Comments on: My “Deep Throat” Gets Banned, Goes Public http://blumenthals.com/blog/2009/02/21/my-deep-throat-gets-banned-goes-public/ Developing Knowledge about Local Search Wed, 23 May 2012 20:49:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: David Bruce, Jr. http://blumenthals.com/blog/2009/02/21/my-deep-throat-gets-banned-goes-public/comment-page-1/#comment-511763 David Bruce, Jr. Wed, 28 Jul 2010 21:55:46 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/?p=2472#comment-511763 I bent the rules too, cleaned up per the TOS once I actually read through it. One of my competitors apparently turned me into the Gmaps spam cops and I lost my Google places account for a couple weeks. So... I requested reinstatment and agreed to sin no more... guess what? The G Powers that be let me have my Google Places account back (sans the keyword stuffing ones that were the egregious violators) how did I pull that off? ...I told the truth, I told Google that I didn't really read the whole TOS and know I know not to call the company anything other than what is on the business license: What I did to "bend the rules" was to use the companies actual tag line, a tag line they really DO use, some of them were printed on the signage outside the shopping center. well.... do that at your peril Bottom line is: redemption IS possible with Google if you run afoul of the TOS btw: they really do mean what they say in a TOS And someone @ Google really does read all the posts in their help forums/ support forums... a human may not respond but (trust me on this) they ARE reading what complaints are in there. I bent the rules too, cleaned up per the TOS once I actually read through it.
One of my competitors apparently turned me into the Gmaps spam cops and I lost my Google places account for a couple weeks.

So… I requested reinstatment and agreed to sin no more… guess what?

The G Powers that be let me have my Google Places account back (sans the keyword stuffing ones that were the egregious violators)

how did I pull that off?

…I told the truth, I told Google that I didn’t really read the whole TOS and know I know not to call the company anything other than what is on the business license:

What I did to “bend the rules” was to use the companies actual tag line, a tag line they really DO use, some of them were printed on the signage outside the shopping center.

well…. do that at your peril

Bottom line is: redemption IS possible with Google if you run afoul of the TOS

btw: they really do mean what they say in a TOS

And someone @ Google really does read all the posts in their help forums/ support forums… a human may not respond but (trust me on this) they ARE reading what complaints are in there.

]]> By: Google Updates Community Edit History with Editor Quality Comments | Understanding Google Maps & Local Search http://blumenthals.com/blog/2009/02/21/my-deep-throat-gets-banned-goes-public/comment-page-1/#comment-482992 Google Updates Community Edit History with Editor Quality Comments | Understanding Google Maps & Local Search Thu, 29 Apr 2010 18:05:48 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/?p=2472#comment-482992 [...] is a detail of the upgrade that was pointed out to me by Alice, one of PureSheer’s staff where Google is now including a great deal of interesting history of community edits. If [...] [...] is a detail of the upgrade that was pointed out to me by Alice, one of PureSheer’s staff where Google is now including a great deal of interesting history of community edits. If [...]

]]> By: Gram http://blumenthals.com/blog/2009/02/21/my-deep-throat-gets-banned-goes-public/comment-page-1/#comment-388093 Gram Mon, 18 May 2009 00:43:03 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/?p=2472#comment-388093 Check the listings in Los Angeles. Besides the standard scam company operations as Locksmiths-Los Angeles, MyLocksmithUSA and others, we are currently dealing with the Google Maps listings being "hijacked" by a guy named Martin Hanania. He operates three or more FAKE locksmith scam operations. In & Out Locksmith, Locksmith-Pros and RC Locksmith. This criminal has stolen DOZENS of real, legitimate locksmith listings and inserted his own phone numbers and website links. He has FLOODED Google Maps with hundreds of spam listings for these fake companies and is linked to many rip-offs. His creepy, sketchy, UNLICENSED fake locksmiths have even used the company names of REAL locksmiths. WHY does Google allow this? What am I missing? This really HURTS legitimate locksmith business as I have been told that ALL locksmiths are scam artists and these guys were the example. Check the listings in Los Angeles. Besides the standard scam company operations as Locksmiths-Los Angeles, MyLocksmithUSA and others, we are currently dealing with the Google Maps listings being “hijacked” by a guy named Martin Hanania.
He operates three or more FAKE locksmith scam operations. In & Out Locksmith, Locksmith-Pros and RC Locksmith.
This criminal has stolen DOZENS of real, legitimate locksmith listings and inserted his own phone numbers and website links. He has FLOODED Google Maps with hundreds of spam listings for these fake companies and is linked to many rip-offs. His creepy, sketchy, UNLICENSED fake locksmiths have even used the company names of REAL locksmiths.
WHY does Google allow this? What am I missing? This really HURTS legitimate locksmith business as I have been told that ALL locksmiths are scam artists and these guys were the example.

]]> By: Google Maps Locksmith Spam Creeping into Canada (Toronto) | Stever.ca http://blumenthals.com/blog/2009/02/21/my-deep-throat-gets-banned-goes-public/comment-page-1/#comment-382250 Google Maps Locksmith Spam Creeping into Canada (Toronto) | Stever.ca Thu, 30 Apr 2009 06:58:29 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/?p=2472#comment-382250 [...] Blumenthal has plenty of posts about it and has been a pretty loud voice for some serious quality control in Google Maps. Those [...] [...] Blumenthal has plenty of posts about it and has been a pretty loud voice for some serious quality control in Google Maps. Those [...]

