Sign in link...
...opens the Google Account page. You can access many Google services with one account.
Google Maps Logo
Google Maps combines maps, local business search, satellite imagery, street-level search, and driving directions. Full functionality of Google Maps is currently available in several countries.
Using the service is very intuitive, though it requires some practice before you'll really know what you can get from it.
Saved Locations link...
...takes you to the Saved Locations page with a Google Account login dialog box and explanations about this feature.
Google Maps can automatically remember every i you enter, and you can re-use them later. There are a few more optimization techniques in this feature.
Help link...
...takes you to the summary page of Google Maps Help. It has links to to answers to all kinds of questions users might have about Google Maps. The service is diverse, and so is its Help.
Web Search link...
...takes you to the Web Search page, which is the home page of Google.
Images link...
...opens the Google Image Search page with access to over a billion images. Google grants you only the right to view them on the web.
Google analyzes key words in the file name, the text on the page adjacent to the image, and other factors to return most relevant results.
Clicking the link in Google, you automatically resubmit your search as an Image search.
Video link...
...opens access to the Google Video library of TV shows, movies, music videos, documentaries, personal works, etc.
You can download free content, preview or buy commercial videos, and upload your own video.
Also, you can use Google Video for commercial purposes.
Clicking the link in Google, you automatically resubmit your search as a Video search.
News link...
...opens News page with access to news from more than 4,500 sources. Google News headlines are updated every 15 minutes.
The news database is separate from the main Google database. You can search news articles up to 30 days past.
Clicking the link in Google, you automatically resubmit your search as a News search, without having to retype your query.
Maps link...
... opens access to Google Maps service. It offers a wide range of geographically based information, from finding places and driving directions to local businesses and landmarks.
Clicking the link in Google, you automatically resubmit your search as a Maps search, without having to retype your query.
Gmail link...
...opens the Gmail sign in/ sign up page.
more>> link...
...opens a small menu with links to second-popular Google search features.
Note that the arrangement of navigational links changes constantly. For instance, quite recently there was no Video on the first page. In its place was Groups. Now users are more interested in Video, and it has migrated to the forefront.
more>> link...
...opens a small menu with links to second-popular Google search features.
Note that the arrangement of navigational links changes constantly. For instance, quite recently there was no Video on the first page. In its place was Groups. Now users are more interested in Video, and it has migrated to the forefront.
Blogs link...
...opens the Google Blog Search page. A typical blog (Web log) is a personal webpage (website) with periodical journal style entries. Bloggers were formerly known as "escribitionists".
Blogs discuss any imaginable topic, and Google indexes millions of them. Blogs "push" updates to their subscribers and search engines, so the most recent information is usually available.
Books link...
...opens the Google Book Search page. You can search the full text of hundreds of thousands of books.
Depending on copyright restrictions, you can have full access to the text of a book, or see its fragments, or only its description and indication where to get it.
Google Book Search allows out-of-copyright material to be downloaded in PDF format.
Google Products link...
...opens the Google Products Search page. As a shopping search engine, Google Products offers product information from price comparisons to store and product ratings and reviews.
Google Products helps you find products online.
Groups link...
...opens access to an archive of Usenet and Google groups. Usenet is one of the oldest parts of the Internet. It has over 30,000 active newsgroups where people discuss all kinds of topics.
You can search postings in both active and defunct groups between 1981 and today.
Clicking the link in Google, you automatically resubmit your search as a Groups search.
Patents link...
...opens the Google Patent Search page. All patents come from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and cover patents issued from the 1790s till about 6 months ago. More recent are not yet available.
Google has converted the entire image database of U.S. patents into a searchable format. You can search the full text of U.S. patents.
Blogger link...
...takes you to the Blogger website. You can search blogs, create your own blog, do all kinds of blog things here.
Blogger.com has been acquired by Google, and now it's an integrated part of the whole system.
Calendar link...
...opens the Google Calendar page. You can create your personal calendar, share it with others, import data from MS Outlook and other calendar programmes, and so on.
You can also display a calendar on your site.
Documents link...
...opens a page with an explanation of the service and a Google Account login dialog.
You can work with your documents and spreadsheets online, make them accessible to designated people, or publish them as web pages.
Google Finance link...
...opens the Google Finance page which displays a combination of general market news and in-depth financial information on specific stocks, mutual funds, and public and private companies.
The information comes from a variety of financial data providers, as well as from Google's main search database.
Labs link...
