What is the main purpose of using service labels in Google Cloud?

Using service labels in Google Cloud allows for better organization and categorization of resources, which is essential for efficient management and cost tracking. By applying labels, users can tag resources with key-value pairs that provide meaningful context. This categorization makes it easier to filter and group resources based on projects, environments, departments, or any criteria that are relevant to the organization.

For instance, if an organization is running numerous instances across various projects, labels can help in identifying which resources belong to which project, making it simpler to allocate costs accordingly. Additionally, labels can be leveraged in billing reports to analyze spending in different areas of the business, facilitating more informed budget decisions and resource allocation.

Using service labels also contributes to improved governance and oversight, as stakeholders can quickly summarize and understand the resource landscape within their cloud environment. This categorization becomes increasingly valuable as the number of resources scales, ensuring that management remains clear and effective.

While other choices touch on important capabilities, they do not specifically address the primary role of service labels in terms of organization and cost management. Access control, load balancing, and monitoring have their dedicated mechanisms and tools within Google Cloud that operate independently of labeling.