Where have you been in the USA or world?

Googler Douwe Osinga has a great personal project that demonstrates the Google Chart API. Just by clicking a few boxes, you can make an image to show the countries (or states in the USA) that you’ve been to. Here’s where I’ve been in the United States:

Where I've been in the USA

Clearly I need to do a trip across the northern part of the country. 🙂 If you run a website, the Google Chart API is a great/free way to add pretty charts to your website or dashboard easily. You can even make google-o-meters

Google-o-meter

and QR codes

QR code

in addition to maps:

World map

If you haven’t tried out the Chart API, give it a whirl sometime; it’s pretty easy.

45 Responses to Where have you been in the USA or world? (Leave a comment)

  1. Very interesting. For the traditional charts and graphs, I am still going to stick with Excel and/or Matlab. But I’ll definitely check out the Google Chart API for the creation of those custom maps to let others know where I’ve been in the world!

  2. The US map is cool, I like how it updates as you add states. Admittedly I had an easier time selecting them by name than from the map. Neat if you could geotag a fav photo for each state.

  3. Look forward to trying these tools out. Can’t believe you’ve never been to Idaho or Wisconsin! Thanks for the info.

  4. Hey Matt,

    I have messed around with the Google Charts API before — when looking for a few solutions for clients. But, the new Map feature is awesome because it’s typically hard to make such maps for things like coverage areas unless you are familiar with GIS software (which luckily, I am).

    I haven’t looked in to it in-depth, and perhaps it is already an available feature, but it would be awesome if it could be broken down to counties as well. If so, I think it would be even more useful.

    Good stuff. 😛

  5. For some reason, not all the documentation is located at the link you provided. The Google Charts API group documents four more types of charts you can make:

    http://groups.google.com/group/google-chart-api/browse_thread/thread/b0a10b55384bf749

  6. hmmm.i am a bangladeshi .i fell proud with my country

  7. The Google Charts are very cool we use them extensively for displaying baby name popularity data. Mathew, as a baby name peeked, in popularity in the early 80s and has a near uniform popularity across states with a slightly greater popularity in northern states.

  8. Google never ceases to amaze me with all of the things they build. Matt, you should come back to Florida and help me SEO my site. 😉

  9. I love the way Google provides API and when people apply their creativity to it. A variety of Apps have been built and some of them are worth considering.

    And Great work Douwe 🙂

  10. For the traditional charts and graphs, I’m still going to stick with Excel.But this’s very interesting,I want to try.

  11. come on up and visit your MN fans! you’re just in time – there’s snow in the forecast.

  12. You’ve never been to Idaho? What are you waiting for?

  13. The “Add this map to facebook” link doesn’t work properly. Just shows the countries map, not the USA map.

  14. Great application. You must come to visit the beautiful state of Arkansas some time!

  15. You have family that live in Omaha and you’ve never been to Iowa!? Next time you’re in town, take the short trip across the river and check out the Pink Poodle 🙂 And email me. I’ll take you out to lunch to show you the parts of Omaha you’ve been missing.

  16. Really cool app but i think i would be a great idea to have the locations of other countries isn’t it?

  17. Ooo nice. With an addiction to travel (second to seo!) I can now take the pins out of my world map on my office wall 🙂

  18. Not trying to be difficult, Matt, as I think this is a really, really, way cool feature and I’ve shown it to my team and all. But I’m curious: would you recommend using nofollow on these links, NOT using nofollow, or would you prefer to remain neutral on the subject as you’re a Google employee?

  19. Nice & Amzing !
    I rememeber plotting using Mapple & Matlab 🙂
    That’s really helpful especially for students and scientific publication.

  20. Really cool idea. Love it. thanks for sharing.

  21. Matt:

    Very cool. I work on real estate sites. A cool “widget” would be a map that highlights the states the current visitors to the site were from.

    Anyone have such a widget, or a start as to how to make one?

    Thanks,

    RM

  22. sure will be useful for dating and user generated content websites

  23. Now that is cool. We have an RV and have been roaming around campsites since the grown kids were young. I wish I’d started the map way back then. Not too late though. Thanks for the good ideas.

  24. It should be easy then to have Google Profiles, “Places I’ve Lived” map to display my prior home locations! I can understand if it won’t except every place I have been, that is an extensive list. 🙂 http://www.google.com/profiles/tokeda.navycs

  25. Uk (worked in London for 1 Year), France, Spain, Netherlands, Greece, Italy, Hungary (Budapest is a very nice City), Portugal (Lisbon is a very nice City, too).

    Australia, Indonesia (Bali 5 times), Thailand (Phuket 4 times), Hong Kong (2 times), Maylasia, Singapore, Tahiti (Bora Bora most beautiful island in the World)

    Jordan (Petra-ancient city. Best city I have ever seen), Eygpt, Tunisia.

  26. But I’m curious: would you recommend using nofollow on these links, NOT using nofollow, or would you prefer to remain neutral on the subject as you’re a Google employee?

    As Google will decide guilt by association, perhaps the question should be; why wouldn’t one use nofollow on ALL external links?

