Anyone who uses Internet mapping programs frequently will know that the program’s guesstimate of a particular address’ location doesn’t always match reality. The arrow can be half a block off in either direction and, occasionally, on the wrong side of the street. In some cases, the formal address of a business may not even be on the same street as its main entrance.
Some companies are testing complex and expensive solutions to this problem. Google, on the other hand, is asking users to fix it. If you have a Google account and you notice that the arrow on one of Google’s maps does not match the location of a home or business, you can now move the arrow to the right place.
So why should users want to do Google’s work rather than forcing Google to figure out where addresses actually are? Businesses, presumably, want to make it easy for potential customers to find them, so I’d imagine that smart business owners will now go to Google Maps, type in the addresses of their businesses and make sure the results are accurate.
Ordinary users have no particular incentive to chip in, though some may do so after struggling with a misplaced arrow to prevent others from going through the same experience.
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