In their latest round of improvements to their Google Maps product, Google has announced they will be displaying images in their SERPs along side the maps results for some geographic-based searches. This move has been pegged by Google as an update that benefits the user in that there are now images associated with the location to paint a clearer picture of its appearance.

Over at Search Engine Land, Matt McGee correctly pointed out in the location-based searches he performed Google was using their photo site, Panoramio, to pull images. Other searches show photos from Cosmotourist as well. Search marketers should take this as a sign that they should be uploading their photos to Panoramio as well as Flickr now that Google is putting more emphasis on it. You can bet this is a sign that more of Google’s products in the future will be using images from Panoramio as well.