    Better safe than sorry, IMO, and look at Wikipedia rankings in the SERPs.

  27. “Better safe than sorry, IMO, and look at Wikipedia rankings in the SERPs.”

    That is a complete non sequitur. The use of “rel=’nofollow'” on nearly all external links is not going to prevent Wikipedia from sharing its PageRank. In fact, instead of channeling that PageRank to the few related sites Wikipedia WAS linking to without nofollow, it should now be evaporating most of its PageRank across the Main Web Index.

    Of course, any clarifications on this point from you, Matt, will be greatly appreciated. Everyone would like to know just how much special treatment Google affords Wikipedia in its rankings.

  28. The use of “rel=’nofollow’” on nearly all external links is not going to prevent Wikipedia from sharing its PageRank.

    And that’s putting YOUR words in my mouth. Who said it did? I never even mentioned PageRank, only you have.

    My point is, there is nothing to lose by applying nofollow to all external links, so why wouldn’t one play safe and nofollow all external links? Perhaps you can actually answer the question this time, rather than putting your spin on it?

    Everyone would like to know just how much special treatment Google affords Wikipedia in its rankings.

    Please don’t speak on my behalf, I have NO interest what-so-ever in Conspiracy Theories.

  29. “there is nothing to lose by applying nofollow to all external links, so why wouldn’t one play safe and nofollow all external links?”

    For one thing, there is nothing to gain from nofollowing all external links (and Wikipedia, as I pointed out, does NOT nofollow all external links). So that’s hardly “playing it safe”.

    But as you’re clearly not speaking about PageRank, perhaps you should speak on your behalf and explain to the rest of us what you think you’re referring to, because clearly it’s not obvious.

  30. For one thing, there is nothing to gain from nofollowing all external links

    Yes there is, you WONT be penalized IF a site you link to becomes a “bad neighborhood” after you link to them in good faith. That is, unless you can somehow control sites you link to. Hardly rocket science……………..for some it even comes under the heading of common sense.

    Michael Martinez, you are clearly dodging my question and putting your OWN spin on it, so I will leave you to obsess of PageRank. Ta ta 🙂

  31. This is exactly what I have been looking for. I too have been stuck with using an excel template for my insurance clients. This will make it really easy to add to their website now. Thanks for posting the api

  32. Please in winter drive up to Yellowstone in Montana. Rent a snowmobile, laugh your tail off, see wild animals. We did it last Christmas. Fantastic!

  33. “Yes there is, you WONT be penalized IF a site you link to becomes a “bad neighborhood” after you link to them in good faith. ”

    That is absolute nonsense. Google doesn’t penalize sites whose outbound link destinations “turn into bad neighborhoods”.

  34. Thank you for the tips.

    I will do that. Would you also mind if I sent you an email with a couple of questions? I do not think are in areas that will be disappointing.

    Best regards
    Hans

  35. I’ll look into the Google Chart API for the creation of custom maps and let people know where I’ve been on vacation! Vacation coming soon too! Hehey!

  36. When do QR codes make it big? And in what function? Do they offer any non-obvious advantages over “2D” [sic] barcodes?

  37. That is absolute nonsense. Google doesn’t penalize sites whose outbound link destinations “turn into bad neighborhoods”.

    Speaking of “absolute nonsense”, you are full of it with that hollow statement, no proof AGAIN, like your Conspiracy Theory that Google favors Wikipedia in their SERPs.

    Read the Google Webmaster Guidelines, WITH BOTH EYES OPEN 🙂

    In particular, avoid links to web spammers or “bad neighborhoods” on the web, as your own ranking may be affected adversely by those links.I sure hope you aren’t in the SEO industry? Although it would explain your lack of common sense.

  38. Damnit :0)

    In particular, avoid links to web spammers or “bad neighborhoods” on the web, as your own ranking may be affected adversely by those links.

    I sure hope you aren’t in the SEO industry, Michael Martinez? Although it would explain your lack of common sense.

  39. Hmm, still no mention on those tricky rotating links to totally irrelated money projects in the to-be-copied HTML code. Do you encourage that too, Matt?

    Just curious.

  40. Hi Matt

    I just want to ask why the Philippines does not found in the Google maps if you want to add business. Example I want to add my business here in the Philippines in a google maps. I will use Google local business Center . Why Philippines are not found into it? Here is the sample http://www.google.com/local/add/lookup?welcome=false&hl=en-US&gl=US

    As you can see you cant find Philippines there.

    How can we put our business here in the Philippines in the Google local business center if there is no Philippines tab there. There is any option on how to add?

    Lloyd

  41. Matt, instead of going to the Pink Poodle in Omaha, go nextdoor (sorry I’ve forgotten the name) and try the blackened catfish. Awesome.

  42. What about UK and other parts of Europe, have u ever been to this part of the world?

  43. Working for Google really allows to travel quite a bit. I think I have been to 15 states.

  44. Great or those who doesn’t have a lot of memory! For old people or geeks, but for those who travel a lot, like me, I don’t need to do statistics about that!

  45. I wish he could also come with another map in other countries.

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