Maps Guide Jen, in a comment posted in response to the article The Longtail of Local Search Mapspam, has indicated that multiple listings at a single address are not acceptable:
…I think it’s fair to say that we don’t want to see search results where multiple listings show up for the same business location. Those types of search results aren’t useful in any way for our users, whom we care most about.
Thanks!
Jen
It’s safe to say that if you are going to “rebrand your business” for Local, pick your name very carefully as you will have only per location.Â
Mike: Very interersting response and contribution from Google Jen.
thank you for the clarification, Jen…and Mike thanks for provoking the conversations and points via your articles.
Dave
Comment by earlpearl — May 16, 2008 @ 2:34 pm
Hi Dave
This one question answered begs many more be asked.
Here are the questions that I would put to Google:
Will it result in banishment? or just removal of some of the listings?
If it is banishment, for how long? or what needs to be done for a return?
If just some of the listings, which ones? And will the poster be notified?
And finally is Google going to get proactive at looking for this type of spam? Or are they only going to respond to spam that has been pointed out?
Mike
Comment by Mike Blumenthal — May 16, 2008 @ 2:39 pm
I’m not sure about the answers to those provocative questions, but at least for this week, with your focus on mapspam in Google Maps, you have received comments from Matt Cutts and Google Jen.
This blog is becoming a home away from home for Google employees.
I’d get out the milk and cookies to make them feel comfortable.
Dave
Comment by earlpearl — May 16, 2008 @ 4:29 pm
I also wonder about those locals who had valid reasons for having more than one listing at a location.
For example, I have a client who is a dentist. He shares space with a fellow dentist, though they do not share their practice. How do I keep from losing my local listing an the potential customers to his collegue’s listing? How would it be possible to maintain both legitimate listings?
Comment by seononsense — May 16, 2008 @ 5:02 pm
SeoNonsense
Well in this case,
I have noted in the medical, insurance and a few other fields Google by default offers both practitioners and the practice at a location.
That being said, it is still unclear if Google is going to proactively search and remove listings, or wait for end user reports before they take action.
There really is a dirth of clear Google offered guidelines in this area. And I for one am hoping that Google will make a few more public utterances so that legitimate businesses have a clear path to compliance.
Mike
Comment by Mike Blumenthal — May 16, 2008 @ 5:37 pm
What about a business that has two legitimate functions that people search for? I have a friend that I occasionally help with his web site who has a body shop and an oil change service which both have the same physical location. It seems very legitimate to me that he would rank on both terms.
As I understand the comment posted by Jen, it would be OK to rank for different terms such as “oil change” and “body shop” but it would not be acceptable to rank twice with the same physical location for one of those searches. Am I understanding correctly?
By the way, you have a great site. I have been subscribing to your feed for several months and enjoy the focus on only local search.
Comment by Brett — May 17, 2008 @ 12:12 am
Hi Brett
Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment. It is legitimate that a business rank on multiple terms…but Google wants to be the arbiter of that.
Jen is referring to creating multiple listing entries in the Local Business Center in an effort to game the results in an effort to rank on those multiple terms NOT whether a company will show up on multiple search terms. It is possible and appropriate for a business to show up on a number of terms without entering a business multiple times.
If a business listing is the most relevant listing to a searchers intent, it is google’s goal to show it. It is possible for a business owner to craft his entry and manage his presence in the local ecosystem in such a way as to improve their chances.
But by changing a business name to the specific search phrase and entering that business name , 7 or 10 times a business might be able to come up on a range phrases as well. It is this latter gaming that Google has declared as “[not] useful in any way for our users”
Just because a business has two legitimate functions, google does not want them to enter their business twice in the LBC.
Mike
Comment by Mike Blumenthal — May 17, 2008 @ 7:14 am
Exactly! And I’ve came across local mapspam here in Spain also! Will blog about it tomorrow. Hope Google will take action before things get out of hand here as well.
Comment by martijn — May 20, 2008 @ 5:32 pm
[...] has recently made clear that a business can have only one listing per address and that multiple listings for that business at one address would be considered spam. They have [...]
Pingback by Understanding Google Maps & Yahoo Local Search » Renaming your business for Local | Developing Knowledge about Local Search — June 2, 2008 @ 7:12 pm
[...] to this article it says that Maps Guide Jen made the statement that businesses were only allowed to have only one [...]
Pingback by Google Maps spam appearing in Europe - not only a problem in US : Local Search Optimization - Martijn Beijk — June 4, 2008 @ 11:31 am
[...] an effort to curtail manipulation of local search results, Google has recently articulated to local businesses that listing multiple business names at a single address is no longer acceptable. While this is a [...]
Pingback by Yipit Blog » Blog Archive » The Multiple Listings Problem in Manhattan Local Search — August 13, 2008 @ 12:05 am