I know this message is not regarding above mentioned topic but I had to write and ask you if you could raise question to Google employees regarding reporting spam listings.

“Report A Problem” link doesn’t work. Reporting a spam is like sending request into a black hole. The worst part is when you send report and than you get email notification that Google will review information you provided but also that since spam you reported is owner verified listing some updates require the approval of business owner! In another words they will ask spamer to admit spam. And that can take very long period of time but at the end spam listing will still be there without any consequences.
Google’s Quality Guidelines does not apply for this listings and they are multiplying. I have reported businesses with multiple listings for the same address and with same web site and nothing happened.Also I reported businesses permanently closed, businesses which included marketing taglines in their business name, non-existing businesses and businesses with wrong locations or category. Most of reported
listings have status “pending” and for many others my report is “approved” but still waiting for owners
verification or who knows what. This listings are on top of search results for their category. I notice that many of them are having fake Google reviews. Also there are reports from customers who are ripped-of by this companies.By allowing spam listings, Google obviously is not hurting only credible businesses but also is not protecting customers.

Thank you for your time. Should you have any questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards,Pamela

I suspect the changes will bring Google Places results more into line with organics. So if you don’t have a relevant website backing you up, you may now struggle to rank in Google Places.

At the same time his Google Boost ad continues to run and send visitors to that very same Places Page.

It would appear that as long as he is willing to pay for visitors, Google is fine with the ad, and willing to send traffic to it, but will not allow it to show for organic search. A bit of a double standard that has been difficult at best (and some what exasperating) to try to explain….

It’s way past time for Google to part with some of their $$$ and create a real customer service department to deal with some of these very real SMB problems that continue to exist with the Places listings….

And other bulk spam they are trying to get a handle on?

Regarding the Local SEO’s using one G account to manage 1001 plus client listings – with the new blended results much of that industry is getting killed, those that focused solely on 7pack rankings and neglected websites and organic SEO. The game changed for them and their business model took a fatal blow.

I talked to a small biz owner in Florida the other day who was using one of those kinds of services. He has no control over his listing, they were using call tracking phone numbers, those numbers now redirect elsewhere, and they will not return his calls. When he finally got through to the owner he was told – we’ve moved on to large enterprise clients only and don’t care to help the small fish and we wont even lift a finger to undo your Places account. Too bad for you.

There was a fair number of local seo biz’s that sprang up under the model of $100 or $200 per month after you land in the top 7. If it took 2 months for your listing to land in the top 7 then you pay nothing for those two months but once you’re there they start invoicing you. Now there is no 7-pack, or sometimes there is and other times its blended organic/local. So many of those that were guaranteeing top 7 maps placement, or you don’t pay, can simply not deliver.

I’m sure there are thousands of small businesses now caught up in that limbo and no access to their Places accounts.

It is not so much that I am “disenfranchised” as I am attempting to communicate to Google the SMB point of view. As engineers they are often clueless about the impact that their actions have on the real world that I deal with.

I have what you would call a love hate relationship with them. I think what they do is amazing. They may or may not find my critiques loving but they are meant with a sincere desire for them to get it right.