NEW Google Maps Embed Code Sucks for Local SEO - Here is Why

[Linda Buquet]

Many Pros I work with have asked how to embed a map with the NEW Google maps.
The fact is that feature has been missing and was just added a few days ago.

The good news is Google just announce the embed a map feature for the new Maps.
(It's hiding under the gear icon)

The bad news is I don't think you want to to use it - and here's why...

Map Embedded from Old Classic Google Maps




Map Embedded from New Google Maps

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WOWSER... look at all those competitors!
Compare it to the nice, clean, competitor-free classic maps above.


Which map do you want to embed on your client's contact us page??? We do the hard work of getting a potential new patient (or customer) to our client's web site --- maybe even pay for ads to get them there --- then they go to the contact us page to see where they are located. Why on earth would we want to show them all the other competitors that are right near by??? One more chance to lose a customer and have them surf off to someone else!

Embedded maps are for helping customers find YOUR business, not to help them find all your competitors!

And now for the coup de gr?ce...
ADS are coming to your embedded map soon!

In 90 days, ads may appear on your embedded maps on your client's contact us pages. Will it be competitor ads? Not sure. But I think all the competitor map pins on your map should be enough to sway you away from using the new maps embed code.

Local SEO Implications​

The new map has no phone, no link to site. Not a big deal if embedded on the contact us page, but if embedding it elsewhere, having the phone and site URL link is a benefit.

But the bigger issue for Local SEO is the code

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In my Advanced On-site Local SEO course, one of the "Local Hooks" I teach is how to embed the map right so that it carries some local SEO benefit. I have a whole video on all the issues you need to pay attention to when embedding the map and how NOT to do it. I also teach a super advanced Local SEO trick no one else knows which deals with the map code. None of that benefit passes through or is even possible with the new Maps embed code. Anyone who has taken my course can clearly see at least part of the issue with the new embed code.

FYI I'm working on the new release of the On-site Local SEO Video course.
Should be finished soon. Email me to be on the priority notification list.


New Google Maps embed option articles and resources:

Official: Google Geo Developers Blog: Jazz up your site or blog with the new Google Maps embed "Finally, over the coming weeks we’ll be introducing a new ad experience we think is attractive for users of the new Google Maps embed. This new on-map design will allow relevant local businesses to connect with your users, similar to the ads you currently see in the new Google Maps and Google Maps for Mobile."

Embeds Return To New Google Maps, Will Soon Include Ads | TechCrunch

Google Maps Gets New ‘Embed Map’ Feature, Embeds To Include Ads | WebProNews

Google introduces new personalized Google Maps embed


Questions? Comments?

 

[Kurt Steinbrueck]

Linda,

Great post. I totally agree that the new embed maps suck. Just in case people didn't know, I thought I'd add that you can still create the old embedded maps.

1. When you use Google Maps, down in the bottom, right corner of the map is a question mark.
2. If click the question mark, you have the option to use the Classic Google Maps.
3. From there, search for your organization.
4. Above the results on the left, you'll see a chain-link icon.
5. Click it and you'll see the embed code for the old map style. You can even customize it.

I don't know how long Google will continue to give us access to Classic Google Maps, but as long as they do, we don't have to settle for new embedded maps.

 

[rossicone]

Just in case people didn't know, I thought I'd add that you can still create the old embedded maps.

Do we know how the coding for the old embeded map in classic maps will display if we do not convert it to the new coding?

@Linda- do you have a time frame of when ads will start displaying/what they will look like?

Thanks!!

 

[Linda Buquet]

Thanks Kurt. Yes I hope we get to keep the option for classic maps.

In addition to getting in the way you shared I also bookmark and use the direct link below. Then I don't have to keep going back and forth with settings. I just click the link to the new or old maps depending on what I'm trying to do. Here is the classic maps link: https://www.google.com/maps?output=classic

Do we know how the coding for the old embeded map in classic maps will display if we do not convert it to the new coding?

@Linda- do you have a time frame of when ads will start displaying/what they will look like?

Not sure I understand the 1st Q. As far as I know the old maps will continue to display.

Answer to the 2nd Q in that quote from Google - at least as much of an answer as we have now.

"Finally, over the coming weeks we?ll be introducing a new ad experience we think is attractive for users of the new Google Maps embed. This new on-map design will allow relevant local businesses to connect with your users, similar to the ads you currently see in the new Google Maps and Google Maps for Mobile.

 

[Margaret Ornsby]

..."Finally, over the coming weeks we?ll be introducing a new ad experience we think is attractive for users of the new Google Maps embed. ...

Doesn't that depend on whether it's your ad displaying? If you're like so many local businesses, having a competitors ad on your map is so not "attractive".

 

[Michael S. Doran]

Thanks Kurt. Yes I hope we get to keep the option for classic maps.

In addition to getting in the way you shared I also bookmark and use the direct link below. Then I don't have to keep going back and forth with settings. I just click the link to the new or old maps depending on what I'm trying to do. Here is the classic maps link: https://www.google.com/maps?output=classic



Not sure I understand the 1st Q. As far as I know the old maps will continue to display.

Answer to the 2nd Q in that quote from Google - at least as much of an answer as we have now.

"Finally, over the coming weeks we?ll be introducing a new ad experience we think is attractive for users of the new Google Maps embed. This new on-map design will allow relevant local businesses to connect with your users, similar to the ads you currently see in the new Google Maps and Google Maps for Mobile.

I usually search the company phone number on maps to zero in on their listing and then grab the embed code form there. Is that how the CID is picked up or is there a better way that you want to share?

 

[rossicone]

Not sure I understand the 1st Q. As far as I know the old maps will continue to display.

Sorry, now that I read that back it was quite confusing . So if we already have an embedded Google map on our website with the old classic map coding, we do not need to update the coding? It will continue to show the Classic Maps instead?

Thanks!
Rachel

 

[Linda Buquet]

Thanks for clarifying Rachel. Yes your existing embedded maps should stay as is, as far as I know.

I mean it's possible that some day new maps is all there is and everything would convert but it's not happening now.

 

[Lloyd Silver]

Can someone please point me to that portion of the advanced course that deals with embedding maps. I couldn't find it.

Thanks.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Hi Lloyd,

Since embedding maps is done on the website, that's explained in detailed and shown in the on-site Local SEO course. In fact there is a whole separate video just on that part.

But it's complicated because since I did the videos, Google has made several changes in a row that sort of crippled our efforts. So there are a bunch of posts in the Private on-site SEO forum that explain workarounds I had to come up with after every change.

 

[Michael S. Doran]

I made a couple of screen shots to hopefully make it easy.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Thanks so much Michael for the screen shots!

Doing just it the regular way with new Maps is easy.

I have a whole strategy I teach though for turning the embedded map into an optimizational "local hook" and it only worked with the Classic Map embed code. And the way you used to do Classic embeds changed twice and features we needed were removed. So that's why it got really convoluted.

But just doing a regular embed with new maps is really easy to figure out. Just does not have quite the same power to be a local hook. PLUS you still have to know how to do it a certain way and many don't do it right. But for a basic straight embed map, you got it!

 

[Linda Buquet]

Things have changed again. New menu, "embed" option is a little hidden now. So not the way Michael showed above any more.

<a href="http://www.localsearchforum.com/google-maps/34832-google-moves-google-maps-embed-code-again-here-where-find.html">Google Moves Google Maps Embed Code Again - Here is where to find it!</a>