Thanks for StackOverflow user xordon for this answer:
This is current accepted way to link to a specific lat lon (rather than search for the nearest object).
http://maps.google.com/maps?z=12&t=m&q=loc:38.9419+-78.3020
- z is the zoom level (1-20)
- t is the map type (“m” map, “k” satellite, “h” hybrid, “p” terrain, “e” GoogleEarth)
- q is the search query, if it is prefixed by loc: then google assumes it is a lat lon separated by a +
–jeroen
via: What parameters should I use in a Google Maps URL to go to a lat-lon? – Stack Overflow.