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Understanding Google My Business & Local Search

Mike Blumenthal in Google Places (Maps & Local)
  15 Comments

Google Updates Place Community Edit & Report a Problem Forms

Apparently as part of the migration of Google Places to Google+Local pages, Google has updated & consolidated into one form the input forms for community edits and  the Report a Problem form.

Now whether you select edit or report a problem in Google + Local, the current Place Page or from with Google Maps you are presented with the single consolidated screen:

 

Written By
Mike Blumenthal
Comments

15 Comments

Andy Kuiper (480 comments)

This form looks good 🙂

Ned C (13 comments)

I dont know what to think of this, except that Google is trying to promote Google+ and get more people interested. To be honest I am just pure out sick of Google and their ways of manipulating the search results with Panda update that ranks some of the worst quality websites. Bing and Yahoo have done nothing constructive to compete so they do deserve to be in the toilette. However I recently wrote to Bing on how much more potential they have over Google. My topic was geared towards making a better outlook and more user friendly interface, with better graphics and easier search result viewing. Sorry to go off bit off the topic.

Yousaf (11 comments)

This is probably the best thing they have done! Hope it actually works properly!

Susan Walsh (47 comments)

Hi Mike,

Does this mean user can make these edits and then Google would confirm them? I notice your logged in as Barbara Oliver and yet it’s for Blumenthal’s information.

I wouldn’t want anyone changing the categories we work so hard on or anything else.

Thanks,
Susan

Mike Blumenthal (3913 comments)

@susan

This works just like community edits in the past. Any logged in user can edit any listing or report a problem. The big difference is that it is a consolidated and more clearly laid out form.

Most edits will go over to MapMaker for review by volunteers and the bot and certain edits will need to be approved by Google staff (probably in India).

Susan Walsh (47 comments)

Thanks Mike! I appreciate your quick answer. I’ve noticed most of our clients categories didn’t transfer over correctly. They show in the dashboard, but only 1 or 2 show on the new Google+ Local page with one incorrect categorie on most of them. There’s missing reviews and photos as well.

I’m off to report our issues. The recent post you did with the Q&A’s is great along with Vanessa in the forum.

Randy (24 comments)

Most edits will go over to MapMaker for review by volunteers and the bot and certain edits will need to be approved by Google staff (probably in India).

Whew, that’s a relief! Who better to verify the accuracy of business information in Winooski, VT than someone in India!? I wonder if that has anything to do with Google showing a label for J. Crew on the sewage treatment plant in Burlington
http://www.vtdesignworks.com/blog/google-maps-fail-j-crew-at-burlington-vt-sewage-treatment-plant-labelmarker-issues-persist

An Updated Step By Step Guide for the SMB to the Google + Local Page Transition | Understanding Google Places & Local Search

[…] inappropriate categories. This seems to be due to a data push from MapMaker. Report them via the new report a problem procedure by clicking on the edit this listing link. – Google WILL be merging the Google+ Local Page with the […]

Google+ Local Pages Category Confusion | Understanding Google Places & Local Search

[…] the information. If you want to fix this information you can request a category removal either via the new community edit or directly in […]

Tyler Brown (5 comments)

Another way for information to get lost or changed in the whole mix of things. It sounds like Map Maker may actually be a more reliable option for those looking to add / remove / change data on a business listing that they do not have claimed. Thanks for the post!

Mike Blumenthal (3913 comments)

@Tyler

The problem is that MapMaker is big and ugly with its own set of bugs. And unless you know what they are it can bite you.

For example it can only put Suite number on line 1 (the international standard) not line 2 (the use and Places standard). If you attempt to edit Suite Number in MapMaker it will show your listing with the suite number first. If you edit it via the community edit, it will show it correctly.

Tyler Brown (5 comments)

@Mike

Good point. I’ve run into a few issues like that with Map Maker. I know it’s relatively new, but have you had good results suggesting changes via the consolidated edit/report a problem page?

Mike Blumenthal (3913 comments)

@tyler

For the most part yes. It depends what is requested and where it goes inside of google. Some of the edits just head right over to Mapmaker, some go off
To a team in India.

Tyler Brown (5 comments)

@Mike

I see. Either way, I guess I’m just happy to see more forward movement in Google’s local business listings sector.

Kelly (13 comments)

Hi Mike:

I haven’t heard much about the handling of duplicates in the commentary about the new Places/G+ Local transition. I work specifically with dentists and it has seemed like chasing the wind to manage the accuracy of provider GP listings in addition to the general practice GP listings. (And does it really matter for placement anyway?!) Is this form the new best way to make corrections?

Thanks much!
Kelly

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