I have noticed that if there is more than one way to get somewhere Google Maps will try to guide me to a route that has national fast food restaurants, even if that route is slightly longer. Is Google paid to route people past certain businesses?
I can’t say I’ve noticed this, but I have noticed that if you search for, say, “restaurants” in a given area, some will appear in the list and as big pin drops on the map, while others, close by, will not. I expect this is a question of who pays and who doesn’t.
How do they decide which business names appear on the maps?
I would think it’s more likely that fast food restaurants are built on roads that are good driving routes.
What I’ve noticed is that Google tends to prefer main routes over taking back roads, and the option with the fewest turns. This seems to be what most people want, so it makes sense as the default.
Are the routes longer only in miles, or in time as well? And, if longer in time, is there a huge difference?
As for whether a business shows up at all? I believe that is a mix of things. I do think that some businesses will inform Google that they exist, even letting Google know about their website. I don’t know if they pay for this.
I do think Google does paid prioritization when you search for types of places or places that sell certain items, though. There doesn’t seem to be a logical order otherwise.
The two routes run parallel to each other and neither has significantly more traffic than the other. The route south of me is slightly closer but if I am taking that route Google Maps directs me to turn and go a few blocks to the northern route constantly…until I have passed the area where the fast food restaurants are located on that northern route, then it shuts up and tells me I am on the best route for my destination.
I have never noticed a route change.
But, I have noticed some restaurants appearing on a Google map and others that do not but I know, for a fact, are there.
It’s inconsistent though (zoom level seems important) so I can never quite tell if Google is suppressing merchants on their maps…but it feels like they do. Even zoomed all the way in I notice some merchants are not shown.
It may be influenced by what it expects is the travel time. A longer route may have less traffic, so it routes you there.
As far as what shops and restaurants show up at which zoom level, I’m sure that’s largely a matter of how much the merchant pays for that service. I expect there’s at least two levels of service. They buy the higher one and the store gets more prominence on the map.
This is true. Driving to work I have two choices, staying on main roads, or taking backroads. Google Maps suggests the main roads with a 14 minute drive time, while the backroads take me 12 minutes.
Google tells you the expected trip time. Does Google tell you that the route it suggests will take you more or less time than the other?
Anyone can mark something on Google Maps. Near me there is a huge rosemary bush that spills out over someone’s fence onto the footpath. Plenty of people near me use it as a source of rosemary. Years ago, I marked it on Google maps as “[name of my suburb] public rosemary bush” as a joke. It is still so marked.
No doubt if you pay you can get more prominent marking, but without payment anyone can put their own business on Google maps.
Purely speculation: Given that nearly all of Google’s systems operate dynamically and adaptively, incorporating user behavior, it is plausible to me that what you’re seeing is a consequence of automatic algorithmic adjustment rather than some sort of conscious human manipulation.
You describe two parallel routes, similar in all ways except that one is better populated with businesses. If a user taking route guidance knows this, and if they have a need to pick up a snack or run some other errand, they may choose to take that route, potentially departing from what is otherwise an objectively “better” option, in order to satisfy that need.
Over time, the feedback system will recognize that road as “preferred,” for whatever reason, and will favor it when ranking alternative paths.
That makes sense.
Last week I pulled out of where I was & had two options to where I was going next, go left just a block or two & get on the expressway or go right & take the twisty-turnies; I intentionally turned right*. At first it tried to reroute me onto the expressway but at some point as I kept going on my chosen route it must have realized that doubling back to the expressway (or the next entrance ramp) would now be longer & it gave up trying to put me on the expressway. It might just be that passing the fast food strip is the tipping point to that being the faster route, even at 3am when they’re all closed.
-* 'vert therapy is cheaper than a shrink!
That’s good to hear. Almost surprising. No, actually surprising.
Square pins are ads (i.e. businesses that have paid for more prominent marking).