Comments on: Google acknowledges problems with Local Business Center

By: Understanding Google Maps & Yahoo Local Search » Google’s Carter Maslan: “Heads were down” during recent LBC upgrade | Developing Knowledge about Local Search

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 12:19:15 +0000

[...] Maps recently introduced a new user interface for the Local Business Center. There were some issues with the upgrade and Carter Maslan, Google’s Director of Product Management for Local, agreed [...]

By: Mihmorandum | Yahoo Leads the Way in Local Search Functionality | Google

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:36:20 +0000

[...] of the horse in promoting the Local 10-pack before getting their Local act together (the recent Local Business Center “upgrade” is yet another example), and if Yahoo can ever get some traction with traffic, they’ve got [...]

By: Joan van Hilten

Joan van Hilten — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:39:01 +0000

oh well – as my father would say ” never bet with money you aren’t willing to lose” and with Google on the table, I ain’t willing to lose a wooden nickle to them.

Joan

By: Mike Blumenthal

Mike Blumenthal — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 11:35:30 +0000

@ Joan-

I think it best if you run the pool out of Canada. I am sure that I would be violating some terrorist law related to money laundering if I attempted to execute from the US.

Mike

By: Mike Blumenthal

Mike Blumenthal — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 11:31:13 +0000

@Dave, Joan, David Cox – I totally agree that this “spring cleaning” should be watched closely as it seems likely that some data was once again misplaced.

@ilan good stats on user behavior seem to be MIA, not just how the Local Oneboxes affected the organic results but how users behaved with the various OneBoxes when presented…do they go into maps?, do they call? Are they more likely to buy? This is a topic of great interest that could use some careful and critical insight.

@All What still isn’t working properly as of Friday EST morning in the LBC? Google seems to be telling me that all is well….

By: Joan van Hilten

Joan van Hilten — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 10:58:40 +0000

Oh my – that is definitely a bit of an understandment. I’m totally underwhelmed.

I’ve started my stopwatch. Do you think it would be inappropriate to have a betting pool? A bit of a lottery to see when they will get this rectified?

It would be highly adviseable to keep a close eye on all work that has been done in this time period. Last time I lost over a hundred listings. A week ago I lost 21 listings out of my LBC. Coincidence? I think not.

Joan

By: David Cox

David Cox — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 10:25:41 +0000

It will be interesting to see if information posted as new in the last couple of weeks will come out intact when the repairs are made. I would assume that it will be important to check all listing when Google lets us know things are fixed.

By: panzermike

panzermike — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 17:35:06 +0000

Thanks Mike.

By: ilan

ilan — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 16:03:44 +0000

the main problem, i find to be is the how easy it is to game google and sent many fake addresses that will control high searched queries.

in some verticals, we are talking about 5 out of ten… come on.

i was wandering if anyone has some good statics, or least observations, as to how the maps effected clicking rates on original natural results.
also i would love to find out how the ten box is working compere to the three box.

By: earlpearl

earlpearl — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:19:27 +0000

Spring cleaning is a phenomena that occurs once a year. Its a great time to get rid of junk.

This “spring cleaning” is taking place after a little more than 1 and 1/2 years during which Maps has gained greater visibility by being placed in organic search as an element of universal search.

Its a great time to get rid of junk.

Good luck, Google.

Dave