Obvlo VS Google Places API.
Like Obvlo, Google Places API can be used to source rich content on places around the world to display in your platform.
We also use Google Places as one of our data sources since it's pretty dependable for certain data points, particularly business status and opening hours.
However, while Google Places is very good for certain data points, there are limitations if you require visual and curated content that requires considerable development to overcome.
Obvlo VS Google Places API.
Obvlo
Google API
Superior Content Quality & Expanded Diversity
Obvlo employs AI to verify high-quality images, surpassing Google Places by incorporating Instagram photos for a more vibrant visual experience. Leveraging multiple sources like travel guide tags, TripAdvisor, and Foursquare data, Obvlo offers a richer understanding of each location.
Revolutionary Personalisation & Precise AI Categorisation
Obvlo's AI curation engine provides dynamic personalisation, adjusting recommendations based on preferences, time, season, and weather. This approach delivers contextually relevant suggestions, enhancing the user experience beyond Google Places’ capabilities.
In-depth Location Intelligence from Multiple Sources
Going beyond Google Places, Obvlo uses editorial content and cross-verifies information from various trusted sources. This method ensures reliable and detailed location information, including opening hours, business status, and authentic ratings.
Peak Personalisation & Exceptional User Satisfaction
Achieving over 95% guest satisfaction, Obvlo's use of diverse sources for personalisation leads to experiences that resonate with users. Unlike Google Places, Obvlo's curated experiences are tailored to individual preferences, ensuring a high level of user delight.
Google Places API Limitations.
Inconsistent Photo Quality
Google Places often features photos uploaded by users, leading to inconsistent quality, especially for restaurants. This variability can impact the overall presentation and user perception of a listing.
Variable Listing Quality and Detail
While Google Places API provides foundational listing details, the information can be inconsistent, ranging from basic to incomplete, including missing descriptions, website URLs, and crucial tags. This variability necessitates additional refinement and supplementation by users or developers to ensure listings are both informative and user-friendly, addressing the occasional gaps in quality and comprehensiveness.
Limited Scope of Listings
The API focuses primarily on points of interest, omitting bookable experiences, tours and events. Those seeking a broader range of activities must turn to additional sources to supplement the information provided by Google Places.
Benefits of using Obvlo instead.
Enhanced Content Curation and Personalisation
Obvlo enhances user experience through advanced categorisation and tagging, tailoring content specifically to user preferences on your platform. This personalisation ensures that each user's interaction is unique and relevant.
Comprehensive Data Integration
Obvlo supplements Google Places data with additional sources like TripAdvisor and Foursquare, enriching listings with a broader array of data points, including raw photos and reviews. This multi-source approach offers a more detailed view of each point of interest.
Exclusive Tours and Activities
Beyond standard POI listings, Obvlo incorporates exclusive tours and activities not available on Google, broadening the scope of options available to users and enhancing their exploration possibilities.
Social Media Integration and Quality Imagery
With access to social media links and the ability to source images from Instagram posts, Obvlo enriches listings with high-quality, visually appealing photos, meticulously reviewed for both appeal and technical quality.
Unique Guides and Customised Attributes
Obvlo crafts location and area-specific guides, each adorned with a unique cover photo, and integrates personalisation attributes like trip type and travel interests. This approach ensures content is exclusively tailored to the nuances of the area, delivering a deeply personalised experience that resonates with the individual's travel journey.
Summary.
​Google Places API is a viable solution for global places data, however there are limitations if you are looking for rich, curated and personalised destination content for your travel website or app.
​
-
There are a number of technical challenges to solve in addition to just getting POI data from Google places. Even with the technical capability to solve this, it will consume considerable time and resources.
-
There are costs associated with using Google Places. If you were to use paid AI models to solve the text generation, classification and most importantly the image assessment challenges it will add up pretty quickly.
​
Obvlo's vision is for 'local knowledge at global scale'. Providing rich and engaging local content globally is what we do best.