More Google Queries Sent to Google Maps

The number of Google queries that have been sent to Google Maps has trebled in the last year according to online traffic-measurement firm Hitwise. However Hitwise say this does not necessarily mean more people are searching for Google Maps.

In the past if you searched for an address Google would offer links to MapQuest, Yahoo and Google Maps. Now Google only sends you to Google Maps. Hitwise also suggests that searches for Mapquest are still ten times more common than Google Maps but Google now sends half as many people to MapQuest than to its own mapping site.

There has been growing criticism of Google moving into content creation because of fears that it will exploit its search engine to favour its own content. One of the most visited websites in the world is Wikipedia. Last year Google announced the development of a service called 'Knol' which many have seen as a direct competitor to Wikipedia.

Judging by Google's aggressive promotion of Google Maps at the expense of its competitors Wikipedia should be very worried.