Understanding Google Places & Local Search – Developing Knowledge about Local Search

May 11, 2010

A Very Strange Google Local Result(s)

Category: Google Places (Maps & Local) – Mike Blumenthal – 5:00 am

When you do a search for google.com in NYC or Chicago you predictably get results for…Google. But the search for Google.com in some cities returns very strange results. The result that I found particularly strange was the result when searching for Google.com Olean NY:


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One of the interesting tidbits that I discovered…..

after doing this search is that the Map image in the Local Universal result now scales down so that the Local Universal Result still shows at least one organic result on even an 800 pixel screen. This holds true for the 7 pack as well although not to the same extent (click to view larger):
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P.S. My wife thinks that this blog post is for folks with too much time on their hands…both the person who wrote it as well as those of you reading it. :)

Please consider leaving a comment as your input will help me (& everyone else) better understand and learn about local.

11 Comments »

  1. Hi Darlene — I totally agree. On both fronts. :D

    Comment by David Mihm (168 comments) — May 11, 2010 @ 9:24 am

  2. Hi Mike

    I came across a similar issue in 2007 for Google Pittsburgh PA :)

    Comment by Reuben Yau (6 comments) — May 11, 2010 @ 10:37 am

  3. We do not really have too much time, we just manage to fit it in somehow.

    Comment by daniel (38 comments) — May 11, 2010 @ 11:03 am

  4. gosh…and I just read and clicked and went to google.com and google.ca to look at how my own serps looked…

    sigh….spot-on Mike & Mike’s Missus too!

    too too much time abounds, eh!

    :-)

    Jim

    Comment by Jim Rudnick (164 comments) — May 11, 2010 @ 11:08 am

  5. @David
    You are no help!

    @Daniel
    I will note that to my wife. It is a great perspective (probably not true but useful none the less). Although I doubt that I will find much sympathy.

    @Reuben
    Thanks

    @Jim
    See Daniel’s comment above…

    Comment by Mike (2500 comments) — May 11, 2010 @ 1:37 pm

  6. In Google’s world of “launch now, fix details later” this may be that sign that they are about to actually hire you :)

    Comment by Stever (206 comments) — May 11, 2010 @ 1:45 pm

  7. @Stever

    That could be :) I would make the “perfect” employee, I never follow instructions and I always do what I want.

    Comment by Mike (2500 comments) — May 11, 2010 @ 1:51 pm

  8. Amazingly in the tiny town of Chicago, Google finds it’s own office address instead of mine.

    Comment by Taylor Cimala (19 comments) — May 11, 2010 @ 2:28 pm

  9. I dont agree with this at all. It will make things messier and messier. A multiplication of listings for the same place CANNOT be a good thing.

    Moreover, the algorythm of Google Local in the UK has changed just a few days ago. A lot of businesses now register their keyword rich URL as the primary business name, and while this has been taken care of by google in the past, it is now being allowed:

    http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=colonic+irrigation+london&aq=f&aqi=g8g-m1&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=

    What next? I cannot believe Google cannot organise their Google Local results in a proper way. I would rather pay and have a proper listing than have to deal with such a mess.

    Comment by Dan (27 comments) — May 11, 2010 @ 4:00 pm

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