Apple recently announced Maps Web Snapshots, a new static map product. Maps Web Snapshots allow users to create a static map image from a URL that can be used any time an interactive map is not necessary or JavaScript is unavailable. The map image pulls from a URL, making it a fantastic option for web pages and email clients alike.

How it works.  Maps Web Snapshots allow you to visually share points of interest and location details simply by loading a URL. The maps share chosen data points and details, including business locations, geographic boundaries, routing information and parameters, which can be customized to display different overlay styles, color schemes and map types, allowing you to choose what information your audience sees and how it appears on their screen. All you need is an Apple Developer account, MapKitJS key information and a domain to refer the Snapshot from. Once you set up the appropriate credentials, you can utilize Snapshots Studio to build your Maps Web Snapshot.

Unlike Apples Core Maps product, these maps are static and do not offer interactive features, making them perfect for situations where JavaScript is not available.

What it looks like. If you’ve ever used DuckDuckGo, you’ve likely seen Maps Web Snapshots in action.

Apple provides the basic map layout for developers to use as a starting point. They can then add parameters to modify the map display based on the user’s light or dark mode display, in addition to choosing the type of map displayed using the Snapshot Studio tool. Once a location is chosen for the center point of the map, parameters such as map size, language, map or satellite view, color and marker style can be customized.

Once the map is created, it can be embedded anywhere you choose and allows up to 25,000 daily views. Developers can request capacity increases as needed, depending on their level of developer membership.

Why we care. Maps Web Snapshots allow you to add a map to your website, email, or anywhere else you can share a link that you’ve chosen the data points on. Adding business locations, points of interest, and routing information that you choose to share offers a variety of opportunities for business owners and users alike:

• Share route information with customers.
• Shareable, branded, clutter-free (and competitor-free) map views.
• Share business locations.
• Create chosen points of interest for visitors.
• Embeddable map content that is not dependent upon Google.
• Private route sharing.

Apple has been quietly working to create a map product that rivals Google Maps, and as a result, they’re coming out with innovative features that users seem to be increasingly pleased with. Apple’s commitment to privacy was further solidified with their DuckDuckGo partnership, offering private map route planning. Their maps are currently displayed in DuckDuckGo’s SERPs, and this trend will likely continue across other search platforms as users’ desire for privacy increases.

The post Apple Maps: What a maps web snapshot can do for your online content appeared first on Search Engine Land.

Search marketers entering exact match keywords may see an alert towards the bottom of their Google Ads interface stating, “Broad match keywords are on. Keywords will be saved as broad match.” This message is an error and has no impact on how keywords are saved, Ginny Marvin, ads product liaison at Google, has confirmed.

Tip of the hat to Drew Cannon for bringing this to our attention.

Google is working to remove the incorrect message. “This message is an error that we are working to remove,” Marvin said on Twitter, “The message was intended for a potential opt-in experiment, but it has no impact on how keywords are saved or the traffic to which these keywords match. Our apologies for the confusion.”

Why we care. This message tells advertisers exactly what they don’t want to see when using exact match keywords, so it can be frustrating and cause them to question whether the platform is functioning properly. However, the ability to save exact match keywords remains intact, despite the confusing alert, so you can carry on as usual. And, Google is working on a fix, so the message should go away soon.

The post Google Ads error tells advertisers exact match keywords are saving as broad match appeared first on Search Engine Land.

Looking to start 2022 with a fresh online presence? Check out these 2 brand-new mortgage website templates we just released! These professional, eye-catching designs make a striking first impression, and the sleek interface makes for an enjoyable user experience for your loan prospects.

They’re mobile responsive, modern, fully customizable (no coding needed!), and ready to launch in minutes –just like all our other templates. They also feature our new Mortgage Calculator, underscoring the modern borrower’s preference to engage, not just consume.

Perfect for either personal or company branding, the new mortgage templates have GROWTH built into every design and integration element. Click the images below to see them live.

Template 62

Template 61

Google has launched a “Shops” section in the mobile search results, a company spokesperson has confirmed to Search Engine Land. The Shops section shows three retailers (but can be expanded to show up to ten) based on their organic search rankings and is available on mobile devices for select shopping-related queries in the U.S.

Tip of the hat to Khushal Bherwani for bringing this to our attention.

Google’s statement. “We recently launched Shops, a new module available on mobile devices for select US-English shopping-related queries,” a Google spokesperson told Search Engine Land, “We launched this to help present more seller options to users on Search. This feature currently shows 3 shops and users can then expand to see up to 10 merchants depending on availability. The selection of results shown and their order are based on organic search ranking.”

Another milestone for Google’s organic shopping efforts. Over the last two years, Google has expanded its shopping-related results from being a paid product to also offering plenty of visibility opportunities organically, beginning with the introduction of free product listings in April 2020.

The company has also introduced a “deals” section in the search results and launched Shopping integrations for Shopify, WooCommerce and GoDaddy, among other e-commerce platforms.

Why we care. The Shops section is another area in the search results where retailers might potentially appear, which can increase awareness for their brands and drive traffic. However, since the Shops section is based on organic search ranking, retailers who don’t already rank well may not be able to reap its benefits.

As Google continues to add support for organic shopping features, it only becomes more important for merchants to ensure their sites are optimized both for traditional search results and shopping-related features.

Non-shopping results may also appear in the same results page as the Shops section (in the case of the screenshot above, there is a listing for a tutorial on how to fix a broken bike chain). The addition of more shopping features may potentially push non-shopping-related results further down the page, which can affect clickthroughs.

From an industry perspective, Google’s buildout of organic e-commerce features supporting both users and merchants speaks to the rise of digital commerce and its role in the company’s strategy.

The post Google launches ‘Shops’ section in mobile search results appeared first on Search Engine Land.

Marketers can’t argue the effectiveness of social marketing or the need to cultivate a social presence to connect with their audience. The struggle is keeping pace with the constant changes of the social landscape and its relation to your brand’s health. This is more important than ever in light of the past 22 months of the pandemic.

Join experts from NetBase Quid as they share insights from their State of Social 2022 report, including the biggest trends in social media that are shifting brand priorities and where the golden opportunities are for brands to connect meaningfully with targeted audiences.

Register today for “The Ultimate Social Media Guide to Building Your Brand in 2022,” presented by NetBase Quid.

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