August 24, 2007

Add Google Maps to Your Site

As promised last week, Google Maps lets you embed interactive maps and other geographical content without using the API. You just go to Google Maps, find the desired location, click on "Link to this page" and copy the code from the second box. The only customization option lets you change the size of your map and preview it.


What you can embed: maps (normal view, satellite, hybrid mode), local search results, driving directions and personalized maps. You can't embed: street view imagery, information about traffic and mapplets.

This feature is useful if you want to place a map with driving directions next to the address of your business or to showcase some interesting places using a KML file. For example, the map below shows the most important colleges and universities from the US. If you click on the placemark, you can see the name of the institution. The map was generated from a KML file found using Google Maps.

8 comments:

  1. No mouse scroll within the map?

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  2. Where are some unusual places people have tried to embed? What about in a Google Doc? HTML email? Word doc?

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  3. When I heard they were oing to to embeddable maps I assumed they would be using the embed tag rather than an iFrame, this would allow you to add maps to your MySpace page etc. It would then get alot more exposure.

    Ollie

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  4. I don't think it's possible to avoid iframes if you want to add interactive maps rendered using JavaScript. The embed tag is useful for content that requires a browser plug-in (for example, Google Video uses Adobe Flash).

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  5. Hi.

    I have created a tool that generates an embed tag for google map, and want people to try it.

    You can create a tag just by clicking on the map. Please give it a try. You can start from this URL (show you how to use):

    http://ongmap.com/blog/?p=117


    or just go directly to the site (ongmap.com)

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  6. really nice post... more power to yuou!!!


    does nyone here tried maps on your php site

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  7. I have used google map on asp.net site, but haven't try it on php site. The concept should have no difference. In fact, Google map api is very easy to learn and use

    You can take a look on how google map can be incorporate with asp.net on my website. On9Games.Net

    Cheers

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  8. Yes, Google map api is very easy to learn and use.

    And here it is with PHP / MySQL : Google Maps on LAMP site

    Boycho

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