Understanding Google My Business & Local Search
Big Boobs Bounce Back to Top of Google Maps
Recently, Google Maps has been enforcing spam penalties more rigorously. Even Locksmith results seem to be improving.
So it was surprising to see a report in the forums that the Authoritative OneBox was showing for this very broad search for Breast Augmentation New Jersey . Not only was it a single listing on a broad category search which has been a topic of recent concern, it showed for a statewide search phrase.
What was equally surpising was that this plastic surgeon was also showing a statewide Authoritative One Box results from the same address and phone number for Tummy Tucks & Breast Implants and showing 3 Packs for Liposuction and Abdominoplasty. Upon investigation Dr Racanelli had 5 listngs for his one address and more spam at a second address.
I had not seen this sort of spam since the wild west days of Brain Injured Lawyers in LA last year. Did Google’s spam filters break down or has their OneBox algo gone amuck? Or maybe a West Coast SEO moved east? Who knows but the results are not worthy of Google.
Regardless, clearly it is spam and it is accentuated by the recent trend of displaying the Authoritative OneBox front and center on very broad search terms. This single piece of spam would have been much less offensive if shown in the 10-Pack.
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Comments
28 Comments
Nice subject matter, Mike. I think you are showing a firm grip on the subject matter. This is one where google should not leave a correction to the algo but rather requires hands-on adjustment.
@Dave
I thought you might find this particular search of interest….it has all the elements….Sex, spam and screwy Algos.
I would love to know what kind of ROI this sort of campaign generates.
@mike
I have noticed in the past few days on one of the many local business centers i used that all impressions have dropped to zero and the web tab of my listings has disappeared…perhaps I forced a human vist to my lbc where they saw and slapped my listings down…I noticed a few of my customers had gone very hard into creating false reviews after I told them that yahoo and google liked the reiviews much and it helped there ranking and should tell clients to leave there thoughts there after a job is completed….however im sure they just started to blast reviews onto the profiles… subquestion…if my listings were slapped down via admin…are they just dead now…or is there a chance for the web/relevency tab to come back at somepoint…is this a ban or temp punishment..I tried to make minor changed in the lbc to some effect the listings come back for awhile but quickly vaporize down again
I would not know given the many variables.
safe to say then there is something aloof here hahahah
[…] Big Boobs Bounce Back to Top of Google Maps, Mike Blumenthal […]
@NickG – out of curiosity, were the “false reviews” submitted by your clients truly false, or did they just seem scripted? Your google local listing shouldn’t be penalized because your clients wrote reviews – even if they sounded scripted.
Was there something else about your listings that would cause Google to “slap it down?”
Is that a 10 pack or are you just happy to see me?
@ Andrew
Yes
I do the web marketing for my wife’s interior design business, Quintessential Interiors. Lacking the budget for an SEO pro I started reading a bunch of blogs, including Mike’s. Working with my admittedly limited knowledge, I recently had the site reconfigured to make it more search friendly, had my wife encourage customer reviews, added to her already decent LBC listing, and basically did all the things that Google and others encourage. My goal was to increase her visibility within the region that she does most of her work. She already ranked in the 10 pack for “Interior Design” in our town, but quickly moved up to number one for “Interior Design”, and began appearing for Kitchen and Bath Design as well. I patted myself on the back for a day before she disappeared completely as of today, dropping to 21 for interior design. Interestingly, she comes up organically at #1 or #3 for interior design in our town, but is gone completely from the 10 pack. She does rank five or six for “Kitchen Design”.
To say that I’m annoyed is an understatement. I may not have done a particularly professional job, but when a legitimate small business owner providing a legitimate service with satisfied customers spends countless hours trying to play by the rules which Google encourages, only to get slammed for no obvious reason, something is wrong. This should be simple. My wife does interior design, kitchen design, and bath design (all related categories) in eastern MA. The type of power that Google yields with the 10 pack and SERPs, all subject to vague algorithms and mysterious site reviews, with no opportunities for appeal is an increasingly good example of why anti-trust laws exist. They are a great company, but, as we all know, “with great power comes great responsibility”. Thanks for all the good information.
@David
I am sorry to hear of your woes. I have received more than few posts, twitters and emails today that there has been some radical disruptions in rankings for a number of listings.
