HelloMarkus Observatory · pilot
London, the Observatory’s first city outside France
The same measure as in the French cities: how London’s takeaways show up on Google and Google Maps, their profiles, their reviews, and who ranks at the top. One city first, then others.
What will be measured
- Takeaway profiles whose primary category is fast food, kebab, burger, sandwich or similar, within the boundary set out in the method.
- The average rating, and the share of profiles with no reviews at all.
- Incomplete profiles: at least two gaps out of five (opening hours, phone number, website, at least 10 photos, description).
- The top three on Google Maps for a takeaway search, on a phone, from five points in the city.
- Replies to reviews and claimed profiles: the Google Places API does not show them. The pilot will say how it measures them, or that they are missing.
The source, and what we keep
- The source: the Google Places API, Google’s official interface for business profiles. Each figure will carry its source and its date.
- What we keep: the place_id of each profile (the identifier Google allows to be stored) and the aggregates computed from the profiles: totals, shares, medians.
- What we never keep: names, addresses, phone numbers, reviews or individual ratings. The detail serves the calculation, then it is discarded.
What we are waiting for before publishing
- Written confirmation that publishing figures computed from Google Places data fits the Google Maps Platform terms for this use. No figure before that.
- The measure itself, with the same publication thresholds as in France: 50 profiles in the city, 300 reviews read for a share of replies.
Meanwhile, see where your business stands
Meanwhile, you can try the free audit. Outside France it is still being tested: it may not find your business yet, and the report is in French for now.
Where does your London business stand?
The audit is free and takes two minutes. You see where you rank on Google, your profile and your reviews, and where to start.
