By Jeffrey Benning, Location Intelligence Expert at Localyse (a Geosquare company)
Recently, Dirk Voets, coordinator of Geomob, challenged me via LinkedIn with a presentation about the dynamic world of Google Maps Platform for what at first seemed like an unusual audience. It was a golden opportunity. Especially now that Localyse is part of Geosquare.nl, this was the perfect moment to bridge the gap to the more ‘traditional’ GIS and GEO market.
Where I might have previously spoken of the ‘old world’ of Location Intelligence (LI), I have since revised that perception. The depth and innovation within the traditional GIS sector are impressive. The location market may be a niche, but within it thrives a universe of specialized GEO/GIS activities. Geospatial data appears in the most unexpected places, forming the backbone of countless processes.
At Localyse, our expertise lies in applying location data to improve the customer experience (CX), optimize the customer journey, and streamline business processes. Think of the intuitive store locators for retailers like Rituals, the parking solutions from Q-Park, or the customer-centric services of ING. Or consider the power of accelerated address entry (autocomplete) for online orders and receiving an ETA text for a package, complete with real-time traffic information. All these functionalities aim to create frictionless, seamless, and fast customer experiences. Many of our customers serve consumers, where the emphasis is on using current location data, rather than its complex management. That management “keeping the data” fresh is handled by map providers like Google. The key is to keep that data continuously fresh, accurate, varied, and dynamic, much like produce at a farmer’s market.
It’s an analogy I used during my Geomob presentation. Google Maps Platform offers location data (the ‘fruit’) in perfect, structured condition. Apples are sorted by variety, and seasonal items like watermelons or ice cream shops are only available when relevant. Through Google Cloud, all this ‘fruit’ is accessible within milliseconds from their global data centers—a wealth of information, available with a few clicks, without the worry of maintenance or freshness.
It’s important to realize that Google Maps Platform doesn’t provide off-the-shelf products, but rather powerful building blocks—the very ingredients for your unique, data-driven solution. Google makes the data efficiently available; our customers and partners, like us at Localyse and Geosquare, transform this geodata into valuable products and insights.
The Four Pillars of AI-Driven Search
My presentation focused on the evolution of search, a core Google competency. I illustrated this with four pillars:
- Fuzzy Search & Autocomplete (Places API): Everyone knows it. You start typing, and Google instantly provides suggestions. This simple feature makes searching more efficient, saving up to 20 seconds per action, whether you’re filling in an address in a webshop or a representative is taking down customer details. The Google Maps Places API, processing 50 million updates daily, is an absolute favorite and grows richer with location data every day.
- Nearby Search: This is a structured query for “what’s nearby?” from a specific location. For example: “Find the nearest romantic Italian restaurants.” This is crucial for powerful, location-based recommendations.
- Text Search: This involves unstructured, free-form input. Think of complex queries like: “Vegetarian sushi restaurants suitable for groups with a wheelchair-accessible entrance.” This requires advanced semantic search technology.
- GenAI Places Search: The latest revolution that has everyone talking. Here, conversational human search queries seamlessly merge with Google Maps’ factual location data. This isn’t a pipe dream; it’s already here. For example: “My husband and I are planning a trip to New York or Dubai with our two kids, who love playgrounds and ice cream. Our budget is X, and we have a fish allergy.”
Features like these are only possible thanks to the immense amount of high-quality, up-to-date data Google commands. Naturally, a question arose from the audience: how accurate are the answers? While no system is 100% perfect, not even Google, the results should be seen as a guide, an accelerator for your search, and a tool to broaden your perspective. When absolute accuracy is essential, you can blend and prioritize your own proprietary data, using Google’s data as a supplemental layer, perhaps with a disclaimer. This is precisely where the expertise of firms like Geosquare, with its broad Location Intelligence scope, and Localyse, with its deep Google Maps knowledge, converges to build robust solutions.
“The advent of AI in search engines will make location data more important than ever for effective, data-driven decisions.” – Jeffrey Benning
As is tradition, we closed Geomob with pizza, where I could delve deeper into these developments in a more informal setting. The speakers only got ten minutes—just a teaser to spark further conversation.
Geomob is an event series and podcast for geospatial enthusiasts, meeting in various European cities to provide a relaxed forum for discussing geo-innovation in all its forms.
Geodata has evolved beyond static coordinates; it’s the key to unlocking digital potential. I guide organizations in transforming their strategy with location intelligence, using smart maps, dynamic management tools, and powerful API integrations. The goal is to eliminate guesswork and let data lead the way to smarter decisions and groundbreaking applications. It’s a vision that unites Localyse and Geosquare.
Are you interested in the presentation slides or have other questions about how AI, Google Maps Platform, and Location Intelligence can transform your organization? Feel free to send me a connection request on LinkedIn to start a conversation. Let’s explore the possibilities of geospatial AI together!
