How to Create Google Maps

Google Maps is a free, useful tool for professionals and travelers alike. I have been using Google Maps, along with Google Calendar in a work environment for several months now. I give it high scores, despite a few needed tweaks.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Internet-connected computer or phone

1. To join Google Maps visit http://www.google.com/maps. Here you will create an account. If you already have a Gmail account you can sign in and start mapping.

2. Once you are signed in you can select the link Create New Map. You give the map a name and check one of the boxes Public or Unlisted. Companies using Google Maps for internal purposes only will choose to keep the map unlisted. Most people will choose to have the map listed, as it can be used to promote your services to those looking for them in Google.

3. After you give the map a name and a description you can select Done and you will see information similar to below:
   
   Presto on eHow.com
   How to Use Google Maps by Presto on eHow.com
   0 views - Public
   Created on Jul 16 - Updated < 1 minute ago
   By Preston -
   Rate this map - Write a comment
   Privacy and sharing settings Learn more
   Public - Shared with everyone. This map will be published in search results and user profiles.
   Unlisted - Shared only with selected people who have this map's URL.

4. 
    
   The closer you zoom in the more detail the map provides

   Now you are ready to start mapping. You will see the search bar at the top of page and you can type a business name or address. By default the Google map is centered on the United States. You can click anywhere in the map and then zoom out and see the whole world or zoom in on a certain location.

5. 
    
   Google Maps Puts You Right There

   The closer you zoom in the detail you see about a location, such as state, county, city and then street names as you really zoom in.
   
   If you zoom in even more you will see photos of the area in which you have zoomed. In this screen you can click inside and zoom in and out, rotate 360 degrees and move in any direction along the street or path. To leave street view right-click anywhere in the view and select Leave Street View.

6. For mapping purposes most people are going to want to be in map view. Once you type an address, business name or location Google Maps will find that location and pop up a window with the location information.

7. 
    
   Customize your map location and save it to your map

   I typed in the name of a popular radio station in Mobile, 92 WZEW. The Google Maps pop up window gives me a lot of information about this location and provides a link "Save to My Maps"

8. The dialogue will default to the current map you are working in, but if you have saved multiple maps use the pull-down menu to select the map you want to save this search to. In this dialogue box you can delete and add whatever information you want. Keep in mind if this is a public map others will see the information when search Google.com.

9. Once you have saved a place it will also put a text link to it on the left side of the screen under your maps information. So, you can go back to that location by selecting its name from the menu on the left.

10. 
     
    Google Calendar can be use in conjunction with Google Maps to set appointments

    Google Maps is very powerful and has many additional features, including the ability to post links to your maps on other web pages, or send a private link to the map to others, if your map is Unlisted or Inter-Office only.
    
    At the top of the page you will see other features and programs offered by Google, and many people using Google Maps will also want to use Google Calendar.
    
    So, you can map out itineraries in Google Maps and then schedule them in Google Calendar.

11. You can also print both Google Maps and Calendar to file and email them to others as a PDF

12. 
     
    See you on Gulf Shores at the Pink Pony

    Once you place an event on the Calendar, you can edit it by selecting the appointment itself and strectching it to extend the time or shrink it, or double click and open it and select the Begin and End times from a pull-down menu and add information to the event such as details about what is required or other helpful information.

Tips & Warnings

• Google Maps is a great, free way to promote your city or business, since your map will be indexed by Google's search engine and appear in search results when people use keywords that appear in your maps.
• When printing Google Maps and Calendar, after you select "Print," select "Save As" and it will save as a .PDF file ( since you are not actually printing this to a printer - but you can do that as well if you want.)
• You can also add Google Maps to your Mobile phone here: http://www.google.com/mobile/products/maps.html#p=default
• If you begin to intensively use Google Maps it might sometimes hiccup and you will need to completely log out and close all instances of your browser, then log back in. Sometimes when you navigate Google Calendar back to Maps the maps will show a "loading . . ." prompt but your maps do not load. Then you may get a Bad Request screen. You simply need to log out of Maps and then log back in.
• You can send an invitation to others to work on your map, but this feature is not perfect and can hiccup when two or more people are logged in to the same account and working on the same maps.

Resources

• Google Maps
• OnlineClass.mobi
• Google Maps Mobile Version