• All Analyst Weblogs
• North America
  • Bill Tancer
  • Heather Hopkins
  • Heather Dougherty
• United Kingdom
  • Robin Goad
• Asia Pacific
  • Alan Long
  • Sandra Hanchard
  • Hitwise To Go
• Insider
  • Client
  • Company
  • Industry
  • Product

Hitwise Intelligence - Sandra Hanchard - Asia Pacific

Analyst Weblog

« Kodak re-brands to embrace Digital as Photography websites grow | Airline Wars - Qantas and Virgin Blue battle it out online »

Zoom In home-grown version of Google Maps

January 23, 2006

Zoom In which was launched in 2005, is quickly gaining ground in the online maps industry, according to Hitwise data. The website debuted at 9th position in the Hitwise Travel - Maps category during week ending November 19, 2005, and has since grown its market share by 31.9% to the week ending January 21, 2006.

The New Zealand-based start-up offers a solution for finding things in website users' neighbourhoods through a dynamic street map. The ability to pan and zoom on the site is similar to Google Maps technology, but differentiates Zoom In's website from many local online map providers. Zoom In is also structured so that the business listings on its website can be easily indexed, directly linking a user query on any search engine to the relevant map location on Zoom In.

Zoom In stands to capture a significant number of location-type search queries. Hitwise Search Intelligence indicate that for the 24 weeks ending January 21, 2006, almost half of key phrases to the website were composed of 3 and 4-word searches, typically following street address formats. An example includes, 'ashford ave palmerston north', which then brings up other popular places located nearby on the Zoom In maps.

There are many business sectors set to benefit from improved geographic search technologies, including accommodation providers and food caterers. According to the Zoom In homepage, popular tags include 'restaurant' and 'cafe'. During the peak in website traffic to Zoom In, week ending December 31, 2005, Hitwise Clickstream data show a number of accommodation providers in the upstream traffic to Zoom In, including, Beachside Holiday Park, Blue Penguin Holiday Homes, and HolidayHouses.co.nz.

The launch of Google Maps in April 2005 generated much media fanfare. New Zealand Internet users were quick to use the service, with Google Maps grabbing 6.8% market share, ranking at third position, for the week ending April 9, 2005. Wises Maps holds the dominant market share in the Travel - Maps category, with 32.7% for the week ending January 21, 2006. Zoom In meanwhile increasingly strengthens its position to challenge these players..

Posted by Sandra Hanchard at 03:57 PM | (4) | (0)
In Categories Search

TrackBack

TrackBack URL:
http://weblogs.hitwise.com/movabletype/mt-tb.cgi/121.

Comments