Google added a new element to its search interface that will let other Web sites use geographically linked information.

At the Where 2.0 conference earlier this month, John Hanke, head of Google Earth and Google Maps announced that the company had opened up outside access to its Geo Search API (application programming interface).

This means that sites incorporating Google Maps will now able to view the geographic features that are in Google’s database. Previously this information was only visible through Google’s own map site.

This is a great advancement from small amount of geographical data that used to be available to third party websites displaying Google Maps. Now for example, a website could display not just the Marriott hotel in a certain district, but also the nearby jogging trails Hanke said in an interview after a speech.

“The API guys are on a more even footing with Google” when it comes to building a mashup that combines Google Maps with a third-party site via the interface.

In another improvement, Google added a new feature to Google Maps which allows the geotagged information in Wikipedia to also be displayed. The map shows a “W” link for entries associated with a specific location, as the Google Maps Mania observed on Tuesday.