Today Google explains a little more about the developments with its photo-mapping search engine. From now on, if there is a photo of a place available relevant to a location specific search request, it will be shown alongside the search results.
Since purchasing Panoramio, Google has been playing with photos within Google Maps. And there there was StreetView. Before that there was satellite images too. Local search is heating up, and Google seems to be placing itself in a very strong position. It cannot be long before old school directories like Yell.com will no longer be required. Source: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/seeing-world-with-improved-google.html
Seeing the world with improved Google Search results: As an avid traveler, I know how helpful it can be to see a map when searching for a location on Google. Using our Universal Search technology, we have provided maps in our Universal Search technology, we have provided maps in our search results for more than two years. However, as any traveler could tell you, knowing the geographical location of a place is only part of the story. It’s often just as valuable to get a sense of what the place is like, and there’s no better way to do that than by looking at images of some of its most important sights Now, when you search for locations using Google Search you may see pictures from that place alongside a map. You can click on any of those images to go to the photos layer on Google Maps where you can browse many more geo- tagged photos.
