January 31, 2011
Universities, hospitals, governments… it is often very difficult for them to get control of their listings in Google Places. Some of this is due to the claiming process and some due to the underlying nature of the way that Google assembles listing data. Regardless, when it doesn’t work, it really doesn’t work and, as this frustrated poster points out, could one day very well lead to a disaster. I was just too tired to post an answer in the forums to their query. Perhaps one of you kind souls could help Frustrated UM out?
Yes, I’ve tried “edit” and I’ve tried “report a problem”. Those functions are not working. Here is what’s happening:
Many pages for the University of Montana have the wrong phone number on them. They all have the phone number for Family Housing listed. Therefore, Family Housing is being overrun with calls for Financial Aid, Human Resources, Mansfield Library, Registration etc. They are also getting calls from people looking for Campus Security! This has the potential to become dangerous. Students are actually calling the wrong number trying to get to the Campus Police but are reaching Family Housing. Here are the locations that are wrong:
University of Montana: Financial Aid
University of Montana: Human Resouces
University of Montana: Campus Security
University of Montana: Registrar
University of Montana: Native American studies
University of Montana: School of Law
I’m sure there are more. All of these have the same phone number listed (406) 243-6030, which is for family housing. I’ve tried using the edit button and the report a problem button. I’ve followed the steps but all I get back is an email that says “Thank you for updating Gizzy Pool”. and then later another email saying “We could not update Grizzy Pool, the information could not be verified”.
I did not try to update the Grizzy Pool page (and it should say Grizzly Pool by the way). I can get no other response. What should I do?
Again, before anyone tells me to try the Edit or Report a problem route, I’ve been trying for nearly 2 months with no other response except the Grizzy Pool emails
It has been
443 days 2 hours 52 minutes 53 seconds, since Google last publicly
commented on their losing of business reviews.
Since that time, reports of Google losing business reviews continue to come in. From both personal experience and reports that flow into the forums, it is clear the Google has yet to solve the lost review problems. It is clearly not one problem but several.
For SMB’s, the only thing worse than Google not fighting review spam, is losing good reviews. Not only do SMBs deserve to have these reviews found, they deserve communication while Google is hunting for them.
January 28, 2011
Barry Schwartz highlighted this new tool this morning that automatically alerts a user via email when the satellite imagery for a given area has been updated. The tool is super simple to use and provides you with a dashboard to unsubscribe from previous requests.
It is also a super simple way to ascertain lat/log to 14 levels of accuracy. This is useful if you are creating a KML file or an hCard code for you website to signal to Google your businesses’ physical location. The tool can be found at FollowYourWorld.appspot.com. Here is a screen shot of the tool:
Google Boost is now available nationwide and the ads will be visible in the mobile environment. Apparently though it may not be available for all businesses based on the categories of the business. In other words if you are a locksmith, you might not see the option.
Boost is Google’s simplified Adwords tool for Local that can be initiated starting at $50/mo. The product rolled out to 3 cities in late October and 11 additional cities were added in mid November. The product was first seen in testing in October of 2009 and was known at the time as Local Listing Ads. Thus, from initial test to full rollout it has been 16 months.
This interview with Chikai Ohazama, the Director of Product Management for Maps, provides some insight into Google’s thinking on the product.
I am curious of those in markets that have previously had access to Boost, what your experience has been? Have the returns been as good as Adwords? Has the product opened up additional opportunities for you? I am also curious what industries are not being given the option to purchase a Boost ad in their Places Dashboard.
Reader Dan Freeburg sent this screen shot from a smaller market:
January 27, 2011
Google Chrome OS, their cloud based operating system currently being tested, provides click to call functionality on all Google blended local search results as well as phone numbers visible in general search results or on web pages. The call is connect over the Google VOIP network. The functionality is available on Google apps on smartphones but not in any other current desktop environment (unless you are using the buggy Skype plug in).
The click to call functionality is “turned off” if the user does not have a Google Voice account or is logged in as a guest.
As long as the number is formatted with parenthesis i.e (716) 204-1297, the click to call functionality is available across the web and not just on Google products.
Click the image to view the original Chrome OS full screen shot:
Several months ago Google was testing an enhanced Google Places Dashboard that included tracking of calls by mobile devices using Google Maps for Mobile. (more…)
January 26, 2011
Today, I am presenting at the fifth GetListed.org Local University in Birmingham AL. If you are coming PLEASE take a moment to introduce yourself as I would love to meet you.
For those of you that attended the presentation these links will provide background information and details for a pathway to dig deeper into the world of managing your listing on Google Maps. For those of you that are not in attendance, the links provide a good overview of critical base line ideas and tactics that every local campaign should embrace.
Google Maps – Its not your mother’s yellow pages.
