1. Introduction

Welcome to Maps Search Geo rating.

In this test you will be presented with queries that may contain a reference to a physical location, for example:

• Discount Tire on Camelback Road
• Take me to Hertz on Hamilton Street
• Call State Farm Insurance on 101 W. 5th St. in El Dorado
• Fast food near me
• Calam rv resorts Arizona
• Sweden
• Best Western

You must first determine the maps location intent within each query. (Note that some queries will have no maps location intent. These guidelines will teach you how to identify them.)

If a query contains maps location intent, answer the query-level Navigational result question and rate the relevance of the results based on this intent. (You will not rate Name Accuracy, Address Accuracy, or Pin Accuracy.)

Your query-level Navigational result and relevance ratings will be made based on the relevance rating rules in the Maps Search Guidelines.

If there is no maps location intent in the query, answer No to the Navigational results question, rate the results Bad, and move to the next query.

Note: The user’s location at the time the query was issued will be indicated on the map, but you will not see a viewport or viewport age.

These guidelines will:

• Explain how to understand and interpret user queries and to establish whether they have maps location intent or not.
• Show you how to understand the maps location intent, if it exists, and what kinds of results should generally be expected.

These guidelines will not:

• Take the place of, or override, the result rating guidance in the most current Maps Search and Country Specific guidelines (though they may extend the ratings for cases like product searches).

1.1. The Queries

Read each query carefully. If you don’t understand it, research it using online resources. If a query appears to make no sense, say it out loud or speak it into a smart assistant to see how it is interpreted there.

Some queries may have been transcribed from spoken words, so there may be obvious errors, like “Verizon Wireless” transcribed as “Rice on wireless.” Sometimes the user may not know the exact name of a location, so they may add or omit words or letters from street, city, POI, or other names — or even use the wrong names for things.

Once you understand the query, you must identify whether or not there is a maps location intent within it. Remember, the same query may have a different intent depending on the user’s location.

2. Queries With Maps Location Intent

Many queries will have maps location intent. This means that they refer to a physical location in a way that indicates the user may have some current, or future, interest in locating the intended destination.

These types of queries include, but are not limited to:

• Requests for specific POIs
• Requests for addresses
• Requests for a POI at a specific location
• Requests for directions
• Requests to find a place on a route
• Requests for a POI’s hours, address, or phone number, or requests to call a POI
• Requests for a category of business or service
• Requests for menus from or reviews of a POI or location

If a query has maps location intent and the result is “I couldn’t find any place matching [intent]” rate Bad if the intended location actually exists and Excellent if it does not.

2.1. Name of POI

Some queries consist of a POI name only. When the POI is unique, the user intent may be clear no matter where the user is located. Be sure to consider user location when a query is not for a unique POI.

2.2. Address

Address-only queries are full or partial addresses that do not include any POI names. Be sure to research whether or not the address actually exists.

They may also be in the form of coordinates or lat/lng (that are mostly returned as address or a corresponding POI where appropriate).

2.3. POI + Location

Maps location intent can be fairly easy to determine for queries that contain or consist of the name of a POI plus a location (often a city name, street name, or street number and name), but always do research to be sure the named POI actually exists at the named location.

2.3.1 Location Modifiers

Many of the queries you’ll see will include location modifiers. Location modifiers can be:

• General: Locality or postal code
• Specific: Street or full address

2.3.1.1 General Location Modifier: Many Options Within Specified Location

When the location modifier is general, results inside the specified location are not demoted for distance.

Results	Rating & Explanation
Is there a Navigational Result for this Query?		No
① Starbucks 2165 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94102 Classification: Coffee	Relevance	Excellent
	This result is one of many Starbucks in the specified location, San Francisco, and is rated Excellent.

Results	Rating & Explanation
② Starbucks 1231 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94103 Classification: Coffee	Relevance	Excellent
	This result is one of many Starbucks in the specified location, San Francisco, and is rated Excellent.
③ Starbucks 1555 40th St. Emeryville, CA 94608 Classification: Coffee	Relevance	Bad (Distance/ Prominence)
	This Starbucks is outside of the boundaries of the specified location and is rated Bad since there are so many Starbucks to choose from in San Francisco.

Results	Rating & Explanation
④ Starbucks 601 Westlake Center, Daly City, CA 94015 Classification: Coffee	Relevance	Bad (Distance/ Prominence)
	This Starbucks is outside of the boundaries of the specified location and is rated Bad since there are so many Starbucks to choose from in San Francisco.

