Comments on: Google Places Adds a Range of New UGC Features

By: Google Places: More UGC | Understanding Google Maps & Local Search

Google Places: More UGC | Understanding Google Maps & Local Search — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 10:00:20 +0000

[...] Google Places (Maps & Local) – Mike – 6:00 am Two weeks ago there were numerous reports of new pop-ups on the Places page to ascertain from visitors the accuracy of a business location, [...]

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 12:28:31 +0000

@Phil

On point one, my sense is that trust and trust in the data accuracy are independent of increased ranking.

If these inputs have an affect on ranking it is more likely to work the other way where an untrusted record is pushed out of the results.

I am sure that you saw my subsequent post… Google is now allowing users to edit every aspect of a claimed business.

By: Phil Rozek

Phil Rozek — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 01:29:55 +0000

Hi Mike, thanks for the great analysis, as always.

Two thoughts/open-ended questions:

I wonder what kind of positive effects user input might have on rankings, if any. If great enough numbers of people say that some of the most basic info about a particular business (website and location) is accurate, it would stand to reason that that business might get a little boost in rankings. I guess we’ll see, but I can’t help but wonder even at this stage.

It seems to me that Google will only take this further, and eventually start asking visitors whether the phone number is correct, and (maybe, just maybe) whether the business name is accurate. As you said, these don’t seem to be experiments, so users’ feedback on phone numbers seems a logical next step by Google.

By: Google Places: Community Edits of Claimed Listings Are Back! | Understanding Google Maps & Local Search

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 19:35:46 +0000

[...] Kuiper just pointed out to me, that in addition to the random UGC discussed this morning, that full on community edits of a claimed listing have returned to Places. [...]

By: MiriamEllis

MiriamEllis — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 18:13:22 +0000

The changes are interesting, but I have a different suggestion Google could implement…in my dreams…to make sure their index is accurate. Remove all but claimed listings from the index, and then view the owner of the claimed listings as the authority on their business data. Communicate directly with them. It seems like a no-brainer really, that Google has approached backwards from the get-go.

I don’t see business data as being appropriate for these open source/social treatments and I never have. Reviews, yes…but business title, address, phone number, web address, categories and details…no.

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 17:53:44 +0000

It is not clear whether these changes or inputs accrue to a user. Certainly location issues via the “Report a problem” accrue to a users profile in MapMaker so it is not unlikely that they do have a trust ranking associated with the user.

By: Gav Heppinstall

Gav Heppinstall — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 17:00:27 +0000

Hi Mike, thanks for the mention!

I also noticed the map location pointer just the other day and i did wonder if it was a new development. My guess is that when a certain amount of users vote a location as “totally wrong”, then it may trigger a review.

Looking at this from the other point of view, im curious as to wether Google accounts would accrue “authority” the more data they supply which seems to validate other votes or agree with the majority. And then subsequently, a more authorative user have more klout and influence on a Places Ranking when writing reviews etc……all speculative but probably common sense at the end of the day.