Comments on: Searching for reviews http://blumenthals.com/blog/2008/04/10/searching-for-reviews/ Developing Knowledge about Local Search Sat, 25 May 2013 19:40:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Mike Blumenthal http://blumenthals.com/blog/2008/04/10/searching-for-reviews/comment-page-1/#comment-232435 Mike Blumenthal Tue, 06 May 2008 20:45:54 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/2008/04/10/searching-for-reviews/#comment-232435 Yes but then they shouldn’t predicate a customer relations campaign on such a weak link as it were, should they?

Mike

]]> By: Wi Fi Themes http://blumenthals.com/blog/2008/04/10/searching-for-reviews/comment-page-1/#comment-232433 Wi Fi Themes Tue, 06 May 2008 20:43:12 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/2008/04/10/searching-for-reviews/#comment-232433 In the case of hotels and wireless wi fi in hotels you have discovered what i have on my travels in many hotels
Wi fi internet varies tremendously in quality
Even if the hotel advertises , lists and informs you of wi-fi wireless internet or even “free wi fi”
The quality and setups vary tremendously. In only a few cases do they work flawlessly. In some cases they are flaky. In other cases the wi fi internet reception is only in the lobby area not in your hotel room.
Several points – one it pays to ask specific questions , you may have to move your laptop to another locations , and ask if there is a hard wired “regular ” computer for access in the lobby

]]> By: Mike Blumenthal http://blumenthals.com/blog/2008/04/10/searching-for-reviews/comment-page-1/#comment-228305 Mike Blumenthal Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:16:27 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/2008/04/10/searching-for-reviews/#comment-228305 Hi Mary

Certainly it would make sense to take a more “holistic” approach to reviews and marketing. It would seem that a focus on TripAdvisor for the business travelers and CitySearch/Yahoo for reviews for tourist types that would combine to influence their Google LBC record would make sense. This would broaden their reach significantly with little extra work.

Then they would be covering all of their major demographic bases instead of just one. Also putting all of their review eggs in one basket seems a risky strategy on its face.

Mike

]]> By: Mary Bowling http://blumenthals.com/blog/2008/04/10/searching-for-reviews/comment-page-1/#comment-225249 Mary Bowling Fri, 18 Apr 2008 00:42:41 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/2008/04/10/searching-for-reviews/#comment-225249 Hi Mike,
I work for an outfit that specializes in promoting travel and hospitality websites and I know that everyone in the hotel biz thinks Trip Advisor is the be-all and end-all for hotel reviews. Most of them have no clue that reviews have any influence elsewhere on the internet.

Unfortunately, TA’s review process is cumbersome and unless you are a regular user who has an account set up and can actually remember your logins from review to review, you are likely to become frustrated trying to share your experiences.

I recently gave them my opinion of a hotel in Manhattan and my review was rejected because I did not give Trip Advisor its exact street address. Instead of asking me to go back and add it, I was instructed to begin the process all over again. I didn’t and I won’t. But I did leave one at Google Maps. LOL

]]> By: SEO Igloo Blog » I’d Like To Be a PODS Customer, But They Are Making It Too Hard http://blumenthals.com/blog/2008/04/10/searching-for-reviews/comment-page-1/#comment-224595 SEO Igloo Blog » I’d Like To Be a PODS Customer, But They Are Making It Too Hard Tue, 15 Apr 2008 20:14:58 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/2008/04/10/searching-for-reviews/#comment-224595 [...] 15 Apr 2008 Last week, Mike Blumenthal blogged about hurdles being put in his way by a hotel asking for customer reviews. I’m finding myself in a similar situation with a popular moving/storage company called and [...]

]]> By: Mike Blumenthal http://blumenthals.com/blog/2008/04/10/searching-for-reviews/comment-page-1/#comment-224505 Mike Blumenthal Tue, 15 Apr 2008 14:32:45 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/2008/04/10/searching-for-reviews/#comment-224505 David

Its kitty corner from the Holiday Inn but I didn’t see any other hotel really close.

Mike

]]> By: David Saunders http://blumenthals.com/blog/2008/04/10/searching-for-reviews/comment-page-1/#comment-224171 David Saunders Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:44:05 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/2008/04/10/searching-for-reviews/#comment-224171 That hotel wouldn’t happen to be the old Clarion would it? Next to the Westin at SFO…..

I had a real headache getting a connection there and feel they are shooting themselves in the foot asking for reviews this way….

David

]]> By: Mike Blumenthal http://blumenthals.com/blog/2008/04/10/searching-for-reviews/comment-page-1/#comment-222955 Mike Blumenthal Sat, 12 Apr 2008 18:10:31 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/2008/04/10/searching-for-reviews/#comment-222955 Hi Miriam

I think the reason that they are not picking them up is that the unclaimed record in Google Maps has a misspelled business name for the hotel. Demonstrates why they need to take a holistic approach to local and reviews.

I didn’t have time to talk to the management other than a brief inquiry at the front desk as to why they were so focused on just insiderpages.

I am going to go back and check tripadvisor and see if other reviews are posted and call the hotel to see if I won. :)

Mike

]]> By: MiriamEllis http://blumenthals.com/blog/2008/04/10/searching-for-reviews/comment-page-1/#comment-222929 MiriamEllis Sat, 12 Apr 2008 07:37:48 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/2008/04/10/searching-for-reviews/#comment-222929 Hi Mike,
I hope you and your family are having a good vacation.

Your article made us laugh. Of all the people to give bad WiFi to….

I have a question. I was confused by what you said about your hotel having 126 Trip Advisor reviews. Why is Google not picking these up in Maps? Did I misunderstand what you wrote?

Did you restrain yourself from cornering the concierge and demanding he claim their listing?

I’ve been happily reviewing local businesses from our last trip, but no one has offered me a free stay for it. Hmm….perhaps I should start bartering with hotel managers.

Fun article.
Miriam

]]> By: earlpearl http://blumenthals.com/blog/2008/04/10/searching-for-reviews/comment-page-1/#comment-222854 earlpearl Fri, 11 Apr 2008 21:52:55 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/2008/04/10/searching-for-reviews/#comment-222854 My mistake. 101. Beautiful drive. Stay off the cell phone while negotiating the twists and turns. :D

As to volume of hotels working on reviews……it takes time for marketing information to disseminate.

Enjoy the trip.

]]>