2.3.1.2 General Location Modifier: Few Options Within Specified Location

When there are very few of the named POI in the specified area, results outside it are gradually demoted.

Results	Ratings & Explanation
Is there a Navigational Result for this Query?		Yes
① ALDI 1220 N Valley Mills Dr, Waco, TX 76710 Classification: Grocery	Relevance	Navigational
	ALDI is a well-known chain business. Research confirms that the location modifier in the query narrows possible results to a single unique location. This is the only location eligible for a Navigational rating.
② ALDI 3310 S 31st St, Temple, TX 76502 Classification: Grocery	Relevance	Good (Distance/ Prominence)
	Although this result is not in Waco, research shows that, unlike the many Starbucks in San Francisco, there are very few Aldi stores in the Waco area. That is why this nearby result should be demoted -2 for distance from the highest possible initial rating of Navigational and rated Good.

Results	Ratings & Explanation
③ ALDI 3623 W State Highway 31, Corsicana, TX, 75110 Classification: Grocery	Relevance	Acceptable (Distance/ Prominence)
	Although this result is not in Waco, research shows that, unlike the many Starbucks in the San Francisco example above, there are very few Aldi stores in the Waco area. This result has been demoted -3 from the highest possible initial rating of Navigational to Acceptable because it is significantly farther from the area of expected results.

2.3.1.3 Specific Location Modifier: One Possible Result

If there is only a single result present in the specified location it should receive a rating of Navigational. All other results are Bad.

2.3.1.4 Specific Location Modifier: More than One Possible Result

When there is more than one result present in the specified location, all of them should be rated Excellent. Any other location is rated Bad.

2.3.1.5 Specific Location Modifier: No Results

When there are no results present in the location indicated by the query, consider the specific location modifier to be a general one and demote results based on distance to the modifier.

2.3.1.6 Specific Location Modifier: Result is “I couldn’t find …”

When a query has maps location intent and the result is “I couldn’t find any place matching [intent]” rate Bad if the intended location actually exists and Excellent if it does not.

Query	User Location	Expected Maps Results
[I need directions to green Tara yoga studio on Fairmont]	Cleveland, Ohio	The Green Tara Yoga studio on Fairmount Blvd in Cleveland
Result	Rating & Explanation
I couldn’t find any places matching “green tara yoga studio”	Relevance	Bad
	Research shows that the yoga studio the user is asking about actually exists, but the assistant could not find it, and no pins were placed on the map. Rate the relevance of this result as Bad.

2.4. Directions

A query can be for directions to an address, a named POI, or a named POI at a specific location. Note that users do not always get the POI names or address details right, so you must do research to understand whether or not the locations exist where the users think they do.

2.5. Find POI on My Route

When a user asks for a specific POI or category on the route or on the way, you will know the user’s location, but not their final destination. In these cases, maps location intent is any instance of the named POI or category near the user’s location.

2.6. Request for POI Hours

Queries about a POI’s hours can include questions about opening and closing times as well as questions about hours on specific days. If the queried POI is not unique, check to see if the user has asked about a specific location or if the query is a general one about any location of the POI.

2.7. Request for POI Phone Number or Address

Queries about phone numbers and addresses often contain very specific location information.

2.8. Request to call POI

Requests to call a POI are considered to have maps location intent because the user may wish to locate the POI in the present or future.

2.9. Request for Category

Some queries do not include a POI name and are requests for a type of business, service, or other POI in a named location or in the user’s location.

Always research real-world results to see what actually exists in the location.

2.10. Request for Category + Feature

Some queries do not include a POI name and are requests for a type of business, service, or other POI (in a named location or in the user’s location) plus a request for a specific POI feature, like a pool, outdoor seating, or wifi.

The queries may be worded many ways, including [hotels with a pool] or [hotels – pool] but the intent of the query is always the same: A POI category plus a feature.

Always research real-world results to see what actually exists in the location.

2.10.1. Research for Features

Always do online research to verify a POI’s features. Use the following resources (plus any additional resources described in the relevant examples):

• Official web pages
• Claimed social media pages
• Claimed crowdsourced user review sites
• Unclaimed crowdsourced user review sites, third-party aggregator booking sites, and unclaimed or unofficial social media pages
• Satellite or street imagery taken within the past three years (for certain features)

Perform a web search for the POI by name and locality (town/city/village) to see if an official web page or claimed social media page can be found. If a POI is a chain or has many branches, the official web page should be for the specific location or branch.

