Google Maps Upends Primary Data Suppliers – YP.ca is Out
It has been confirmed that YellowPages.ca (YP.ca) is no longer Google’s primary data supplier for business listings in Canada. But the story appears to be bigger than that and likely includes new terms in many countries whereby Google is now owning rather than licensing their business listing data. Google has, over the past year an … Continue reading Google Maps Upends Primary Data Suppliers – YP.ca is Out →
Google Phone Support Offers Limited Hours Due to High Volume
Colan Nielsen of Imprezzio Marketing just noticed that Google has limited the hours of their phone support due to high call volumes: Our call centers have recently experienced high support volume and our GMB specialists are working hard to solve existing queries. As a result, we are currently offering phone support on a limited basis … Continue reading Google Phone Support Offers Limited Hours Due to High Volume →
Local Guides: A Yelp Wannabe or Uniquely Google?
Many in the local search space have characterized the Google Local Guides program as a cheap imitation of Yelp’s Elite reviewer program. I suppose in some sense that is true but it appears to me that Google is bringing their own approach to the program and scaling it aggressively in a way that seems uniquely … Continue reading Local Guides: A Yelp Wannabe or Uniquely Google? →
Small Business Alert: Google Local Phone Scams Continue
Chris Moreno of LocalLeads.com sent me this audio recording of a scammer pretending to be Google in their voice message to a small business. Chris asks what can be done to stop these folks. Very little given the current regulatory environment which pretty much takes a hands off approach to these sorts of scams. Education … Continue reading Small Business Alert: Google Local Phone Scams Continue →
Yahoo “Forgets” It Has a Review API with Yelp
It appears that Yahoo seems to have forgotten that they have the Yelp review API or update it so infrequently that it is effectively useless. The reviews Yahoo is showing for many businesses are often 3 to 11 months out of date. Last year to much hooey and horse puckey, Yahoo “upgraded” their review system to grab reviews … Continue reading Yahoo “Forgets” It Has a Review API with Yelp →
Minor Upgrade to Google MapS iOS App
i just downloaded a February 26th update to iOS Google Maps app which has now started to channel Yelp (again) by asking for feedback on specific restaurant features like whether it is good for groups or not: The app also now notes (like the Android app several months ago) whether a reviewer is part … Continue reading Minor Upgrade to Google MapS iOS App →
Knowledge Panel – Down the Hotel Rabbit Hole with Google
Google is leaving no stone unturned in their effort to find new ways to 1)show ads and 2)redirect users back to Google properties to see those ads. Brad Brewer of Brewer Digital Marketing originally shared this screen shot on G+ showing the addition of a link to Google’s hotel search from the Knowledge Panel on … Continue reading Knowledge Panel – Down the Hotel Rabbit Hole with Google →
FTC to Amerifreight – Failure to Disclose Review Incentives Against the Law
The FTC has, for the first time, successfully sued a company for incenting on line reviews and not declaring this material connection. According to Google reviewer mb2970s: mb1970s 7 months ago I was moving from Nashville to Albuquerque. This is the third time that I have ever transported a vehicle (previously with two other … Continue reading FTC to Amerifreight – Failure to Disclose Review Incentives Against the Law →
Google & Reviews Snippets – If It Can Go Wrong It Will Go Very Wrong Category
Last year Google added review snippets that represent general sentiment to the Knowledge Panel. These snippets are determined by algo and are intended to represent the public’s attitude about a business . Like all Google algos sooner or later they screw up and in inimitable fashion Google is unwilling or unable to fix it. Dan Petrovic … Continue reading Google & Reviews Snippets – If It Can Go Wrong It Will Go Very Wrong Category →
Google Testing Hangout Chats in Local
TechCrunch and SEL are reporting Google testing of a live chat button appearing on business’s local Knowledge Panel. This program is apparently part of a test with a limited number of businesses. It has been around at least since mid November when an invitee asked me about problems he was having with the test. Here … Continue reading Google Testing Hangout Chats in Local →
Google My Business Upgrades Business Photos
Google has just announced a major update to Google My Business that finally rationalizes photos and their use across all of the places where your listing is shown. From the post: Starting today, you can tell us which image you’d like to appear when customers search for your business on Google. Just log in to Google My … Continue reading Google My Business Upgrades Business Photos →
Why Reviews are Hard – A look at the numbers
Reviews are hard. Particularly at Yelp. Most Americans have no desire to leave a review. When you combine that fact with fragmented market share and review site policies it becomes even more difficult. Here are some numbers to put the difficulties with Yelp in perspective. Let’s start with emailing 100 of your customers to calculate how … Continue reading Why Reviews are Hard – A look at the numbers →
Getting Yelp Reviews When All Else Fails
It’s hard getting any review but it’s particularly hard getting Yelp reviews. They filter many, many more than make it through. I have seen filtering rates as hight as 85% of first time reviewers. Unless the reviewer has either lots of Yelp friends or lots of Yelp reviews, their reviews will be nuked. Yelp, of … Continue reading Getting Yelp Reviews When All Else Fails →
Google Now Outsourcing Local Packs to India
We have been seeing a lot of mismatched locations in the local packs lately but this one takes the cake, er curry…: (Click to enlarge) You know you can’t beat Nayana Eye Care in Pradesh. They’re “recognized by the Food Corporation of India” and have “world-class sterility.”
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Uber: Will Surge Pricing be the end of Uber or will Uber end It?
@mblumenthal @serenasaitto I don’t really get why it upsets people. No one is forcing them to pay extra & @Uber is not a monopoly. — Mike Okhravi (@mikeokhravi) December 18, 2014 I have been thinking about this question a lot since receiving the above tweet. Users do have a choice to either use or not … Continue reading Uber: Will Surge Pricing be the end of Uber or will Uber end It? →
Google Replacing City Experts with Local Guides Program
Google announced today that as of February 16, the City Experts program that encouraged G+ users to become active reviewers will be upgraded and now called Local Guides. The new Local Guides program implements a multi level approach with benefits accruing based on the total number of reviews written. There is even a code of … Continue reading Google Replacing City Experts with Local Guides Program →
The One Click Economy
I had several “retail” interactions over the past few weeks that rubbed me the wrong way. I went to rent a car from Enterprise, the only car rental in Olean, for about the 10th time this year. Other than knowing my name, they treated me like a new customer, signing all the forms, holding a … Continue reading The One Click Economy →
Local U + Moz + Great Speakers = LocalUp!
Both Local U and Moz are dedicated to providing great information for professionals. LocalUp Advanced, our first joint effort, is bringing together some of the most knowledgable folks in local for what promises to be the best local conference of the year. We have all of the Local U folks (Aaron Weiche, David Mihm, Mike … Continue reading Local U + Moz + Great Speakers = LocalUp! →
Pigeon Rolls Out in UK, Australia and Canada
After a week of rumors and spottings, Google has confirmed that Pigeon has rolled out across UK, Canada and Australia. What to expect for those of you in those countries? Much of what we experienced here several months ago A total reshuffling of the Pack results Narrowing radius around the search area Crappy results including … Continue reading Pigeon Rolls Out in UK, Australia and Canada →
Yahoo: All I Want For Christmas is the Ability to Remove Dupes – All I Got was a Christmas Card
Yahoo sees fit to send me a Christmas card. My Christmas message to Yahoo: Save the Bandwidth and FIX YOUR PRODUCT. There was a post in the Local U Forum the other day pleading for help with dupes at Yahoo. Here was Nyagoslav’s response: “There is currently no way to remove duplicate listings on Yahoo! … Continue reading Yahoo: All I Want For Christmas is the Ability to Remove Dupes – All I Got was a Christmas Card →