Comments on: An Easier MapMaker Interface

By: Dan Austin

Dan Austin — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 00:20:03 +0000

@Linda: I’m seeing it, too, but I’m also seeing that the MM and Local databases frequently don’t match up, like categories, websites, and telephone numbers. The data is now effectively siloed in the old database, which means that Support will have to come to the rescue to fix it, which kind of defeats the purpose of this new UI. Couldn’t Google run a sync bot to overwrite the Local data with MM data?

By: Linda Buquet

Linda Buquet — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 00:12:31 +0000

Looks like we don’t have to use that trick any more. In doing support on some listings I noticed the new interface is live in the US now.

Posted about it here: http://localsearchforum.catalystemarketing.com/google-local-important/3493-new-edit-details-map-maker-interface-live.html

By: Freddie Fulton

Freddie Fulton — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 13:44:01 +0000

HI Mike, I was surprised when I clicked on your example of the new simplified map maker interface and it is only 10 minutes away from my house! I had a laugh.

I have used the interface to change a few listings here in Winnipeg and Manitoba and it works pretty well. I wasn’t too familiar with the old tool or how long this one has been around in Canada but this new one has some neat features about what changes you have suggested in the past, what happened with those suggested changes etc. I’m honestly not sure if that is new or not but I never noticed it on the old interface.

By: Dan Austin

Dan Austin — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 08:20:53 +0000

You can also rearrange some of the code from the URL for the MM simplified UI, that Mike provided:

http://www.google.com/mapmaker?ui_type=pc&src=1&cid=

The CID # goes on the end.

By: Dan Austin

Dan Austin — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 02:45:14 +0000

You can also take any Canadian POI (or when the UI flips in the US) and ‘convert’ it back to the old Maps UI (courtesy of Saikrishna Arcot, who has been ingeniously finding ways to cut out all that URL garbage), simply by appending the CID # to the end of this URL:

https://maps.google.com/maps/place?mode=edit&cid=

Why would you want to do this? The data on Maps and MM don’t always match. Some categories and other information can become orphaned by using the new MM UI, making it harder to edit the information, especially if you’re trying to track down stray categories, telephone numbers, or URLs that are showing up in search but not in the MM UI.

By: Misty Faucheux

Misty Faucheux — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 20:14:27 +0000

Perfect instructions! I was able to follow them and get it fixed. So easy to do!

By: Mike Blumenthal

Mike Blumenthal — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 17:40:22 +0000

@phil

This is one piece of a very large puzzle. There have been many and many more to likely follow over the next 6 weeks.

By: Phil Rozek

Phil Rozek — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 17:34:42 +0000

@Andrew
Very interesting. Thanks so much for the intel.

@Mike
Thanks for posting. Yeah, I wonder if this will look like a turning point a few months from now.

By: Mike Blumenthal

Mike Blumenthal — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 17:30:02 +0000

@Phil
My understanding is that this new interface will at some point become the standard community edit “report a problem” interface for all if the reasons that Andrew mentions.

However Google will, as the rollout of the replacement for the dashboard moves forward, expect business owners with claimed listings to do most of their edits in the replacement.

We are at a weird juncture right now where the Places dashboard is the least functional for pushing changes. That will soon change.

By: Andrew Sawyer

Andrew Sawyer — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 17:21:50 +0000

@Phil to answer #1 it will make things easier as an RER, as I persuamably won’t have to fix address issues as the person will be able to select the full spelled out street and will be able to communicate back and forth via MapMaker instead of having to Approve/Deny. Also it will allow for asking questions of someone wanting to close a business and they will be able to comment on each change they’re making to explain (something that currently only Places support sees).

To answer #2: Google will likely replace the Edit Business Details with the new GMM UI for Edit Business Details since that’s what they’re testing. I see it as a step towards “one ring to rule them all” instead of the current interfaces and databases structures which don’t always work well with one another.