Important: Alwaysbegin your research at the top of this list of resources and stop as soon as you have found evidence from one resource that shows the POI either has this feature or does not have this feature. If you get to the end of the list of resources without finding evidence either way, assume the POI has the feature and rate accordingly.

2.10.1.1. Official Websites

If a POI has an official website, it should be the first resource used to research the POI’s features. A web page owned and maintained by the POI usually has a distinct address, corporate design, and logo, and will typically be customized with information regarding the POI, such as contact information, history or general background about the POI, as well as the services or products that the POI offers. User reviews and photos can be used, as well, if present.

POI Name	Official URL
GameStop	www.gamestop.com
Best Buy	www.bestbuy.com
San Francisco International Airport	www.flysfo.com
XL CENTER	www.xlcenter.com
Mamacita’s Grill	www.mamacitasgrill.com
In-N-Out Burger, Yuma, AZ	www.locations.in-n-out.com/ 203-Yuma

2.10.1.2. Claimed Social Media Pages

If the POI’s official website does not confirm the presence or absence of a feature, officially managed social media pages can be used. All information found on on claimed social media sites can be used  to verify features, including user reviews and images submitted within the past 12 months.

POI-Operated Social Media Pages	What to Watch For
Official pages will have updates and pictures posted by the business. Unofficial pages will only have updates and pictures added by members of the social media website.
Official pages will be verified or claimed by their owners. Look for badges that confirm that a POI has been claimed by the owner.
Official pages will often have a custom URL extension.	Custom URL Extension: https://www.facebook.com/LaTaqSF Non-Customized URL Extension: http://www.facebook.com/pages/EquineCalculator/857469375913?ref=ts
Official pages will not have an “Is this your business” or “Claim this Page” link.

2.10.1.2. Claimed Crowdsourced User Review Sites

If a feature cannot be verified on an official site or a claimed social media page, rate according to information found on claimed crowdsourced user review sites. Look for badges that confirm that a POI has been claimed by the owner.

When researching features on claimed crowdsourced user review sites, scroll through the site, then open and check sections like Services and Amenities to see if the feature you are looking for is listed. User reviews and images submitted within the past 12 months can also be used to verify features

The examples above were taken from a claimed crowdsourced user review site. The information here could be used to confirm, for example, that a POI offers takeout, is wheelchair accessible and kid friendly, but is not pet-friendly.

2.10.1.3. Unclaimed Crowdsourced User Review Sites, Third-Party Aggregator Booking

Sites, and Unofficial Social Media

If a feature cannot be verified on an official site, claimed social media page, or claimed crowdsourced user review site, rate according to the information found on an unclaimed crowdsourced user review site, unclaimed third-party aggregator booking sites for hotels and restaurants, or unofficial social media page. Unclaimed crowdsourced user review sites and unofficial social media pages do not have badges or other indications that confirm the page has been claimed by the POI’s owner.

When researching features on unclaimed crowdsourced user review sites or unofficial social media pages, check only user reviews and images submitted within the past 12 months. Since there may be many of these, do not spend more than one minute reviewing the material. If no evidence can be found in this time, the source cannot be used to confirm the presence or absence of the feature.

Since unclaimed crowdsourced user review sites are not managed by the POI owners, do not check the services or amenities sections to see if a feature is mentioned. These cannot be used as evidence.

When using unofficial or unclaimed sites, consider only user-generated photos and reviews created within the last 12 months and ignore the services and amenities sections. Information found in these sections cannot be used as

evidence for any feature.

2.10.1.4. Satellite or Street Imagery Taken within the Past Three Years

Certain features that cannot be verified on on an official site, claimed social media page, or a claimed or unclaimed crowdsourced user review or social media site can be verified using satellite or street imagery taken within the past three years:

• Drive-thru: Satellite and street imagery taken within the last three years can show whether or not the POI has a drive-thru.
• Kid-Friendly: Satellite or street imagery taken within the past three years may show a play area or other child-friendly features on the POI’s property.
• Outdoor Seating: Satellite or street imagery taken within the past three years can show whether or not the POI has outdoor seating.
• Wheelchair Access: Satellite or street imagery taken within the past three years may show accessibility features, like handicapped parking spaces or a wheelchair ramp.