...opens the front page of "Google's technology playground".
Many new ideas are tried out here, such as Google RideFinder for a dozen of US cities, Google Mars, and a whole lot more. Some of them will make it to mainstream search features.
Orkut link...
...opens the Orkut online community page.
Photos link...
...opens the Google photo sharing page based on Picasa Web Albums.
Picasa lets you view, organize, edit and share the digital photos on your PC.
Reader link...
...opens the Google Reader page.
Google Reader checks news sites and blogs for new content. You can specify what sources to check.
Scholar link...
...takes you to the Google Scholar search page. The Google Scholar sources are peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, abstracts and articles, from academic publishers, professional societies, preprint repositories, universities and other scholarly organizations.
Depending on copyright issues, Google Scholar provides multiple ways to access scholarly content, from free full text to library links and purchase options.
more>> link...
...opens a long list of services and tools provided by Google. It has more search interfaces, such as Catalogs or Books, and a lot of related features, such as Labs or Blogger.
Note that the arrangement of navigational links changes constantly. For instance, quite recently Video was in the primary menu line, then it was replaced by Products. Any migrations are possible any time, the only rule is that the more popular features tend to be placed in the primary menu line.
Search Box
This is where you type in your keywords (search query). Keywords can be used in combination with search operators, few as they are, to make search better targeted. Search operators are described in the How to Use section.
Now, for demonstration purposes, you can click in the Search box to fill in a query.
Search Maps button...
...submits your query to Google Maps and returns the map you need.
Click the Search Maps button to view results for this search.
Search Maps button...
...submits your query to Google Maps and returns the map you need.
This button is clickable now.
Find businesses search box...
...consists of two parts: What, and Where.
Now, for demonstration purposes, you can click anywhere in the Search box to fill in a query.
Search Businesses button...
...submits your query to Google Maps and returns the map you need with accompanying information.
Click the Search Businesses button to view results for this search.
Search Businesses button...
...submits your query to Google Maps and returns the map you need with accompanying information.
This button is clickable now.
Get directions search box...
...consists of two parts: From, and To.
Now, for demonstration purposes, you can click anywhere in the Search box to fill in a query.
Get Directions button...
...submits your query to Google Maps and returns a map with your route plotted on it, and step-by-step directions for getting there
Get Directions button...
...submits your query to Google Maps and returns a map with your route plotted on it, and step-by-step directions for getting there
Click the Get Directions button to view results for this search.
Search the map button...
...activates the main Google Maps search box. You can use search operators in the box.
Find businesses button...
...activates a search box for finding local businesses. The box consists of two parts: What, and Where.
Get directions button...
...activates a search box for finding directions. The box consists of two parts: From, and To.
Search the map button...
...activates the main Google Maps search box. You can use search operators in the box.
Find businesses button...
...activates a search box for finding local businesses. The box consists of two parts: What, and Where.
Get directions button...
...activates a search box for finding directions. The box consists of two parts: From, and To.
Print link...
...opens a window with print preview and an option to add notes to the map printout.
Email link...
...opens your default New email message form with its subject and a link to the displayed map already pre-entered.
All you have to do is add the recipient's i and send it off.
Link to this page link...
...gives you access to the URL of the map you're currently viewing.
a) Right-click the "Link to this page" link, copy it and paste in an email message or elsewhere. Or
b) Left-click the "Link to this page" link, and the URL of the map will appear in the i bar of your browser.
Example searches...
...show how to build your basic queries in the Search box.
Take a tour link...
...opens a page with an overview of what you can do with Google Maps.
Add/Edit Your Business link...
...opens a page with a few strong reasons why yoou should use Google Maps for your business and a login dialog for you to go to your account and start doing it without delay.
Zoom slider...
...zooms in and out of the maps in increments. Alternatively, you can use the scroll wheel on your mouse.
Map scale...
...shows the number of miles in one inch, or the number of kilometers in one centimeter.
Display mode buttons
The funcions of these three buttons are so obvious that it is superfluous to explain them. Just click them.
Map
The map is draggable!
Inset map...
...shows a wider context for the displayed map, mainly for navigation purposes.
You can drag the blue rectangle to a new location. Or you can center the map on a new location by positioning the cursor over that location and then double-clicking the mouse.
Current map
The blue rectangle represents the currently dispayed map. It is draggable in Google Maps.
Inset map button...
...shows/hides the inset map.
Hide/Show Panel arrow...
...shows/hides the text panel.