This just in from the Google Mobile Blog – they have turned on a “Near Me Now” link if you visit google.com with your Android or iPhone browser.  Clicking the “Near Me Now” link displays a menu of business types: Restaurants, Coffee Shops, Bars, ATMs, etc.  Clicking on one of the categories then shows you a list of of businesses close to you.

Here are some screenshots from my iPhone:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A couple of things stand out to me here:

• The business filters are nicely done.  There’s an iPhone app called AroundMe that does a nice job with these sorts of venue filters, but they are the only location service that I can think of using this approach.  Until now.  If you’ve ever tried to use Foursquare in Manhattan, you will realize why filters can be helpful.
• Google’s local business data is very, very good, and very accurate.  Their review content, though not up to Yelp standards, is growing slowly and steadily.

Any time that Big G decides to add another link to Google.com, it’s worth stopping and taking notice.  With Yelp acquisition rumors, and those big giant plastic pins, and their favorite places barcode decals, and local business days in major cities, and now a new link on Google.com – it’s clear that Google sees local as a major battleground.

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