Mike Blumenthal

Google has updated the home view of each business so that each business is presented with a view of their Google data that is unique and important to that business. Depending on activity and busness type the calls to action and features highlighted will very on a business by business basis. Previously the home view …

I have been traveling a lot and writing less than I would like… hopefully I will be able to get some more content out the door over the next few months…. Here are articles/interviews/podcasts where I have add my 2 cents of late: Voice of America Interview with Kimberli J. Lewis: Business Growth through Presence …

It’s been six months since the worldwide introduction of Google Websites, their free, single page web builder for Google My Business listings. Google has confirmed that the total number of websites created has surpassed 1 million some time in early November. The number of sites created is impressive and should give pause to companies that are …

Today Google has announced on their blog that the Google Assistant will now start helping you find local service providers. In the U.S., this feature will start rolling out over the coming week, so help is just around the corner. In many cities the Google Assistant will suggest providers that have been prescreened by Google …

Google Q & A, periodically visible on the desktop, seems to be finally rolling out full force to both PCs and Macs. Earlier in the week, after the feature had largely gone missing even on mobile.  Danny Sullivan (now of Google) noted that it was but a temporary bug. It would seem that it was …

Long asked for but not yet made public, a number of large Adwords resellers and IYPS seemingly now have the ability to auto-verify local listings via an API. I have spoken with a number of European and North American resellers that claim to have the functionality.  Although I have not yet seen it, its existence …

Google Q & A has been one of the most problematic recent introductions because the questions can so readily impact the reputation of a business. And even more problematic because there is not active notification of the business owner that a new question or answer exists and these questions are not yet visible on the …

In one of a long line of recent (and approaching spammy) GMB related emails, Google has started sending out emails educating owners of verified businesses that they can now “Meet your new dashboard on Google Search” When clicking the email call to action it takes the user to interact with the new(ish) mini dashboard visible …

LocalU Advanced is rapidly approaching. Its only a few weeks away and the seats are filling. It should be a great event with incredible speakers and sponsors. Speakers include Joy Hawkins, Darren Shaw, Joel Headley (ex Googler), Marissa Nordahl (Google) and myself amongst many others. We have 14 speakers overall. Sponsors include ZipSprout, Moz Local, …

It’s beem a while since I have posted to the Google Spam Hall of Shame. It’s not that there is any less of it or that it is less obvious, its just that I have been busy on other projects. But I couldn’t resist this example of systemic name abuse occurring in the jewelry business …