What is the trick to forcing Google maps to NOT zoom in during a search?

Factual Questions
1

Sometimes you do a search, the results will default to your current view only.

Sometimes, it will zoom into some other location that you were NOT viewing, and only show the results from that area only.

Sometimes, it will instead expand and show you ALL results from a very wide geographic setting.

What is the knack for getting it to show the results you are looking for? The test search term I was using was Saks Fifth Avenue.* It kept zooming into the New York area even tho I had the window open over New England (I was in one in Boston 4 days ago which is how I know one was there). After like a dozen attempts and zooming in and out willy-nilly I FINALLY got it to show all the ones in the entire Northeast of the country.

So, what’s the secret to getting the results from the area you are interested in?

[*Hmm no apostrophe…]

2

I think that instead of setting your visible map area to the geo-extent you’re interested in then searching for [saks], try this:

Set the visible map area to the geo-extent you’re interested in then search for [saks near here]. “Near here” are teh magic words. “Near me” are different magic words that mean near the geo-location of your device.

3

Once in a while, Google will also deliver results similar to what was typed into the search engine, but not exactly the same.

“If I had wanted BCDEFG, I would have typed in BCDEFG! I want ABDCE, not BCDEFG!”

4

I’ve recently learned that on the Google search page you can click on Tools and select “verbatim” to match what you typed. I haven’t used it much yet, so I don’t know if it’s perfect, but it seems to help.

5

Hey, thanks! I had never paid attention to that before.