Every Location Has A Page

Most people don't realize it, but every location on every map in CommunityWalk has it's own webpage. This webpage allows for people to easily link directly to a location. It also makes it possible for a search engine to index the content of each individual location, allowing people to search for that location.

You've probably never seen one of these webpages because if you try visiting one it will simply redirect you back to the map it belongs to. Once you are on the map it will select that location on the map. The effect is that you can provide a link to any location on your map directly. Also search engines can direct people to the content they want.

On larger maps this is crucial. If someone is searching for content that exists in 1 out of 425 locations on a map and they get brought to the map without that specific location selected then they'll never be able to find the location they were looking for (and yes in-map search is on it's way).

Since search engines index each of these pages individually people can search for each individual location's content, making it easier for people to find your content! Many people are already taking advantage of this fact by providing content that is useful to the general public and referring visitors to their real estate service, hotel webpage, etc. It is a very effective technique.

Here are a few examples. Each link will bring you directly to a different location on the "Pivotal Lunch Spots" map:

Little Delhi
Specialty's Sandwiches
Colibri Mexican Bistro
Cafe Infusion

I will be creating a tutorial on how to take create links like this yourself tonight. You'll be able to find the tutorial on the CommunityWalk tutorial page.

Advanced Tutorials: Adding Audio To Your Map

When I first saw someone put a little audio player on their map with the voice of a local person describing their little shop, or a tourist attraction, etc, it really impressed me. It made such a difference in how I viewed the map. It really connected me to that local place.

I've been meaning to create a series of tutorials for some time now, providing people with some instructions on how to get the most out of CommunityWalk. There are a few features which are not very intuitive, but are very powerful, such as the ability to include a flash audio player in a location or map description.

So I've created the first tutorial. It describes how to use the Odeo Studio (studio.odeo.com) to record audio and include it in your map. Hopefully people will find it useful.

Check out the tutorial: Add Audio To Your Map

And check out the sample map here: Sample Map with Audio