Comments on: Google Maps: Citation Conflation or Where have my Citations Gone? http://blumenthals.com/blog/2010/02/26/google-maps-citation-conflation-or-where-have-my-citations-gone/ Developing Knowledge about Local Search Thu, 24 May 2012 11:35:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Albert http://blumenthals.com/blog/2010/02/26/google-maps-citation-conflation-or-where-have-my-citations-gone/comment-page-1/#comment-476268 Albert Tue, 06 Apr 2010 23:05:19 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/?p=6141#comment-476268 here's the listing http://maps.google.com/maps/place?hl=en&georestrict=input_srcid%3A5430cd327a7fc67b here’s the listing

http://maps.google.com/maps/place?hl=en&georestrict=input_srcid%3A5430cd327a7fc67b

]]> By: Albert http://blumenthals.com/blog/2010/02/26/google-maps-citation-conflation-or-where-have-my-citations-gone/comment-page-1/#comment-476267 Albert Tue, 06 Apr 2010 23:04:48 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/?p=6141#comment-476267 Our business listing lost citations but isn't appearing on another listing, they are just gone in all. What happened? Thanks Our business listing lost citations but isn’t appearing on another listing, they are just gone in all. What happened? Thanks

]]> By: Mike http://blumenthals.com/blog/2010/02/26/google-maps-citation-conflation-or-where-have-my-citations-gone/comment-page-1/#comment-470705 Mike Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:41:13 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/?p=6141#comment-470705 I would agree that I "caused" the problem but I did not cause the problem for the many businesses that this has happened to. It also doesn't explain why all the other citations that I have no control over moved over as well. I would agree that I “caused” the problem but I did not cause the problem for the
many businesses that this has happened to. It also doesn’t explain why all the other citations that I have no control over moved over as well.

]]> By: SAdvance http://blumenthals.com/blog/2010/02/26/google-maps-citation-conflation-or-where-have-my-citations-gone/comment-page-1/#comment-470704 SAdvance Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:32:12 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/?p=6141#comment-470704 Actually I think you caused the client issues and not google. "The only thing they had in common was that both have citations on my client list." --- that right there should tell you the problem is you and the way you do business for clients. As a marketer, each client needs to be treated as its own entity, and not as a part of your entity. -- I had to stop posting SEO ranking reports online, because my reports would outrank my clients websites...... Actually I think you caused the client issues and not google. “The only thing they had in common was that both have citations on my client list.” — that right there should tell you the problem is you and the way you do business for clients. As a marketer, each client needs to be treated as its own entity, and not as a part of your entity. — I had to stop posting SEO ranking reports online, because my reports would outrank my clients websites……

]]> By: Mike http://blumenthals.com/blog/2010/02/26/google-maps-citation-conflation-or-where-have-my-citations-gone/comment-page-1/#comment-465743 Mike Sat, 27 Feb 2010 08:01:50 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/?p=6141#comment-465743 @Miriam Structured as in providing meta data on the web page that clearly indicates to Google what is a name, address & city as with microformats like hCard or RDF. Unstructured being just plain HTML so that google's algo has to guess where one citation stops and another starts by looking at the content. @Miriam

Structured as in providing meta data on the web page that clearly indicates to Google what is a name, address & city as with microformats like hCard or RDF. Unstructured being just plain HTML so that google’s algo has to guess where one citation stops and another starts by looking at the content.

]]> By: MiriamEllis http://blumenthals.com/blog/2010/02/26/google-maps-citation-conflation-or-where-have-my-citations-gone/comment-page-1/#comment-465634 MiriamEllis Fri, 26 Feb 2010 20:58:02 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/?p=6141#comment-465634 Mike, May I ask for a definition of unstructured vs. structured? Mike,
May I ask for a definition of unstructured vs. structured?

]]> By: Mike http://blumenthals.com/blog/2010/02/26/google-maps-citation-conflation-or-where-have-my-citations-gone/comment-page-1/#comment-465628 Mike Fri, 26 Feb 2010 20:19:46 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/?p=6141#comment-465628 The quantity theory is interesting but if it is more than one it is not that many. In my case these two businesses are only listed together by me (no where else on the internet) on that page but.... I have some old duplicate content of the page so that it shows up in fact 4 times to Google...so we can't tell if it is once or 4 as the minimum number but it is no more than that... But that still only explains the one bad citation....we still do not know why or how the other citations are then carried along. In my case they are only together at my customer listing page(s). So it is unclear how citations like the Mascho Funeral Home make their way over....they are somehow related through my site. Would love to hear from a Googler on this one! The quantity theory is interesting but if it is more than one it is not that many.

