How to Use Google Places API to Audit Your Business Listings at Scale

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Businesses managing multiple locations can use Google's Places API (New) to audit what customers actually see on Google Maps, independent of internal Business Profile access. By retrieving each location's Place ID — either via the Business Information API or a Text Search query — operators can request specific fields like phone number, website, hours, and business status using a required field mask. The audit compares live public data against internal records, flagging mismatches such as outdated phone numbers, incorrect hours, or erroneous closure statuses for manual correction in Google Business Profile. This approach is especially useful when locations are managed by franchisees or third-party agencies, since it requires no write access to the listings. Auditors should monitor API billing tiers carefully, as fields like phone numbers and opening hours fall under higher-cost SKUs than basic address data.

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