2.10.1.5. Research Rules

Rules for researching POI features:

• Always begin your search by looking for an official website.
• If official sources are not available, look for claimed crowdsourced user review pages.
• Always verify that the social media page or claimed crowdsourced user review page is the correct, official site and is claimed by the correct POI.
• If no official sources or claimed crowdsourced user review sites are available, only then should you check for unclaimed crowdsourced user review sites, unclaimed third-party aggregator booking sites, and unofficial or unclaimed social media pages.
• Do not use data aggregators/spammy directory sources to verify features.
• Do not use crowdsourced user reviews from search engines or mapping providers to verify features.
• Do not use the information provided by automated responses from search engine result pages  (SERPs) to verify features, as these may be outdated or inaccurate. SERPs list results from a web search engine in response to a query and may include automated responses to POI searches.

User photos and reviews from all sources, official, unofficial, claimed, or unclaimed, can be used to verify features.

Rating Examples

Query	User Location	Research Sources	Expected Maps Results
[cafes – outdoor seating]	Bend, Oregon	POI’s home page POI’s official social media page POI’s claimed crowdsourced user review page Unclaimed crowdsourced user review sites for the POI Unclaimed thirdparty aggregator booking sites for cafes Unofficial social media pages for the POI Satellite or street imagery	Cafes near the user’s location that have outdoor seating. Outdoor seating is any seating that’s outside the POI, but still clearly part of the business or meant for the use of its customers. This includes open-air seating as well as seating under a tent, canopy, or covered patio. It can also include seating on a public sidewalk, street, plaza, square, or other public area next to the POI that’s clearly intended for the use of the POI’s customers.(Note that cafes that do not have outdoor seating will be rated Bad.)
[hotel – free breakfast]	Providence, Rhode Island	POI’s home page POI’s official social media page POI’s claimed crowdsourced user review page Unclaimed crowdsourced user review sites for the POI Unclaimed thirdparty aggregator booking sites for hotels Unofficial social media pages for the POI	Hotels near the user’s location that offer every customer a free breakfast. (Note that hotels that do not offer a free breakfast to every customer will be rated Bad.)

Query	User Location	Research Sources	Expected Maps Results
[restaurants that deliver]	Colorado Springs, Colorado	POI’s home page POI’s official social media page POI’s claimed crowdsourced user review page Unclaimed crowdsourced user review sites for the POI Unclaimed thirdparty aggregator booking sites for restaurants Unofficial social media pages for the POI Official pages of third-party food delivery services, which list the restaurants they deliver for	Restaurants near the user’s location that deliver their food themselves or through a food delivery service. (Note that restaurants that do not offer delivery will be rated Bad.)
[kid-friendly restaurants]	Carolina Beach, North Carolina	POI’s home page POI’s official social media page POI’s claimed crowdsourced user review page Unclaimed crowdsourced user review sites for the POI Unclaimed thirdparty aggregator booking sites for restaurants Unofficial social media pages for the POI	Restaurants near the user’s location that are child friendly. Begin with a restaurant’s home page, which may show a kid’s menu or include words  like”Kids welcome” or “Kids Eat Free.”(Note that restaurants that are not kid-friendly will be rated Bad.)

2.11. Request for Restaurant + Type

Requests for Restaurant + Type can be for restaurants that offer a particular kind of cuisine, like Mexican or Japanese or for those that serve a specific type or style of food, like salads, pizza, vegetarian, or barbecue food.

Check the restaurant’s online menu whenever possible to see whether the restaurant actually offers what the user asked for. Ask yourself: Would a user in the testing locale with this query find this result satisfying? A user with the query [Restaurants – Korean] would not be satisfied with an Italian restaurant and one with the query [Restaurants – Sandwiches] would not be satisfied with a restaurant that offered a single sandwich on its menu.

If your research shows that a restaurant offers very little or none of the requested food, rate it Bad and explain why in the comments.

If you cannot tell whether or not the restaurant offers the requested food, assume it does and rate accordingly.

Always research real-world results to see what actually exists in the location.

2.12. Request for Menu or Review

Requests for menus and reviews can be for chains or unique locations.

2.13. Other

Queries that don’t fit into any of the previously mentioned categories can also have a maps location intent.