]]> By: Google Maps: Whitehouse Listing most recent Hijack Victim » Understanding Google Maps & Yahoo Local Search http://blumenthals.com/blog/2009/02/21/my-deep-throat-gets-banned-goes-public/comment-page-1/#comment-364573 Google Maps: Whitehouse Listing most recent Hijack Victim » Understanding Google Maps & Yahoo Local Search Wed, 01 Apr 2009 08:02:02 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/?p=2472#comment-364573 [...] blackhat locksmith. The hijacking, consistent with previous mapjackings, was reported to me by the locksmith “deepthroat” that previously reported the Maps hijacking technique. It was quickly returned to its normal [...] [...] blackhat locksmith. The hijacking, consistent with previous mapjackings, was reported to me by the locksmith “deepthroat” that previously reported the Maps hijacking technique. It was quickly returned to its normal [...]

]]> By: Google Maps vs Locksmith Spammers: Spammers winning? » Understanding Google Maps & Yahoo Local Search http://blumenthals.com/blog/2009/02/21/my-deep-throat-gets-banned-goes-public/comment-page-1/#comment-333498 Google Maps vs Locksmith Spammers: Spammers winning? » Understanding Google Maps & Yahoo Local Search Wed, 25 Feb 2009 14:06:39 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/?p=2472#comment-333498 [...] the reality is that Locksmiths come in varying shades from white to black and consumers are not the only ones short changed when the blackhats are [...] [...] the reality is that Locksmiths come in varying shades from white to black and consumers are not the only ones short changed when the blackhats are [...]

]]> By: panzermike http://blumenthals.com/blog/2009/02/21/my-deep-throat-gets-banned-goes-public/comment-page-1/#comment-332885 panzermike Tue, 24 Feb 2009 02:47:41 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/?p=2472#comment-332885 Let's get real. The businesses that are ranking are by and far the businesses that are spamming. I have made so many map spam reports, my fingers are raw. I dare not do it. But freaking bloody hell, please Carter, create an algo to make it fair for the ones who are playing by the rules. Maps is awesome. But to make it profitable, one must spam it. Let’s get real. The businesses that are ranking are by and far the businesses that are spamming. I have made so many map spam reports, my fingers are raw.

I dare not do it. But freaking bloody hell, please Carter, create an algo to make it fair for the ones who are playing by the rules. Maps is awesome. But to make it profitable, one must spam it.

]]> By: Murrieta City Directory http://blumenthals.com/blog/2009/02/21/my-deep-throat-gets-banned-goes-public/comment-page-1/#comment-332446 Murrieta City Directory Sun, 22 Feb 2009 23:58:15 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/?p=2472#comment-332446 It seems that Google Maps is becoming more and more like regular Google Search where you are better off just going completely White Hat and wait for Google to penalize the Black Hats. Anything other than can get you banned and it is just not worth it. What we do need though is a little more intuitive LBC, kind of like Webmaster Tools. It seems that Google Maps is becoming more and more like regular Google Search where you are better off just going completely White Hat and wait for Google to penalize the Black Hats.

Anything other than can get you banned and it is just not worth it. What we do need though is a little more intuitive LBC, kind of like Webmaster Tools.

]]> By: Mike http://blumenthals.com/blog/2009/02/21/my-deep-throat-gets-banned-goes-public/comment-page-1/#comment-332037 Mike Sat, 21 Feb 2009 22:07:34 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/?p=2472#comment-332037 Things certainly aren't black or white are they? Who can really know another's motivation and thinking? But I totally agree with you on urging Google to put in place a system that prevents this sort of abuse. Pureshear notes that there is more to be exposed. Mike Things certainly aren’t black or white are they? Who can really know another’s motivation and thinking?

But I totally agree with you on urging Google to put in place a system that prevents this sort of abuse. Pureshear notes that there is more to be exposed.

Mike

]]> By: MiriamEllis http://blumenthals.com/blog/2009/02/21/my-deep-throat-gets-banned-goes-public/comment-page-1/#comment-332034 MiriamEllis Sat, 21 Feb 2009 22:01:56 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/?p=2472#comment-332034 First, let's applaud Puresheer for his commendable efforts to shed light on the spam in the locksmith industry. I agree that his willingness to expose the very tactics from which he and others are benefiting should inspire an attitude of leniency on the part of Google. If they won't reactivate his listings, perhaps they ought to consider hiring him as a paid spam fighting consultant. He seems to have a in-depth acquaintance with the underbelly of Local. Secondly, let's join Puresheer in urging Google to launch a serious investigation into their own system and put in place such safeguards as will make this kind of thing a million times harder. Mike, this was a great article. A real page-turner (if you can say that about a blog post!) Miriam First, let’s applaud Puresheer for his commendable efforts to shed light on the spam in the locksmith industry. I agree that his willingness to expose the very tactics from which he and others are benefiting should inspire an attitude of leniency on the part of Google. If they won’t reactivate his listings, perhaps they ought to consider hiring him as a paid spam fighting consultant. He seems to have a in-depth acquaintance with the underbelly of Local.

Secondly, let’s join Puresheer in urging Google to launch a serious investigation into their own system and put in place such safeguards as will make this kind of thing a million times harder.

Mike, this was a great article. A real page-turner (if you can say that about a blog post!)

Miriam

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