Comments on: Google Maps users lost on their way to the Local Business Center

By: Google: Claimed Business Records No Longer Can be Hijacked » Understanding Google Maps & Yahoo Local Search

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 13:07:01 +0000

[...] it was possible for claimed listings to be compromised. In the absence of technique and proof, I wrote (erroneously) at the time that it did not seem likely and that it was more likely that the blackhats were simply using the [...]

By: Mike

Mike — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 18:04:49 +0000

Hi Robert

Go for it! If you make the goal I will buy you dinner.

Mike

By: Robert

Robert — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 17:59:29 +0000

“The only guarantee against having a business listing hijacked in Google Maps has been for a listing owner to control their listing in the Local Business Center. The only way to be ranked well in Maps is for that same business to control their listing in the Local Business Center. The many blogs covering local have said time and again, take control of the listing in the Local Business Center. ”

Claim your business listing and I will take control of it.

I am the original web master to the locksmith that actually started this all. I never got back to you because I was busy looking into this.
I’m ready now.

Claim it Verify it…control it from your local business center…I will try my best to steal it….I don’t think it will be very difficult.

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 18:03:21 +0000

There have been a growing number of complaints in the group. Like I said, it appears to be a system wide issue on certain listings. The only suggestion I have is to check back into the account in a week and see if it has corrected, otherwise the only choice is to post in the Group and pray that a Googler takes pity on you.

Mike

By: Margrit

Margrit — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:09:58 +0000

Well, I have no idea what’s in what fields, as I’m not able to get into it to see anything. Basically, the system error shuts me out entirely. Incidentally, this client is a florist. I’m not having problems with my other client accounts.

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 11:17:50 +0000

That message was appearing with some frequency last week and it appeared to me to be a system error. However, one writer reported that it was due to having too much content in the attributes fields….either too many fields or too much data in those fields and if you reduced that you would be ok…I have not seen confirmation of that nor have I seen the problem myself

Mike

By: Margrit

Margrit — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 02:03:08 +0000

Yes, I’ve been trying periodically over the last week or so. But after logging in to the Google account I created for my client, I keep getting this message, “System Error. We’re sorry, but we are unable to serve your request at this time. Please try back in a few minutes.” I’ve looked all over the Google LBC forums and found several others who are having the same problem, but no solution. I don’t know if there’s a connection between the YB listing and the error message. If anyone reading this blog has an answer, I’d love to hear it.

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 01:27:18 +0000

@Margrit

Have you attempted to reclaim the listing in your Local Business Center? It should let you claim via the claim this listing link in Maps and then you would just need to verify via phone or more likely post card.

Mike

By: Margrit

Margrit — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:10:45 +0000

There’s an irony to this hijacking / claiming your business listing. My client has been updating their YP listing with YellowBook, and Yellowbook is kindly helping them set up the Google local listing… so i guess that means YellowBook has now hijacked the google local listing? Is that why I can’t set up the client’s listing now???

By: martijn

martijn — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 09:04:39 +0000

[bad idea]you could try to hijack all listings that are available and pinpoint them to a URL that has instructions :p
[/bad idea]