Since July 16, 2018, Google Maps has paid for the use of these APIs and companies have every interest in adapting to these changes.
First of all, we must remember that the use of Google Maps on browser and mobile application remains free for users. It is the professionals using Google Maps on their websites who are concerned by the monetization of these services. When it comes to the Google maps marketing then the options are there as well.
Major changes made
Until then, companies could use Google Maps in a relatively free way, with API integration that was free (in a quota of 25,000 impressions / day).
The interactive maps of Google Maps could therefore be displayed to users a significant number of times while remaining a free service, and that’s what will change.
From now on, a card can be displayed for free only 28,000 times a month: beyond this threshold, the 1000 additional views will be billed (and the price will be decreasing).
Alternative solutions
There are alternative, open-source and sometimes free solutions like OpenStreetMap. Unfortunately their features are much more limited than those of Google Maps (impossible to geocode, to make a route or to have the Street View). So apart from a few special cases, the Google Maps API will remain The reference for a majority of sites and many companies will have to adapt and pay to continue using this service.
- Would you like to show your business in the results when users search for a business on Google Maps but do not know how? Want to be more visible in Google’s search results locally?
- In this article, we’ll see how to add your business to Google Maps and improve your visibility on Google.
- To be present in Google Maps, you will have to go through the Google My Business tool. This sheet is very simple to create and will allow you to stand out from your competitors.
- We’ll describe step by step how to create and optimize your Google My Business listing and how to attract new customers through geo-location.
What is Google My Business?
Google My Business was created in 2014 to facilitate search in the local business search engine. In addition to providing better visibility for businesses on Google through visualization in Google Maps, this feature has the advantage of allowing companies to assess the impact on interactions such as clicks, views, calls and specific requests.
As for the users, they can give an opinion on your company and leave a comment, which will generate more interactions on your page and allow you to appear better in Google Maps.
The benefits of creating a Google My Business account
Be visible in local search
To begin, keep in mind that geo-location on Google Maps is not only useful for companies that own a store or location, such as restaurants, clothing stores or florists, even if for these categories of businesses, create a listing on Google My Business is a must. More and more people are looking for local services, using Google Maps directly.
