Comments on: Get a keyword stuffed Google Map listing with a virtual office thrown in for free! http://blumenthals.com/blog/2009/11/11/get-a-virtual-office-with-a-keyword-stuffed-maps-listing-thrown-in-for-free/ Developing Knowledge about Local Search Thu, 18 Mar 2010 02:02:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Looking for a Legend In All the Wrong Places | Understanding Google Maps & Local Search http://blumenthals.com/blog/2009/11/11/get-a-virtual-office-with-a-keyword-stuffed-maps-listing-thrown-in-for-free/comment-page-1/#comment-444249 Looking for a Legend In All the Wrong Places | Understanding Google Maps & Local Search Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:03:25 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/?p=5242#comment-444249 [...] recently posted this comment on my Get a Virtual Office With a Keyword Stuffed Maps Listing article. I thought it [...] [...] recently posted this comment on my Get a Virtual Office With a Keyword Stuffed Maps Listing article. I thought it [...]

]]> By: zebedi http://blumenthals.com/blog/2009/11/11/get-a-virtual-office-with-a-keyword-stuffed-maps-listing-thrown-in-for-free/comment-page-1/#comment-443944 zebedi Sun, 22 Nov 2009 04:52:57 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/?p=5242#comment-443944 I'm told that physical not mail address is what counts for SEO. Which leaves us with the virtual office option, which this blog is so scathing about. So where to? I’m told that physical not mail address is what counts for SEO. Which leaves us with the virtual office option, which this blog is so scathing about. So where to?

]]> By: Rasmus http://blumenthals.com/blog/2009/11/11/get-a-virtual-office-with-a-keyword-stuffed-maps-listing-thrown-in-for-free/comment-page-1/#comment-443765 Rasmus Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:30:23 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/?p=5242#comment-443765 @zebedi Maybe you should consider having a postal box in both cities... @zebedi

Maybe you should consider having a postal box in both cities…

]]> By: zebedi http://blumenthals.com/blog/2009/11/11/get-a-virtual-office-with-a-keyword-stuffed-maps-listing-thrown-in-for-free/comment-page-1/#comment-443702 zebedi Sat, 21 Nov 2009 07:53:21 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/?p=5242#comment-443702 As a small business person, I cannot find an SEO that can tell me how to genuinely appear in search results in the areas we genuinely service. WHy is it called SPAM if it is genuine. People like us go to clients, rather than them coming to our workshop. (antique and furniture restoration and custom furniture etc etc in case you are curious). We are talking about relatively rare service skills and a large client catchment district to gain the higher class of items which are our niche. This is the way it always has been, since 1983, and the way it always will be. We are in a metropolitan region but not in the major city. Nor are we in the two sister cities that we service. We are in an inbetween city area. Our workshop is in between the main city and one of the sister cities, and because of highways, about 1-1.25 hrs from the other sister city. We are not alone in this issue. Lots of service providers are in this situation, particularly if they target the top end of their skill/ items, and even more so if the equipment or the skill is rare. Also, it is not unusual for people like us to have workshops or acreage to handle the noise and the land required for specialist vehicles and equipment and often, economically, we choose in between sites for our business for land price benefits - yet still good access to client catchment areas. Have a look where most industrial estates are. It is no point of chance that it happens to be between cities rather than in them. SO if you want to catch some work - solve the problem. Looking for a legendary SEO .... As a small business person, I cannot find an SEO that can tell me how to genuinely appear in search results in the areas we genuinely service. WHy is it called SPAM if it is genuine. People like us go to clients, rather than them coming to our workshop. (antique and furniture restoration and custom furniture etc etc in case you are curious). We are talking about relatively rare service skills and a large client catchment district to gain the higher class of items which are our niche. This is the way it always has been, since 1983, and the way it always will be. We are in a metropolitan region but not in the major city. Nor are we in the two sister cities that we service. We are in an inbetween city area. Our workshop is in between the main city and one of the sister cities, and because of highways, about 1-1.25 hrs from the other sister city.

We are not alone in this issue. Lots of service providers are in this situation, particularly if they target the top end of their skill/ items, and even more so if the equipment or the skill is rare. Also, it is not unusual for people like us to have workshops or acreage to handle the noise and the land required for specialist vehicles and equipment and often, economically, we choose in between sites for our business for land price benefits – yet still good access to client catchment areas. Have a look where most industrial estates are. It is no point of chance that it happens to be between cities rather than in them.

SO if you want to catch some work – solve the problem.

Looking for a legendary SEO ….

