Google recently released local-business annotations in Street View, improving the mapping tool’s content so customers can learn more about what they’re seeing when conducting a local search. Local-business listings now appear as small icons connected to the buildings in the Street View image. When clicking on the icons, searchers see business listings as overlays on the maps.

This overlay displays main business information such as business name, address, phone number and reviews. You’re also able to click on the different options within each listing, including “Directions,” “Search nearby,” “Save to…,” “Write a review,” “Move marker,” “Report a problem” and more.

Last December, Bing also launched its version of Street View with a similar mapping tool called Streetside. When searching for a business in Bing Maps, you can zoom in to Streetside, then navigate through the streets much like you can with Street View. Once you click on a specific business, more information is available as an overlay on the map, which includes business name, address, phone, reviews, directions and the option to save the listing. There are also apps available with Streetside that can layer posts from Twitter and other services atop the “physical canvas” (behind the street imagery).

After taking the time to navigate through both apps, I noticed that Bing’s Streetside lets you zoom, pan and move around with a bit more ease than Google’s Street View. But once I found a specific business to click on, the provided information was very similar.

Also, you have to be using Microsoft’s cross-platform browser plug-in, Silverlight, to even utilize Streetside and Bing’s other enhanced map features (while Google only requires access to its site). Google has also said that it plans to soon extend the coverage of new-business annotations, inclusive of more businesses and transit locations.

What other updates will both engines come up with to compete with each other’s mapping features?