covered, too, because you can search by city, region, or state. Very nice!