]]> By: sss http://blumenthals.com/blog/2009/11/11/get-a-virtual-office-with-a-keyword-stuffed-maps-listing-thrown-in-for-free/comment-page-1/#comment-443157 sss Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:15:21 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/?p=5242#comment-443157 wonderful wonderful

]]> By: Sean Edwards http://blumenthals.com/blog/2009/11/11/get-a-virtual-office-with-a-keyword-stuffed-maps-listing-thrown-in-for-free/comment-page-1/#comment-443070 Sean Edwards Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:38:36 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/?p=5242#comment-443070 that is as blatant as spam gets I guess, hopefully google will get this sorted out soon... that is as blatant as spam gets I guess, hopefully google will get this sorted out soon…

]]> By: A week worth of treats for SEO geeks | Search Engine Journal http://blumenthals.com/blog/2009/11/11/get-a-virtual-office-with-a-keyword-stuffed-maps-listing-thrown-in-for-free/comment-page-1/#comment-442749 A week worth of treats for SEO geeks | Search Engine Journal Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:44:06 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/?p=5242#comment-442749 [...] Get a keyword stuffed Google Map listing with a virtual office thrown in for free! – Mike Blumenthal [...] [...] Get a keyword stuffed Google Map listing with a virtual office thrown in for free! – Mike Blumenthal [...]

]]> By: Mike http://blumenthals.com/blog/2009/11/11/get-a-virtual-office-with-a-keyword-stuffed-maps-listing-thrown-in-for-free/comment-page-1/#comment-442743 Mike Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:57:33 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/?p=5242#comment-442743 @Frustrated Its not heading, its there. Maps as an integral part of the main search results page are here to stay for a while for better or worse. One can only surmise that Google thinks that they are relevant. I am sure that they have tested them to verify that they are used by the searchers. As to your statement that most searches shop online...that just is not true. Retail Online is roughly <a href="http://gesterling.wordpress.com/2007/01/19/the-future-of-online-shopping-is-offline/" rel="nofollow">3% of total retail</a>. Google feels, and time will tell, that they can provide <a href="http://blumenthals.com/blog/2009/10/12/google-replaces-tele-atlas-data-in-us-with-google-data/" rel="nofollow">more accurate directions</a> than your GPS. Certainly their business is predicated on it so if they are wrong. Google is starting to charge for the space with their new <a href="http://blumenthals.com/blog/category/articles-about-googles-local-listing-ads/" rel="nofollow">Local Listing Ads</a>. So for me anyways, the issue is to understand the Local world as defined by Google, so as to best benefit from it. @Frustrated

Its not heading, its there. Maps as an integral part of the main search results page are here to stay for a while for better or worse. One can only surmise that Google thinks that they are relevant. I am sure that they have tested them to verify that they are used by the searchers.

As to your statement that most searches shop online…that just is not true. Retail Online is roughly 3% of total retail.

Google feels, and time will tell, that they can provide more accurate directions than your GPS. Certainly their business is predicated on it so if they are wrong.

Google is starting to charge for the space with their new Local Listing Ads.

So for me anyways, the issue is to understand the Local world as defined by Google, so as to best benefit from it.

]]> By: Frustrated about Maps http://blumenthals.com/blog/2009/11/11/get-a-virtual-office-with-a-keyword-stuffed-maps-listing-thrown-in-for-free/comment-page-1/#comment-442642 Frustrated about Maps Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:18:00 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/?p=5242#comment-442642 As a business that focuses heavily on SEO, I want to learn where this is headed. It is very frustrating for Google to re-arrange this space previously used by organic search results. The map and the 7 listings take up about 4 & 1/4 inches of white space or approximately 4 & 1/2 organic search result listings. From a searchers perspective, what does the maps section offer me that I didn't have before? Well, they give me a map and that's nice, but in a day and age when most of us searchers are shopping online and have products delivered to our doorstep, what service is this actually providing. And as far as the map and address, the GPS in my car can do a far better job of getting me to my destination should I need it. Why is Google using such a large amount of this EXPENSIVE white space to deliver a product to the searcher that is outdated and offering it up to the business for FREE? That is a question we should be asking, or rather discussing. As a business that focuses heavily on SEO, I want to learn where this is headed. It is very frustrating for Google to re-arrange this space previously used by organic search results. The map and the 7 listings take up about 4 & 1/4 inches of white space or approximately 4 & 1/2 organic search result listings.

From a searchers perspective, what does the maps section offer me that I didn’t have before? Well, they give me a map and that’s nice, but in a day and age when most of us searchers are shopping online and have products delivered to our doorstep, what service is this actually providing. And as far as the map and address, the GPS in my car can do a far better job of getting me to my destination should I need it.

Why is Google using such a large amount of this EXPENSIVE white space to deliver a product to the searcher that is outdated and offering it up to the business for FREE? That is a question we should be asking, or rather discussing.

]]> By: Scott http://blumenthals.com/blog/2009/11/11/get-a-virtual-office-with-a-keyword-stuffed-maps-listing-thrown-in-for-free/comment-page-1/#comment-442600 Scott Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:02:35 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/?p=5242#comment-442600 The toll free number shown in the screen grab also appears for a Houston carpet-cleaning surface, and is now disconnected. It looks like the spamming company was using a toll-free number that has had multiple uses. How that works, I am not sure, but it seems to be a phone number problem (and Google Maps spammers!), not one caused by Anthony & Co. The toll free number shown in the screen grab also appears for a Houston carpet-cleaning surface, and is now disconnected. It looks like the spamming company was using a toll-free number that has had multiple uses. How that works, I am not sure, but it seems to be a phone number problem (and Google Maps spammers!), not one caused by Anthony & Co.

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