Comments on: Today’s Google Mapspam report – 75% chance of rain http://blumenthals.com/blog/2007/12/21/today%e2%80%99s-google-mapspam-report-75-chance-of-rain/ Developing Knowledge about Local Search Sat, 18 May 2013 20:55:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Loci 2008 - Will Scott’s Best of 2008 in Local » Understanding Google Maps & Yahoo Local Search http://blumenthals.com/blog/2007/12/21/today%e2%80%99s-google-mapspam-report-75-chance-of-rain/comment-page-1/#comment-306777 Loci 2008 - Will Scott’s Best of 2008 in Local » Understanding Google Maps & Yahoo Local Search Wed, 31 Dec 2008 14:16:29 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/2007/12/21/today%e2%80%99s-google-mapspam-report-75-chance-of-rain/#comment-306777 [...] Today’s Google Mapspam report – 75% chance of rain – Mike Blumenthal, Understanding Google Maps & Yahoo Local Search [...]

]]> By: Understanding Google Maps & Yahoo Local Search » Google Local Business Center Upgrade -Unlimited Category Options | Developing Knowledge about Local Search http://blumenthals.com/blog/2007/12/21/today%e2%80%99s-google-mapspam-report-75-chance-of-rain/comment-page-1/#comment-213973 Understanding Google Maps & Yahoo Local Search » Google Local Business Center Upgrade -Unlimited Category Options | Developing Knowledge about Local Search Wed, 19 Mar 2008 13:49:41 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/2007/12/21/today%e2%80%99s-google-mapspam-report-75-chance-of-rain/#comment-213973 [...] term, this CatSpam could affect rankings and listings as much as previous Maspamming techniques of Business Title manipulation, location & address manipulation, bulk upload abuse,  phone book listing capers and [...]

]]> By: Understanding Google Maps & Yahoo Local Search » Google Maps:The Authoritative SpamBox? | Developing Knowledge about Local Search http://blumenthals.com/blog/2007/12/21/today%e2%80%99s-google-mapspam-report-75-chance-of-rain/comment-page-1/#comment-209276 Understanding Google Maps & Yahoo Local Search » Google Maps:The Authoritative SpamBox? | Developing Knowledge about Local Search Mon, 03 Mar 2008 20:29:54 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/2007/12/21/today%e2%80%99s-google-mapspam-report-75-chance-of-rain/#comment-209276 [...] English reader has reported a case where the general search phrase “english language school london” is now [...]

]]> By: Mike Blumenthal http://blumenthals.com/blog/2007/12/21/today%e2%80%99s-google-mapspam-report-75-chance-of-rain/comment-page-1/#comment-208814 Mike Blumenthal Sun, 02 Mar 2008 12:46:51 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/2007/12/21/today%e2%80%99s-google-mapspam-report-75-chance-of-rain/#comment-208814 Hi Jenny

Have you called the number? I assume that there really is such a business somewhere? Maybe not.

Here is the info you noted:
http://www.englishlanguageschoollondon.com

English Language School London
‎Address:
23 Villiers st
London, WC2 6ND, United Kingdom
020 7381 5070

Interestingly the domain is owned by:
nails and beauty academy
Flat 15
1 Vereker Road
london, london W14 9jp

Which shows two Google Maps listings:
Nails and Beauty Academy
– http://www.nailsandbeautyacademy.co.uk
100 Regent St, W1, London – +44 20 7381 5070
Directions and more »

Nails and Beauty Academy
– http://www.nailsandbeautyacademy.co.uk
Third floor, 1 Vereker Road, London – +44 20 7381 5070
1 review, directions, and more »

The second address is where the domain, EnglishLanguageSchool is registered. Both have the same phone number as the English Language School. Wonder how they answer the phone?

What is located at 100 Regent St.?

They also own the domain:www.the-englishschool.co.uk. The English School London has a listed address of:

Barons Court,
London W14 9JP
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7381 5070

They are all seem to be working under a name of Cavendish House Education and Training Academy. Although little could be found on that name.

First they give you English training then you get put to work doing nails. Sounds like a vertically integrated organization. :) Wonder what else they do.

Ah the web we weave.

What is your interest in this?

