By Last night while asking a friend to help me complete some research that I’ll be presenting at Pubcon New Orleans, she inadvertently stumbled across a new layout for Graph Search when the query is localized. the current Graph Search layout puts large emphasis on the first 1 or 2 results with filter options at the top, such as the example below. The layout being tested works to put more locations on the page while taking up the screen space with a Bing powered map of the businesses.
What’s interesting is that this new layout also removes a few key pieces of information on the first view. Currently the layout shows you: who and how many friends like a location, the phone number, time that the location is open until, photos from the business, a couple of past status updates, and a few text reviews of the location. The new layout only shows the name of the business, and if they are open or not currently. Like Google’s Local Carousel, this new layout does not show the 2 pieces of information that searchers for a local business most look for, address and phone number, without having to click first. Once you do click the business it pops up on the map next to the locations pinpoint and shows address, phone number, and reviews. The box also has a tab to show you photos from the business if you want and a new feature called “Text Me Directions” (explained below).
The new layout being tested also comes with an interesting new feature, as mentioned above, “Text me Directions”. This feature is pretty neat but also a bit weird. The feature uses your verified cell phone number on file and sends an SMS message that links to directions to the location. But that’s where the weirdness begins. Currently the feature sends out a link to http://maps.apple.com, yes Apple maps not Bing. In fact when you click the button Facebook informs you that “We sent a text to +15555551212. Click the link to open your destination in Apple Maps.” And it doesn’t appear to matter what browser or OS you use or what smartphone you own, Amanda tested sending me the directions from a Windows PC in Chrome to my Samsung Galaxy S4 Android and it still sent an Apple Maps link. However, when I open this link up inside of the standard Android Browser it forwards to http://maps.google.com I also tried opening the link in FireFox Mobile and Boat Browser and both still forwarded to Google, where as when Amanda opened the link on her iPhone it opened in the Apple Maps application.
Perhaps this is an early testing version and Bing maps will get integrated soon as the default map for the texting feature. Or perhaps Facebook and Apple have made some deal to use Apple Maps for this feature.
Food for thought. If Facebook is testing local search layouts and features, it means they have to be able to benchmark performance metrics, and that means that at the very least some people are using this part of Graph Search to find local businesses. Facebook Expert Dennis Yu agreed with me on that line of thinking via Twitter last night. I just wish we knew how much use it was getting.
Most of the screenshots in this post are courtesy of Amanda Henson, Creative Director at Glendo Corporation. Follow her on Twitter here: http://twitter.com/amandahenson