In my case these two businesses are only listed together by me (no where else on the internet) on that page but…. I have some old duplicate content of the page so that it shows up in fact 4 times to Google…so we can’t tell if it is once or 4 as the minimum number but it is no more than that…

But that still only explains the one bad citation….we still do not know why or how the other citations are then carried along. In my case they are only together at my customer listing page(s). So it is unclear how citations like the Mascho Funeral Home make their way over….they are somehow related through my site.

Would love to hear from a Googler on this one!

]]> By: Nifty Mike http://blumenthals.com/blog/2010/02/26/google-maps-citation-conflation-or-where-have-my-citations-gone/comment-page-1/#comment-465624 Nifty Mike Fri, 26 Feb 2010 20:08:40 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/?p=6141#comment-465624 @professor maps You are a man of mystery and many names. On the citations that Matthew was pointing out, I noticed that it was due to the phone number of one company being listed on the same page as the Name of another business. The white space theory is really interesting. I have seen a lot of these lately and have a bit of my personal listing for nifty marketing showing up in some other lucky companies places page. The way I have been finding this is looking at what google is highlighting on the citations tab. which was in Mathew's case, the following... 1 company business name 1 other companies phone number So, I then did a search for "company business name" + "wrong number" I was surprised at how many listings were coming up where the two were on the same page. Maybe the quantity of times listed together helped Google to erroneously match the citations. @professor maps

You are a man of mystery and many names. On the citations that Matthew was pointing out, I noticed that it was due to the phone number of one company being listed on the same page as the Name of another business.

The white space theory is really interesting. I have seen a lot of these lately and have a bit of my personal listing for nifty marketing showing up in some other lucky companies places page. The way I have been finding this is looking at what google is highlighting on the citations tab. which was in Mathew’s case, the following…

1 company business name
1 other companies phone number

So, I then did a search for
“company business name” + “wrong number”

I was surprised at how many listings were coming up where the two were on the same page. Maybe the quantity of times listed together helped Google to erroneously match the citations.

]]> By: Mike http://blumenthals.com/blog/2010/02/26/google-maps-citation-conflation-or-where-have-my-citations-gone/comment-page-1/#comment-465574 Mike Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:44:27 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/?p=6141#comment-465574 First Professor Maps, now the "Google Maps Kink"....hmm... First Professor Maps, now the “Google Maps Kink”….hmm…

]]> By: Matthew Hunt http://blumenthals.com/blog/2010/02/26/google-maps-citation-conflation-or-where-have-my-citations-gone/comment-page-1/#comment-465566 Matthew Hunt Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:01:26 +0000 http://blumenthals.com/blog/?p=6141#comment-465566 Mike, I noticed too that some of my clients citations that were being pulled to other business's G-Maps Listings what had in common was they were on the same page from some sources (not all), so it would make sense when you say: "It appears that Google Maps, when scraping multiple citations for different businesses that appear on a single unstructured web page, not only conflates the citations for that specific page but brings along other citations not from that page, from one business to another." Mike Ramsey actually first pointed this out to me, when I asked for help on Twitter. I never connected the dots so clearly, but I'm going to look at it more now. Great eye and investigative work! -> This is why your the Google Maps Kink! :) BTW, glad to hear it's not just my some of clients experiencing this, I hope G-Maps addresses this before it affects any rankings! Mike, I noticed too that some of my clients citations that were being pulled to other business’s G-Maps Listings what had in common was they were on the same page from some sources (not all), so it would make sense when you say:

“It appears that Google Maps, when scraping multiple citations for different businesses that appear on a single unstructured web page, not only conflates the citations for that specific page but brings along other citations not from that page, from one business to another.”

Mike Ramsey actually first pointed this out to me, when I asked for help on Twitter.

I never connected the dots so clearly, but I’m going to look at it more now.

Great eye and investigative work! -> This is why your the Google Maps Kink! :)

BTW, glad to hear it’s not just my some of clients experiencing this, I hope G-Maps addresses this before it affects any rankings!

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