Comments on: Is Google Maps the Portal to Bizarro World?

By: ZOMG! Google Maps LBC Suspension Message Now in English! | Understanding Google Maps & Local Search

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 10:22:28 +0000

[...] how much I have complained about Google Map’s wildly misleading suspension message: System Error – We’re sorry, [...]

By: Google Maps and Hospital Hell Soon Coming to an End? Three Cheers! | Understanding Google Maps & Local Search

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:12:37 +0000

[...] week, in my article “Is Google Maps the Portal to Bizarro World?“, I wrote about the difficulties of a hospital being banned while attempting to mange the [...]

By: Carl Beset

Carl Beset — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 02:32:11 +0000

Ok, the search is “home theater houston”. there is only one result and its a large chain store with deep roots on the internet. Any ideas?

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 02:13:49 +0000

There have been other reports of the Authoritative OneBox showing up more frequently on broad searches.

No one is paying to achieve that position.

It is algo driven. My current thinking is that for some reason (user logs?) Google thinks that the OneBox showing is what searchers are looking for…send me the examples so I can look at them

By: Carl Beset

Carl Beset — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 02:06:00 +0000

Hi Mike,

We recently saw the google maps in Houston all of a sudden go away alltogether for a specific search, then come back with only one company for that search, then come back with the 10 list, then change back to only list that one company. Do you have any idea why this is happening, and what can be done? Are they paying google to list them as the only company?

Carl

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 23:32:44 +0000

@Vedran

No apologies needed.

By: Vedran

Vedran — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 23:26:27 +0000

Google Map has no customer service whatsoever. Ok, I understand it is a free service and I am one of those people who doesn’t feel entitled at all but what happens in Google Maps surprises me very, very often, and almost always it is a negative surprise.

I have seen too many “algorithmic” mistakes and too much spam going unpunished.

No, Google maps are not Bizarro World, they are Hell…

End Rant

Sorry for that

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 20:06:11 +0000

Miriam

You are assuming that they want to solve this problem.

But if we assume (kindly) that they do want to resolve it, I have no idea why they haven’t yet developed a more structured solution to the situation.

In the forums, person after person posts the same question and no one from Google even thinks they deserve an answer.

In this case, where public health is concerned I think it is incumbent upon Google to look into the situation and communicate back out to the organization.

As far as I can tell, PanzerMike received more consideration than this.

Mike

By: MiriamEllis

MiriamEllis — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 19:44:43 +0000

The basic lack of human usability in Google’s error reporting is chronic. I don’t understand what Google could possibly think it gains by sowing confusion and misinformation in this way. And, I can’t believe they don’t realize this is what they are doing. It’s been months since I first heard you mention this specific problem. Google’s techs know it is there. Why do they not improve this situation?

You know how its an SEO/Usability basic to customize a 404 error page which leads lost users back to some kind of on-site action they can take? Maybe this is the problem with Google. They don’t have a way to custom summarize the errors in a listing that are causing it to be banned, and in the absence of that type of in-depth reporting, they don’t have any other action to instruct the user to take…such as emailing customer support to discuss a banned account. So, there are no instructions for the banned user. But it is truly bizarre to make it seem like what is happening is a system error if it’s actually a penalty or banning. Why do that?