The success of geo data means great sales numbers for manufacturers of mobile navigation devices. In parallel, geo web applications are now firmly established and can do much more than planning routes. At this moment they are leading worldwide users to the goal of their search for information with intuitive guidance.

Market leader Google has established the Web 2.0 solution Google Maps, which depicts geo data within topographic maps, traffic maps and satellite images with numerous zoom levels. The controversial Street View breaks the aerial view of the maps down to the level of the street and allows for a panoramic view in 3D.

Such a combination is the foundation for new control concepts and various capabilities to link presented geo data with text, video and other regular web contents. Web search, apart from a link to the virtual site, is extended with the real geo location of an operator.

By using geo data in combination with contents, one can utilize the capabilities of the representation within a control concept. If, for example, the branches of a provider are visualized within a map, geographic proximity becomes a selection criterion for users.

Applications like Google Maps with their forms of representation can be adapted and integrated into the own site via open interfaces. An obvious example is a contact page, which is extended with different views of the location and directions from the whereabouts of the visitor.

Usually, filters are used for a large amount of geo data, to hide and unhide it accordingly. Within tourist guides or service sites, locations alongside a certain route can be highlighted and described. The application can also serve as the central navigation element of the whole site in such cases.