The Google My Business API was launched on 15th December 2015 and has created an entirely innovative way for platforms and brands to provide information on their locations through Google Maps and Google Search. This new feature has changed the game because it improves the consumer experience as users find more detailed and accurate information, whilst businesses have more power over what a customer sees in their search when it comes to their location.
Google My Business
This interface gives people, like a web designer in Cheltenham, the power to manage how their business appears on Google. Now, they can edit listing information such as opening hours, claim locations, duplicate locations, remove closed locations, and much more.
Before this service was launched, the information had to be provided through a spreadsheet, which was time-consuming and had to be manually done through the GMB dashboard. It was sometimes a manageable task for smaller businesses, but larger companies such as digital agencies found that they had hundreds of manual updates that needed performing and their clients would suffer as a result.
Whilst the Google My Business API removes all of this hard work, it is only available to trusted providers who have been approved and have met certain standards. As the information provided is going to appear to all Google users, it has to be accurate. Small users will continue to use the GMB dashboard for updates, whilst larger enterprises will utilise the API.
What does this mean?
As API will be used in conjunction with GMB, Google will receive more regular updates. The API platform will enable businesses such as 16I web designers in Cheltenham to send fresh streams of data to Google’s servers, and this improved information will be better for both businesses and consumers.
When launching this feature, Google used holiday seasons as an example for updated data. For example, if a business is closing over the festive period, they can update this using the API.
Consumers using Google want to know that the information is comprehensive, reliable and up-to-date, so the API will allow a company to meet the customers’ needs and expectations. Businesses become responsible for their own updates without having to rely on third parties, indicating who Google values as the source of accurate location data.