How to Scrape Google Maps Business Data Without Paying for Google API

#api #javascript #webdev #scraping

Ever tried to get business data from Google Maps? The official Google Places API costs $17 per 1,000 requests and requires billing setup. There's a better way.

The Google Maps Scraper API lets you extract business listings, phone numbers, addresses, ratings, and reviews with a single API call — and it has a free tier.

Quick Start

curl -X GET "https://google-maps-scraper12.p.rapidapi.com/google-maps-scraper/search?query=pizza+near+new+york&limit=10" \
  -H "X-RapidAPI-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "X-RapidAPI-Host: google-maps-scraper12.p.rapidapi.com"

Response:

{
  "results": [
    {
      "name": "Joe's Pizza",
      "address": "7 Carmine St, New York, NY 10014",
      "phone": "+1-212-366-1182",
      "rating": 4.5,
      "reviews_count": 8420,
      "website": "https://joespizzanyc.com",
      "latitude": 40.7306,
      "longitude": -74.0021
    }
  ]
}

Node.js Example

const axios = require('axios');

async function searchBusinesses(query, location) {
  const { data } = await axios.get(
    'https://google-maps-scraper12.p.rapidapi.com/google-maps-scraper/search',
    {
      params: { query: `${query} near ${location}`, limit: 20 },
      headers: {
        'X-RapidAPI-Key': process.env.RAPIDAPI_KEY,
        'X-RapidAPI-Host': 'google-maps-scraper12.p.rapidapi.com'
      }
    }
  );

  return data.results.map(biz => ({
    name: biz.name,
    phone: biz.phone,
    rating: biz.rating,
    address: biz.address
  }));
}

// Find all dentists in Chicago
searchBusinesses('dentist', 'Chicago IL')
  .then(results => console.log(`Found ${results.length} businesses`))
  .catch(console.error);

Top 3 Use Cases

Lead Generation — Build local business directories for sales teams. Extract phone numbers and websites, then feed into your CRM.
Market Research — Analyze competitor density, ratings, and review volumes across locations.
Real Estate Intelligence — Map nearby businesses (restaurants, gyms, schools) to score neighborhoods for property valuations.