Google is introducing additional details in Search and Maps about businesses that provide grocery delivery and pickup services. This information is being added automatically, requiring no action from businesses, but it’s beneficial to be aware of these updates.
This incorporation into Google Search and Maps is part of a broader update that includes several other helpful features. We’ll explore those additional features later, but first, let’s discuss the enhancements to Google My Business profiles.
### New Information in Google My Business Profiles
Google is updating business profiles to include shopping information, aiding users in finding convenient grocery delivery and pickup options. The new details being added to applicable business profiles on Search and Maps are:
– Delivery providers
– Pickup and delivery windows
– Order fees
– Order minimums
Initially, this information will be available on mobile search, starting with Instacart and Albertsons Cos. stores in the US. There are plans to extend this feature to Google Maps and include more delivery partners in the future. It seems that Google will aggregate this information into business profiles automatically based on data provided by delivery providers.
As part of this update, Google is trialing an innovative grocery service this summer that combines Google Maps and online orders for curbside pickup:
> “This summer, we’re teaming up with U.S. supermarket Fred Meyer, a division of The Kroger Co., on a pilot in select stores in Portland, Oregon, to make grocery pickup easier. After placing an order for pickup on the store’s app, you can add it to Maps. We’ll notify you when it’s time to leave and let you share your arrival time with the store. Your ETA is continuously updated based on location and traffic, helping the store prioritize your order for a seamless, fast, no-contact pickup.”
Google attributes this update to advancements in AI. Here’s a preview of other AI-powered features coming to Google Maps soon.
### More AI-Powered Features Coming to Google Maps
Google Maps users can expect the following features to be added to the mobile app in the near future.
#### Live View
Google Maps will soon assist users in navigating indoor public spaces like airports, transit stations, and malls using Live View.
> “Live View is powered by a technology called global localization, which uses AI to scan tens of billions of Street View images to understand your orientation… If you’re catching a plane or train, Live View can help you find the nearest elevator and escalators, your gate, platform, baggage claim, check-in counters, ticket office, restrooms, ATMs, and more.”
#### Weather and Air Quality
A new weather layer in Google Maps will show current and forecasted temperatures and weather conditions in an area. Additionally, an air quality layer will indicate how healthy (or unhealthy) the air is in that area.
These layers will start rolling out on Android and iOS in the coming months. The weather layer will be available globally, and the air quality layer will initially launch in Australia, India, and the US.
#### Eco-friendly Travel Options
Google Maps, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Lab, is developing a new routing model that optimizes for lower fuel consumption based on factors like road incline and traffic congestion.
Google Maps will default to the route with the lowest carbon footprint when it has approximately the same ETA as the fastest route. Eco-friendly routes will debut in the U.S. on Android and iOS later this year, with a global expansion planned.
