Google has made some improvements to its local search results giving the search engine a GPS-like functionality. Previously if you searched for something like “banks in Winnipeg”, Google would return a map with different banking locations in the area. However, many of us don’t add the location to the end of the search result. For that reason, Google now derives your general location from your computer’s IP address and automatically adds your location to place-oriented searches. For example, you can now type in “groceries” and search results relevant to your location along with an accompanying Google Map will be returned. It’s not perfect however. Despite the fact that I live in Canada, my Google search page often defaults to Google.com. If I try a place search using the ‘.com’ domain, the IP-based search results aren’t accurate. In my case I have to make sure I’m using Google.ca to receive proper results.