3. Queries Without Maps Location Intent

Some queries have no maps location intent. This includes queries that:

• Do not refer to a physical location
• Do refer to a physical location but have a an information intent rather than a location intent
• Refer to a brand or company with a predominantly online intent, like Groupon or LInkedIn.
• Ask about the time or weather in a specific location
• Requests for specific products or services
• High-level categories like “restaurants,” “shoe store” or “dentist” do have maps location intent but specific products and services, like “spaghetti carbonara,” “jimmy choo pumps,” or “deep gum cleaning” do not.

Rate results for these queries Bad.

Query	User Location	Expected Maps Results
[Bears were on Polasky highway]	Baltimore , Maryland	It is impossible to determine the intent of this poorly transcribed query.
[Reviews on the Bradford exchange]	Yakima, Washington	The Bradford Exchange is an online-only business that has no physical locations, so this query has no maps intent.
[Reviews on PROTELUS insoles]	Yardley , Pennsylvania	Protalus insoles are kind of shoe insert, not a physical location, so this query has no maps intent. Compare this to Request for Places to Shop or Buy, above.
[where is the routing number on a check]	New York, New York	This query is about  the location of a number on a check and has no maps intent.
[i’m hungry]	Boise, Idaho	This query is about how the user feels and does not refer to a physical location.
[dinner is at six]	Kailua, Hawaii	This query does not refer to a physical location and has no maps intent.
[what does the hotel]	Elkhorn, Wisconsin	This query refers to a physical location (a hotel), but has no maps intent.
[do you want to do  quick dinner]	Scottsdale, Arizona	This query does not refer to a physical location and has no maps intent.
[it’s not like that you’ve had’s pizza menu]	Pasadena, California	Even though this query contains the words “pizza menu” it has no maps intent.
[they wanna go to eat]	Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam	This query contains the word “eat” but it has no maps intent.
[eureka temperature]	Eureka, California	This is a weather query with no maps intent.
Query	User Location	Expected Maps Results
[time in new york city]	Las Vegas, Nevada	This is a “time in” query with no maps intent.
[nokona left handed baseball gloves]	Mill Creek, Washington	This is a very specific product request that will not be reflected in maps results
[facebook]	Cranston, Rhode Island	This is a query about a company that users primarily interact with online. It does not have maps location intent.
[creamed corn]	Hilo, Hawaii	This is a query about a specific product, not a category of products, like “food.”
[love seats]	Omaha, Nebraska	This is a query about a specific product and would not be reflected in maps results. A query about a highlevel category like “furniture” has maps location intent.

4. Query-Level Navigational Result Question

Once you have established the maps location intent for a query, you will be able to answer the query-level Navigational result question and rate result relevance.

Note that the answer to this question will be based on the expected maps result(s), found (or not found) within each query, not the entire query.

Query	User Location	Expected Maps Results	Rating and Explanation
[What is the telephone number of Hott nails on Darlington Road beaver Falls Pennsylvania]	Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania	Hot Nail on Darlington Road, Beaver Falls, PA	Is there a Navigational Result for this Query?	Yes
			Research shows that there is only one realworld result that could completely satisfy the user intent: Hot Nail at 2652 Darlington Road #70 in Beaver Falls, PA.
[Is Olive Garden open on Decemb5 Christmas Day]	Gary, Indiana	Olive Garden	Is there a Navigational Result for this Query?	No
			This is not a reference to a specific Olive Garden but to all Olive Gardens.
[Call Burger King on Florida Avenue]	Tampa, Florida	Burger King on Florida Ave in Tampa	Is there a Navigational Result for this Query?	No
			Research shows that there is more than one Burger King on Florida Ave in Tampa, so there can be no Navigational result for the query.
[Reviews on PROTELUS insoles]	Yardley , Pennsylvania	None	Is there a Navigational Result for this Query?	No
			Since this query does not refer to a physical location, it cannot have a Navigational result.
[how far is the drive from paris charles de gaulle airport to beaune france]	Nashville, Tennessee	Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris, France, or the city of Beaune, France	Is there a Navigational Result for this Query?	No
			This query contains a requests for multiple locations. Returning any one of the named locations  is the best experience that can be offered, and any of them can be rated Excellent.

5. Comments

Leave comments when a query does not contain any maps location intent. These include queries that don’t refer to a physical location and those that do refer to one but do not have a maps intent.

Comments are also required when you rate any result as Good or below.