Comments on: Problems in the Google Local Business Center: Awaiting Next Update

By: Chris Sonn

Chris Sonn — Mon, 25 May 2009 10:13:51 +0000

I am currently in this same situation of Awaiting Next Update for over 3 weeks now and reading posts from October 2007 shows that the improvement has not come yet.

There were issues with the batch upload, which got sorted later on, but there was a clear lack of information on how I could get the listing verified.
Little did I know I was going to have to count on Google to verify the listing.

Lack of information and lack of support of the Local Business listing could be the downfall of the service.

The solution ? As mentioned above, structured feedback and improved interface would be the first step. I guess resources in Google aren’t being used on LBC and it must still be a low priority project.

By: Mike Blumenthal

Mike Blumenthal — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 17:21:47 +0000

Yes as you point out, an improvement on the feedback mechanisim from the small business owner to Google would improve things as well. Perhaps even an interface within the LBC that provided a more structured feeback facility into the Google Maps for Business Groups.

By: earlpearl

earlpearl — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 17:02:57 +0000

Thanks, Mike:

That is a great observation. Early on, in late 2006 and early 2007, when Google Maps became more visable as an aspect of Universal Search via an insert into organic google searches, I saw these types of problems for businesses I review and support. I tried the type of general queries and requests from the support staff at Google Local Business Center and the response was nil. Frankly, Google didn’t have the information to help my sites.

Then I tried again with specific information as to the site, address, category, etc. Google rectified the situtation rather quickly.

Subsequent to that I responded to one such query suggesting that they be very specific. Both the frustrated website owner and the Google support team acknowledged the assistance. I assume the wrong data was identified by google and corrected.

It is both a frustrating experience for the business/organization/and website owners to try and rectify these problems which show up with greater frequency for searches in Google. Similarly, it is a waste of time for Google support staff to deal with endless queries that don’t make it possible to correct the problems, due to a lack of specific information.

This problem is not unique to Google. Yahoo and MSN’s data bases of local businesses are similarly replete with errors and mistakes.

The engine that tackles these problems the most aggressively and moves to a more accurate data base of correct information will have a big heads up with regard to the viability and possibly the volume of usage.

Nice commentary.

Dave