Google Shares Up 2% On Bike Directions News
There are myriad events affecting Google’s stock price from day to day, but on the day bike directions were announced, Google shares jumped about two percent:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbM7G3KKZjQ
I’m not a stock guy, so I have no idea if it was really bike directions news that helped push Google’s stock higher — or had any effect at all, one way or the other — but you can check out yourself the opening and closing prices (I calculate +2.3%), and news events on and around March 10, the announcement date.
Our FAQ #15 suggested this would be the case (green text mine):
15. What’s in this effort for Google and the Google Maps (and/or Transit) team and Google stockholders?
Besides the indirect benefits that Google would reap from this feature implementation (like, say, the continuing and/or increased adoration of millions of people around the world), there are probably direct benefits. As mentioned in the petition, this feature would “Help Google realize its core mission of ‘organizing the world’s information and making it universally accessible and useful.’” But I also believe this feature is a money-maker – an effort aimed at the quickly-growing number of people who choose to commute by bike. Google will be positioning itself to capture more local advertising revenue, be able to capture a larger share of the burgeoning bicycle industry, and its expertise in the mapping/GIS arena (one of growing importance) will be further strengthened. Since Google Maps revolutionized online mapping, lots of folks are starting to realize the importance of this revenue stream. Google stockholders will be pleased with the introduction of bicycle directions to Google Maps as this feature would almost certainly have a positive impact on share price.
Let’s see if Microsoft, Yahoo, Mapquest and others wants to compete, or if they’re just going to cede online mapping to Google.
I did the San Jose Bike Party last night. Good times. One great scene was seeing all these different groups of bikers converging on the meeting point from every different direction — big chopper bikes, etc. It looked like a revolution was about to happen. Maybe it is. 
Happy First Day of Spring! Get on your bikes and ride!