Category: Google+ Local

Google recently released and touted their research on fake listings in Google Maps. While their may have been a few problems with the research and quibbling about the details, I wanted authoritative voices as to its worth. I reached out to the living past and soon to be past presidents1 and asked2 them. “It depends on … Continue reading Living Presidents Speak Out About Google Fake Listings & Research →

The Google My Business Dashboard now allows restaurants to add menu URL. Last December, Google updated the GMB API to allow for a menu URL attribute to be added. Yesterday they announced that the feature is now available to regular dashboard users via the Google My Business New Features Page. Many restaurants use PDF file formats … Continue reading Google Finally Adds Menu Link Option for Smaller Restaurants to GMB →

The claim made by Google that “…fewer than 0.5% of local searches lead to fake listings” in Google search is NOT a conclusion that can be drawn from Google’s recently published paper. This number understates the number of local searches that lead to the visibility of fake listings due to its assumptions and flawed methodology. And it may do so … Continue reading Spam In, Garbage Out – Why Google’s Recent Paper on Map Spam is Flawed →

Google posted on their research blog today some summary data from a study Pinning Down Abuse on Google Maps that is being presented tomorrow at the  International World Wide Web Conference. The study details released today, while an interesting necessity on the step to cleaning up  Maps, leaves many questions unanswered. Our study shows that fewer than 0.5% … Continue reading Google Announces Study Looking at Abuses in Google Maps – What Does it Mean? →

I have been busy, just not here. My recent posts  Car Dealers Fined $3.6 Million For Fake Reviews & Deceptive Practices  GetFiveStars Why Is My Verified Business Not Showing on a Keyword Search? LocalU Video: Last Week in Local March 27th, 2017 – all the news in 15 minutes – Localu  

The product that was originally called Podium and is often referred to as Posts, continues to be tested as a small business tool that allows a business owner to post directly to their branded search result. We saw the “Posts” like test in late January that included a call to action and posting on the right. Recently, … Continue reading Google Continues Testing of ‘Posts’ As Worldwide Use Expands →

Google has started to roll out a new feature to the Google My Business Dashboard that automates the process of regaining control of a listing that is in another account. Besides verification issues and the inability for a business to easily get rid of inappropriate photos this has been one of the huge problems that … Continue reading Google Is Automating Ownership Conflict Resolution →

Over the past six months we have seen numerous tests in the pack display. Today we are seeing a widespread (re) appearance of the snack pack type display that shows images instead of the click to call icon. (H/T to Zachary Palmer of Divot Agency in Seattle who pointed this out on G+) Previously this … Continue reading Google 3 Local Pack – New Display – Test or Rollout? →

One feature in MapMaker that has been useful is the ability to edit business listings that you didn’t control. This could be used to note name or hour changes for listings that you didn’t have direct control over but for one reason or another needed to change. With the imminent closing of MapMaker how to … Continue reading Moderation of Business Listing Changes Now Available to Level 5 Local Guides →

LocalU and Moz have just completed a two day local workshop in Seattle. Day 1 was a LocalU Workshop and day 2 provided a day full of keynotes. Both days included great content, new ideas and great networking opportunities. To get a sense of my 10,000′ thinking about the Google Local algo read this article … Continue reading Moz Local 2017 Presentation – Are Words the New Links? →

Cindy Krum (@Suzzicks), the diva of mobile and a frequent LocalU speaker*, has produced an interesting tool: a Mobile Search Simulator. It provides the ability to perform local searches in a specific zip code and then compare the results across two different mobile devices. While the product and interface are not yet tuned for any … Continue reading MobileMoxie Mobile Search Simulator →

The ability to dial phone that presented itself in Google search has been around since 2014. I saw tests of it in 2015 in the Local KP. At the time, it was obviously visible to some and not others. That being said I had not seen it broadly integrated into the Local Finder before. Could … Continue reading Desktop Click to Call via Hangouts from the Local Finder & KP →

In November, Google announced that MapMaker would “graduate to Google Maps”. That’s corporate speak for close. But what’s good for Google and the bulk of their users is not such a smooth transition nor offer as many benefits to the professional Local SEO practicioner. At the time of the announcements I noted that it made … Continue reading Final Curtain Call – MapMaker Closing March 31 →

Google is testing a new mobile local finder. The Google iPhone Search App is often a proving ground for large scale tests that precede rollouts to browser based mobile search. This test/rollout is an interesting one because of its dramatic shift from the focus on the business listing to the focus on the map.  And … Continue reading Google Testing New Mobile Local Finder →

Last week Google started replacing the alerts that each of their applications provide with what appears to be a system wide alert system that will ultimately include all of their applications. Previously Google search only offered G+ but it appears that there is a new scalable system that will place a common and consistent system … Continue reading Google Rolling Out Configurable System Wide Alerts →

Given my love of professional sports, at least once a year I post a sports oriented post … of sorts. It was recently noted that Google was now including a faceted interface on mobile recipes to allow a user to select a specific type of recipe. In honor of the Super Bowl I searched for … Continue reading Super Bowl Search Result – A Turkish Bazaar of Ambiguity AND Google’s Intentions →

At GetFiveStars blog I just published Google Lowers Local Pack Review Star Threshold to 3. In the first change since the summer of 2013 when Google stopped using the Zagat review system, Google is now showing review stars on businesses with as few as three reviews. Great if those three are good but even one bad … Continue reading Google Lowers Local Pack Review Star Threshold to 3 →