Mike

]]> By: Jenny http://blumenthals.com/blog/2007/12/21/today%e2%80%99s-google-mapspam-report-75-chance-of-rain/comment-page-1/#comment-208800 Jenny Sun, 02 Mar 2008 11:10:13 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/2007/12/21/today%e2%80%99s-google-mapspam-report-75-chance-of-rain/#comment-208800 The top result shown with map for the search “english language school london” on google.co.uk is a bogus business, using a photo of someone else’s corporate-looking building, and the address on the listing corresponds to the “Little Italy” restaurant (the address on the website is a small residential flat). Perhaps the one of the individuals behind this got through Google’s verification procedure working as a cleaner in the restaurant? Does verification actually exist?

You couldn’t make it up!

]]> By: Understanding Google Maps & Yahoo Local Search » Google Mapspam takes on international flavor | Developing Knowledge about Local Search http://blumenthals.com/blog/2007/12/21/today%e2%80%99s-google-mapspam-report-75-chance-of-rain/comment-page-1/#comment-205698 Understanding Google Maps & Yahoo Local Search » Google Mapspam takes on international flavor | Developing Knowledge about Local Search Tue, 19 Feb 2008 16:31:13 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/2007/12/21/today%e2%80%99s-google-mapspam-report-75-chance-of-rain/#comment-205698 [...] certain God given entitlements. It appears that some Australians apparently feel the same way. My mapspam weather reports are now indicating that Australia is as sunny as I was lead to believe. « Local Links of [...]

]]> By: Understanding Google Maps & Yahoo Local Search » Google Map’s Business Location Bulk Upload Still Not Working | Developing Knowledge about Local Search http://blumenthals.com/blog/2007/12/21/today%e2%80%99s-google-mapspam-report-75-chance-of-rain/comment-page-1/#comment-182657 Understanding Google Maps & Yahoo Local Search » Google Map’s Business Location Bulk Upload Still Not Working | Developing Knowledge about Local Search Sun, 06 Jan 2008 15:17:01 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/2007/12/21/today%e2%80%99s-google-mapspam-report-75-chance-of-rain/#comment-182657 [...] working on changes to the Bulk Upload feature to minmize Mapspam, it appears that MapSpam has also been on the upswing of late. « Which On-line Directories provide details to Google Maps – [...]

]]> By: Understanding Google Maps & Yahoo Local Search » Google Maps: Bulk Upload now broken in LBC? | Developing Knowledge about Local Search http://blumenthals.com/blog/2007/12/21/today%e2%80%99s-google-mapspam-report-75-chance-of-rain/comment-page-1/#comment-181635 Understanding Google Maps & Yahoo Local Search » Google Maps: Bulk Upload now broken in LBC? | Developing Knowledge about Local Search Fri, 04 Jan 2008 13:28:53 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/2007/12/21/today%e2%80%99s-google-mapspam-report-75-chance-of-rain/#comment-181635 [...] Jen is on an extended holiday break (she deserves it) but the problems of customer service, mapspam, broken coupons and now the broken upload feature seem to be piling up in the forum and have gone [...]

]]> By: Companies spamming Google Local - Dave Naffziger’s Blog http://blumenthals.com/blog/2007/12/21/today%e2%80%99s-google-mapspam-report-75-chance-of-rain/comment-page-1/#comment-176892 Companies spamming Google Local - Dave Naffziger’s Blog Fri, 28 Dec 2007 14:22:10 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/2007/12/21/today%e2%80%99s-google-mapspam-report-75-chance-of-rain/#comment-176892 [...] Blumenthal has several great examples, including my favorite example: 0 & 0 24 Hr Locksmith (and their 1699) listings [...]

]]> By: Mike Blumenthal http://blumenthals.com/blog/2007/12/21/today%e2%80%99s-google-mapspam-report-75-chance-of-rain/comment-page-1/#comment-170749 Mike Blumenthal Fri, 21 Dec 2007 21:12:30 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/2007/12/21/today%e2%80%99s-google-mapspam-report-75-chance-of-rain/#comment-170749 It is not against their TOS which is quite vague.

See this post with MapsGuide: Google offers new solution for Mapspam removal: Goodoo where Jen said in response to this query from me:
2)Is there a clear statement of what is acceptable practice for bulk upload? If so where? I looked but could not find a simple summary of what was accetable practice and what wasn’t and what the consequences of unaccpetable practice would be.

No, there isn’t. We try to be nice and keep things flexible by staying out of the legal repercussions of creating a statement that would confine our users to specific uses of Google Maps. In the future, we may have to revisit the question of whether or not we need a statement such as the one you were looking for.

The same applies to a single listing. There is no clear guidance.

Think it is time for them to revisit, eh?

Mike

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