Google has finally provided the long awaited feature to easily embed maps into existing web pages. Before this feature was added, users had to have to make use of the Google Maps API which involved extensive amounts of JavaScript to embed a map on a site. Adding advanced features such as a Get Directions form or custom icons required even more JavaScript.
Therefore, over a year ago I created an extensive tutorial to ease the process for the average website creator to add a nice Google Map to their own site. This post brought quite a bit of traffic to my blog and propelled my site to be the #1 search result on Google for the search term “Google map directions tutorial.”
I’m sure this new embed feature from Google will cut down on the number of people using my tutorial, but I’m still glad to see Google release this new feature. Who knows, I may have to write another tutorial detailing how to get the most out of the embed feature. You’ll just have to wait and see.
Some people may still require the Google Maps API, but I’m not sure why they would. They would have to be doing some really complex map stuff to not be able to accomplish the same feats with embed functionality.
Below I’ve included a map I quickly created to show of this new feature.
View Larger Map.
Before I forget, you can read more about this on Google Lat Long Blog.