Has Google Maps records whether RankGear finds one specific legacy Google Maps URL pattern — the literal http://maps.google.com/maps prefix — in a page’s rendered HTML. It returns 1 when that exact string is present and 0 when it is not. Because it only recognizes this dated pattern, a 0 does not prove a page has no map, and the value is an observation about pages in a result set, not a lever that moves rankings.
| Factor ID | RG-TEC-010 |
|---|---|
| Family | Tech & platform |
| Measurement | Boolean presence (0 / 1) |
| Measured zone | Rendered HTML without scripts |
What it measures
This factor indicates whether RankGear recognizes a specific legacy Google Maps URL pattern in the page HTML. It is a narrow presence check for one historical link format, not a general test for whether the page contains any map. A page can embed a modern Google Map and still register 0 here if it does not use the exact legacy pattern.
How RankGear measures it
RankGear searches the rendered HTML (with scripts stripped) case-insensitively for the exact HTTP prefix http://maps.google.com/maps. HTTPS links, current embed domains, shortened links, and other Google Maps formats may not match. A recognized reference returns 1; if the prefix is not found, the factor returns 0.
What RankGear looks for
<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=...">View map</a>
<iframe src="http://maps.google.com/maps?...&output=embed"></iframe>| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1 | The literal http://maps.google.com/maps prefix was found in the rendered HTML. |
| 0 | The prefix was not found. The page may still contain a map in a newer, unrecognized format. |
How to optimize it
Treat this as an observation, not a target. Add a map only when location context genuinely helps users find, visit, or understand the business or subject. When a map belongs on the page, use a current supported Google Maps embed or link, provide the address in accessible text, and watch the privacy and performance impact of the embed. Do not chase the 1 by reverting to an obsolete link format — the newer, correct implementation serves users better even though this legacy detector will not credit it.
Important considerations
- This legacy detector can miss valid modern Google Maps implementations, so it understates how many pages actually use a map.
- A zero does not prove that no map is present — it only means the specific legacy pattern was not matched.
- Do not replace a correct HTTPS embed with an obsolete HTTP URL just to raise the factor.
- Map usefulness depends on page intent; a map that helps a local landing page can be noise on an informational article.
- Correlation is not causation: this value reflects a pattern seen across a measured result set and does not, on its own, cause or guarantee any ranking.
Related factors
Part of the Factors reference · how RankGear measures · glossary.