It is unclear whether the change is a temporary bump due to all the work being done on Maps, a change in ranking algo or perhaps a ding for some unspecified violation of the guidelines.
I would love to know the details of your listing.
Thanks for the reply, Mike. I know I am beating a dead horse, but included in the current 10 pack for interior design in our location are four listings with no websites or LBC information, one company that provides construction management for health clubs, one paint store, and one hardwood flooring company. As far as I know, two of the companies are no longer in business. My wife, whose website complies with much of Google’s own SEO suggestions and has been in business since 2001, is nowhere to be seen. These guys are supposed to be the smartest guys in the room. For all their algorithms, they don’t look particularly smart to me. While I know they don’t reply to peasants, are there any avenues that I can use to submit my complaint?
[…] for example, should not create a listing for every town they service. Likewise, law firms or doctors should not create multiple listings to cover all of their […]
@ meleighsmith
they have multi locations nationwide…client had his assitant right up a review then made her copy paste it to over 50 listings…listings still on google just lack web tab on the more info page…hence killing the relevence of said profile(s) sending some of said clients auth one box’s and letter A listings in 10 box’s burning in a ditch on page 7
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@ David Rubin:
Well said. I have to repeat this element of your post:
“The type of power that Google yields with the 10 pack and SERPs, all subject to vague algorithms and mysterious site reviews, with no opportunities for appeal is an increasingly good example of why anti-trust laws exist. They are a great company, but, as we all know, “with great power comes great responsibility”.
Businesses are responding to the web out of necessity. The buying public goes there first. It’s become in many cases the premier opportunity for business visibility. Google earns virtually all its revenues via ads run in conjunction with billions of searches.
Unfortunately for smb’s its a system that can jerk around businesses without recourse. Google ignores the “great responsibility” aspect of their business.
@nickg – Oh, I see, your client posted false reviews for themselves, not for you – I misunderstood your original post. Yeah, that was pretty stupid.
If my mamory serves me correctly, the UK seems to have seen a crack down well before the US. Still, though here in the UK the spam has been reduced, I’m finding the CTRs are really low. Be interested to know if US google users are clicking on the local results more than users in the UK.
[…] “Big Boobs Bounce Back to Top of Google Maps” details how aggressive optimization has been used to produce multiple listing results for […]
I just checked on 3 different businesses and am not seeing impressions or actions since 9/27.
Mike, I know there are search queries hitting the sites that are generating maps views in google.com.
Maybe its a version of google swine flu.
@EVERYONE
OK SO FOR THOSE OF YOU GUYS WHO HAVE BEEN HAVING ISSUES WITH GOOGLE AND IMPRESSIONS AND LOSS OF THE WEB TAB GUESS WHAT
THERE BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
disclaimer: Some…not all of my local listings web tabs have returned I hope they all come back…maybe I am celebrating early however I have been on the edge of my seat since about midnight of 9/27 since I saw my lbc’s impressions take a dookie..however this is a move in the right direction
@mikeB
your awesome just for the record
My site is back also. Number one. Much hand wringing for nothing.
@NickG
Thanks for the report. Thanks for the props but I must say it is the contributions of all that make this an interesting and educational endeavor….I only see a few samples, you all see many and only collectively can we really understand what is going on.
@David
This are still unsettled so while I wouldn’t commit suicide, I would take a wait and see attitude about the changes.
[…] comment posted on a recent post here is typical of these many inquiries: “she disappeared completely as of today, dropping to 21 […]
So the question is how much did Dr. Racanelli pay for this? Because you know he has no clue about how to do this on his own. Pretty agressive too…
Also as already noted in the comments here looks like Google has picked up on your research here Mike and “resolved” this issue.
@Kyle
Well whatever he paid it seems like it might have been too much. Although one presumes he had significant short term gains.
Wow, that’s absurd. How could they have not picked up on the fact that there is one plastic surgeon in all of New Jersey with multiple address in the same place. They need to get back on top of their game over at Google.
[…] Big Boobs Bounce Back to Top of Google Maps ( popularity ≠ worth- OK, I have learned my lesson to NEVER use the word BXXbs again in an […]
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