I’ve noticed a big shakeup in the Places SERPS since these changes have taken place. I wonder if things are just all screwed up or if they will settle back to normal after a while. I agree with the article too…the dashboard issues are darn confusing.

Mike: Interesting article and compilation of many analyses about what google is doing and how it relates to smb’s. I found the article in the WSJ and David’s analysis very interesting, especially as it relates to customer relations software.

Of interest; of the smb’s we operate the one with the most well packaged information is one using Salesforce customer relations software including a connection to google adwords. The adwords connection is being ended and customers received notice about that months ago. There was no explanation included. I’m sure Google terminated the relationship.

I’ve expressed some concerns earlier about these changes. On an immediate basis, as a multiple smb operator with various google reviews…I’m afraid competition will get us to start asking customers to join google+. I do not want to do their dirty work. Not in any capacity whatsoever.

The large scale plans especially outlined in the WSJ article suggest a massive effort at consumers and smb’s alike.

There is an overwhelming large amount of potential smb advertising out there in the annual multi billion dollar annual basis. It has significantly moved from local newspapers and hard copy YP to other sources.

My fear about google is that it is an enormous monopoly on the consumer eyeball….It aggregates all of the old sources….and its far easier to use than newspapers or YP’s. Its also more informative. One trip on the internet essentially enables a potential customer to get a full scale essential brochure of a business, its menu’s, its specials of the days, see reviews, price compare with competitors, etc. It can all be done quickly from your desk or from your smartphone at a fraction of the time it used to take.

Google has the unbelievable monopoly on all of this. Nothing else is close. Facebook has a different approach and possibly can break the monopoly on its own. Most everything else on the web right now is subject to search and essentially how it shows in google serps.

For years independent seo reviews of traffic to their clients sites suggest that google domination of search is far greater than what comcast and other market companies report. Run ppc campaigns in Adwords and Bing/Yahoo. The difference in impressions and clicks is astonishing.

For the most part over the last several years google customer service to problems with its Local Algo’s has been lousy, if not virtually nonexistent. Too often its crazy unstable algo’s present wrong information.

Last year google improved its responses. there are still large holes. I’m independently doing some research.

Look, you have said this before. Google leaves a lot undone, with regard to cleaning up problems as it surges ahead with new programs. Hopefully it will put a larger context on customer service and getting things right for smbs and institutions as it tries to be everything for all smbs and capture the bulk of all that smb advertising business as it migrates to the internet.

I had a surprising and frightful experience with regard to seeing the consequences of what occurs when a single provider is able to monopolize a market. My view of it actually occurred as a result of a glitch in google reviews. In a way its both pathetic and scary. You need to look at this:

I wrote a review on a Whole Foods Supermarket in my home town. Naturally the review was placed on that whole foods local places page months ago when written.

When i opened my reviews to google + somehow the review migrated across the street and is now sitting on a comcast google+local page. The whole foods address is 2700 Wilson Blvd. The comcast service office is 2707 Wilson Boulevard. Its across the street. (It makes one think of an updated version of the old joke….”why did the chicken cross the road” to why did the google review cross the road.).

Read the reviews on comcast. They are miserable. Lousy service in every way possible. Customers who find that based on where they live they have restricted access to alternatives.

Comcast has had a somewhat monopolistic control of cable and high speed internet access in this area. Its service SUCKS. Read the reviews.

Likewise google has a monopolistic control of internet visibility. Its service to smb’s has essentially sucked over time. It improved in late 2011 as you reported. It still often misses the mark.

Look, if google is going to gather all entities and try and suck up all smb advertising dollars it has to improve customer service to smbs.

It has to get the basic information correct. No ifs ands or buts. It has to be responsive and accountable in some way. Otherwise it has too much life and death control over too many smbs.

With all that manpower, energy and dollars being spent to be the be all and do all for smb’s, somewhere and somehow they have to significantly improve their customer service and get basic information correct.

Marie, I don’t think you’re creating duplicates. It’s only a matter of time before the Plus backend replaces the Places for Business backend, both of which seem to be relying at some level on the Mapmaker backbone data. Based on the WSJ article, I’d think possibly July…

thank you for the excellent information! just signed up for Talkbin, is there a way to add a link to my Google+Local Page? Thanks so much