7 Weird Things Google Maps Can Do That Most Businesses Don't Realise
Google Maps is not just your ordinary navigation app. Behind that easy-to-use interface lies sophisticated technology that collects, analyses, and displays data from sources you never would have imagined. Many small and medium enterprise (SME) owners in Malaysia still think of Google Maps as nothing more than a digital map — but the truth is, this platform is a powerful data engine that can influence customer decisions before they even step foot into your premises. This article reveals 7 surprising facts about how Google Maps works in Malaysia — things you need to know to stay competitive in the local market.
1. Google Maps Can Tell Whether Your Car Park Is Full or Not
How does this work? Google Maps uses aggregated, anonymised location data from Android users who have enabled location sharing. The system analyses vehicle movement patterns around your premises to estimate the level of congestion in your car park area.
This data is then displayed to potential customers as "Parking" information within your Google Business profile — giving them a sense of whether it's easy or difficult to find parking near your shop. This means the customer experience begins long before they arrive at your front door.
Practical Tip: Make sure your Google Business Profile (GBP) contains accurate parking information. Specify whether you offer free parking, paid parking, or rely on nearby public parking, so that customer expectations can be managed properly.
2. Google Maps Knows When Your Shop Is "Usually Busy" — Without You Telling Anyone
One of the most fascinating aspects of how Google Maps works in Malaysia is the "Popular Times" feature. Google uses aggregated visit data from users who have location history enabled to generate a bar chart showing your business's peak hours for each day of the week.
What's even more surprising is that the system can also provide live wait time estimates for certain businesses. Customers can see whether now is a good time to visit or not — and this directly influences their decision.
Practical Tip: Use the "Popular Times" data as a guide to plan promotions or special offers during quieter hours to better balance customer flow throughout the day.
3. Customer Photo Reviews Can Change How People See Your Business — More Than Your Own Photos
Google Maps prioritises photos uploaded by users (user-generated content) as they are considered more authentic and trustworthy. These photos often appear more frequently than official photos uploaded by the business owner themselves, especially in the business card display on local search results.
According to a BrightLocal study (2024), 87% of users use Google to evaluate local businesses before making a purchase decision. This means a blurry food photo or an unappealing shot of your shop taken by a customer can have a significant impact on how your brand is perceived.
Practical Tip: Encourage satisfied customers to upload high-quality photos by offering appropriate incentives, or ensure your premises always look neat and presentable enough to be photographed.
4. Google Maps Uses Signals From Your Website to Verify Your GBP Information
Many business owners don't realise that Google actively crawls your website to verify the information listed in your GBP. If the address, phone number, or operating hours on your website don't match the details in your GBP, Google's algorithm will lower its trust level for your profile.
This is known as "NAP consistency" (Name, Address, Phone) — an important factor in local search ranking. According to Moz (2023), GBP signals account for as much as 36% of local ranking factors, making it one of the most critical elements you need to manage carefully.
Practical Tip: Regularly check that your business name, address, and phone number are consistent across all online platforms — your website, social media, business directories, and your GBP.
5. Google Maps Can "Suggest Edits" Without Your Permission — And They Can Be Auto-Approved
This is one of the most concerning facts about how Google Maps works in Malaysia: Google allows anyone — including competitors or unhappy customers — to suggest edits to your business profile. These edits can include changes to operating hours, business categories, address, and even your business name.
What's more alarming is that some of these edits can be automatically approved by Google's algorithm without any clear notification to the business owner. This means customers searching for you may be getting incorrect information without you even knowing.
Practical Tip: Log in to Google Business Profile Manager at least once a week to check for any changes or suggested edits. Make sure your GBP email notifications are enabled so you're always kept in the loop.
6. Google Maps Analyses the Text in Reviews to Interpret Your Business
Google uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) to read and analyse the content of your customer reviews. The system extracts themes, keywords, and sentiment from these reviews to help Google understand what your business offers — and in what context.
For example, if many customers mention "great coffee" or "fast service" in their reviews, Google will associate those keywords with your business profile. This indirectly influences which related searches will surface your business to potential new customers.
According to Google (2024), complete and accurate GBP information — including how customers describe your business — significantly improves local search ranking.
Practical Tip: Respond to every customer review politely and naturally incorporate your business keywords in your replies. This not only builds customer trust but also helps Google better understand the context of your business.
7. Google Maps Can Display Your Business Even If Your GBP Is Unclaimed — But This Is Dangerous
Google can automatically create a business listing based on data collected from various sources such as online directories, websites, and third-party data. This means your business may already exist on Google Maps even if you have never registered or claimed your GBP.
This situation is dangerous because the information displayed may be inaccurate, outdated, or incomplete — and you have no control to correct it. Worse still, a competitor or another party could claim that profile before you do, effectively taking control of your business information.
Practical Tip: Do a quick check to see whether your business already exists on Google Maps. If it does, claim the profile immediately through Google Business Profile Manager and fill in all the required information. Remember — according to Google (2024), a complete and accurate GBP is the key to improving your ranking in local search.
Why Does All This Matter for Your Business?
Understanding how Google Maps works in Malaysia is not just technical knowledge — it is a critical business strategy. Every piece of information displayed on your GBP influences customer decisions before they contact you, before they visit your premises, and before they make any purchase.
In an increasingly competitive digital landscape, Malaysian SMEs that take their GBP management seriously will have a clear advantage over competitors who are still neglecting this platform. GBP signals account for 36% of local search ranking factors (Moz, 2023) — and that is simply too significant to ignore.
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Is your Google Business Profile truly optimised to attract local customers? Or are you losing business opportunities every day without even realising it?
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- What the main weaknesses in your GBP are
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Don't let your competitors get ahead of you on Google Maps search. Try your free audit today at gbpauditlab.com and take full control of your business's digital presence.