When I have time on my hands I ponder the big questions in life.
A recent one that popped to mind was whether Google Maps business listings for Mountain View were more spam free than elsewhere. Do the folks at Google do a ground check to see if reality and Maps are at all in sync? Do they look out the window of the corner suite and check whether the listing across the road is correct? Do they have to eat their own dog food?
I won’t leave you in suspsense. Spam is just as bad in Mountain View as any place. In fact it might just be worse.
Good Hotel In Mountain View:
Clean Hotel in Moutain View:
Locksmith Mt. View Ca.:
The measles map view:
Brilliant!
Comment by bobthebuilder (10 comments) — June 16, 2009 @ 11:57 am
& to think that only 1-3 locksmith companies controlling the 10 box over there..
Comment by PureSheer (63 comments) — June 16, 2009 @ 12:42 pm
Surely if they all use the term good hotel no doubt inserted in the name field in the listing then one does not gain advantage over the other?
How is relevancy covered here? I know google expect business to be portrayed exactly as they would be in say the telephone directory, but lets say for example some searched out a hotel with parking facilities in central LA . Using ‘LA Hotel with Parking’. Would it be such a mistake to add Name Hotel with parking as the business description?
You are delivering relevancy which is what google demands and this would be a recognised search term?
Clearly this wouldn’t be as it was in the telephone directory so the user in that circumstance would have to call round to see who could offer him what. Not exactly the user friendly experience demanded is it?
Adding the ancillary info into the listing info does not always return the item in the SERP whereas in the title listing it will.
Comment by Katiesp (2 comments) — June 16, 2009 @ 1:24 pm
Lovely screenshots, Mike. I guess you’ve answered your own question – Google is not looking out their windows. Perhaps Google should adopt a clean-up-your-own-backyard-first policy and then they could apply what they learn about cleaning up Mountain View to the rest of the American cities they’ve indexed.
Comment by MiriamEllis (362 comments) — June 16, 2009 @ 6:27 pm
@Mirian
You think they actually look out the windows? Do they have windows?
Comment by Mike (1029 comments) — June 16, 2009 @ 6:31 pm
Do I feel a Microsoft joke coming on?
Comment by MiriamEllis (362 comments) — June 16, 2009 @ 6:36 pm
I hadn’t considered one until just this minute.
Comment by Mike (1029 comments) — June 16, 2009 @ 6:42 pm
These locksmiths all look like spam to me. The usual suspects and some of the bad spammers as well.
The only locksmith that MIGHT be ok is ElCaminoLocksmith.com. Their Locksmith license checks out to match their name. But their contractors license looks suspect. They have a “B” license (that’s odd), they show no employees (but several phone numbers), and do not have workers comp insurance. So possibly OK, but they look to be a one person business with several phone numbers to look local. At the very least they are doing Black Hat stuff to get better placement.
That is sad, the one that MAY be OK has some serious issues. So best to avoid all of the Mountain View Locksmiths listed on Google.
More amazing is the locksmith that Google uses for access control, (aalock.com) is not listed.
Comment by Glenn Y (18 comments) — June 16, 2009 @ 6:57 pm