Slide 2 - March 2010 Search Engine Market Share
Slide 12/13 - The Importance of Page One Visibility
Slides 16/17 - How the Google Cluster Works
Slide 21- Choosing the Right Category – A Tool
Slide 21 - Writing a Great Business Description
Slide 21 - Google Places Policies: Quality guidelines
Slide 22 - Creating a GeoSitemap – A tool
Slide 28/29 Local Search Ranking Factors – the many variables
Slide 28/29 A brief list of 10 Ranking Factors – somewhat old but still valid and a quick read
Slide 28/29 Thinking about your Business Name in the Internet Era
Slide 30 - Custom Maps – A Goldmine
Slide 30 - User Generated Content – Geo Tagged Photos
Slide 30 - How To Gather Reviews
Slide 30- Where to Gather Reviews
Slide 31- The Importance of Citations
Slide 31 - 20 Citation Sources in the US
Slide 36- A Listing management tool
January 25, 2011
Ok, enough is enough. My Google Places reviews have been missing since mid summer 2010 and I have waited patiently for their return.
Google has had some problems loosing reviews and this problem continues to this day. I understand that.
Stuff happens in a complex system and while I don’t like it, at some level I do understand it. I have always advocated for others that these reviews should be resurfaced and those that are legit be reassociated with the appropriate Places Page.
But I was looking at reviews in the context of a new talk I am giving this week at the UBL user conference in Charlotte and I realized that some of the reviews that had been lost from my account had more than just commercial value. They hold personal and relationship value as well. When a person you respect leaves a review it means more to me than just a review. (more…)
January 24, 2011
Last week, I reported that a number of folks were only seeing the post card verification option and no phone verification when entering new businesses in the Google Places Dashboard.
In the forums Google noted:
Hi all,
I understand there have been some recent questions about verification methods. If a business is new to Google, certain verification methods may be unavailable depending on the information provided for the business.
Whenever Google wants to maximize their trust level in a listing they will request post card verification as it offers them the highest confidence that the listing is real.
The phone verification option is only available now when Google has strong confidence about the listing data. It appears that Google has “upped the ante” in this regard particularly in relation to new business listings.
January 22, 2011
Su from the Inn at Tanglewood Hall, a bed and breakfast in York Harbor, Me alerted me on the 20th to the fact that TripAdvisor reviews were once again missing from Google Places. Today she sent me this missive from the CEO of TripAdvisor, Steve Kaufer inviting questions via Twitter about the TripAdvisor-Google battle over review content in Google Places. I am reprinting his message in full:
***
#AskSteve on Twitter: TripAdvisor Talks Google Places and Invites Questions
With more than 70% of all searches in the U.S. alone, Google is the world’s dominant search engine with considerable power over displaying what users see on the web. With Google Places, it is abusing this power.
The success of any website relies on two crucial elements: how useful it is to the consumer and therefore how highly it ranks in search engines. With both of these elements, Google is manipulating its systems and position to promote Google Places over other competing sites. Links to Google Places appear at the top of the ‘natural’ search despite being an inferior product to sites that are dedicated to review collection and therefore more useful to the consumer. Google is also forcingTripAdvisor to allow its reviews to be on Google Places, and as the world’s largest travel site with more than 40 million reviews and opinions, become the key content provider in Google Places for hotel and other accommodation reviews.
While we expect competition in the travel planning sector, we expect the success of the competition to be decided by the consumer. The EU Commission is currently investigating claims of how Google is adopting unfair practice; Google Places is another example of how they are abusing their dominant position in search.
As the situation continues to unfold, we know that many of you may have questions about Google Places and how we at TripAdvisor are approaching it, and I want to get those questions answered. Over the next couple of days, we’ll be asking you to share these questions on Twitter, and I’ll be answering them right here on the TripAdvisor blog. Follow us at @TripAdvisor for additional details on how to submit questions and join in on the conversation.
Steve Kaufer, CEO, TripAdvisor
Guidelines for submitting questions:
- I’ll only be answering questions about Google Places. Questions on other topics will not be responded to at this time.
- In order to have your question included, please be sure to use the hashtag #AskSteve.
- I will be answering ten questions. Answers will be posted here, on the TripAdvisor blog, and shared on Twitter. Follow @TripAdvisor for updates.
To see the Twitter question stream…. (more…)
January 21, 2011
Update: Matt of Yelo.us, a local search marketing firm in NY, notes in his comments below that Google is already actively marketing this product in NY. He points to the Offers landing page where the program is described very briefly and there is a contact form to participate in the beta programs for Google Offers. On the page Google notes: Google Offers makes it easy for you to attract new customers and bring back old ones by enabling you to instantly post discounts and other types of special offers across Google properties.
Google has confirmed a Mashable report that they are testing a Groupon like product. Greg is also reporting on this at SEL.
Google’s statment:
Google is communicating with small businesses to enlist their support and participation in a test of a pre-paid offers/vouchers program. This initiative is part of an ongoing effort at Google to make new products, such as the recent Offer Ads beta, that connect businesses with customers in new ways. We do not have more details to share at this time, but will keep you posted.
Mashable is reporting that “that Google will pay out 80% of a business’ revenue share three days after its deal runs. Google will hold the remaining 20% for 60 days to cover refunds before sending the rest” and that it will be powered by Google Checkout.
Google renamed their coupon product to Offers on November 15th, just a mere two weeks prior to their discussions with Groupon becoming public. The purchase of Groupon made sense to me at the time and the development of a deal product now does as well.
Here is a slightly revised chart from that time frame of Google’s free and paid products for Local that shows how a Groupon like Offers product would fit in the mix…
(more…)
