In a recent post here Google Maps for Local Linking Opportunities I briefly touched upon using Google Maps for prospecting for links, I searched high and low for a tool that would extract all of those links from the “What`s Around Here?” search, a tool that would basically extract the URL`s from the result that I could then use as part of my link acquisitions.

What`s Around Here?

“What`s Around Here” is a feature that can be enabled within Google Maps if you are part of Labs. You can bypass that without being part of it by simply conducting a search say for NYC

Google Map of NYC

Nothing remarkable to see here, but now replace that search while on that result with an Asterisk (*) and keep clicking on the + under the orange Street View fella until you are faced with a map full of acne.

Acne Splattered NYC

If you clicked through that link you should hopefully see the same version of that map as highlighted above. If you hover over any of those markers you should also see alternate text about that place.

Now the whole purpose of this post is to highlight a search operator you may have overlooked.

Why Would I Want this Data?

Would you be more inclined as a native New Yorker to link to someone who has a relevant theme to yours to boost YOUR local relevancy? Other than that it is giving a new opportunity to discover other sites in your neighbourhood to begin fostering for future linking opportunities.

Still Not Precise Enough?

Well how about searching NYC – “What`s Around Here” for Travel Agents? A simple operator, use the Asterisk followed by Travel Agents and now you have more actionable data to work with!

Search for Travel Agents Using Whats Around Here followed by your keyphrase

Give it a try for any town or city on the planet and a keyphrase then tell me we need a tool to pull all of that juicy data.

Could you think of another use for the data pulled?