Understanding Google My Business & Local Search
Entries Written By Mike Blumenthal
Google QR Codes Working Once Again
Last week, as a result of some upgrade to the Maps, things were pretty flakey. Most of the weirdness was fixed that day but QR codes remained non functional into the later part of this week. Apparently the Google url where the QR codes were being directed: http://maps.google.com/m/place/… was not working properly and not being …
Old News But Interesting News: Merchant Circle Pays $900,00 To Settle Alleged Unlawful Marketing Practices
I spend a lot of time reading about and writing about the Local Search industry so I am not sure how this one slipped by. I was poking around the BBB of San Jose and came across a notice of government action indicating that Merchant Circle had settled an allegation of unlawful marketing practices from …
Netmarketshare: Mobile Browsing up to 2.8% of All Browsing; Android Gains but Dwarfed by iOS4
Netmarketshare has released their September numbers and mobile browsing has climbed to 2.8% of all browsing and increase of 136% year over year. In the “battle” between iOS4 and Android they report “although Android devices are rapidly gaining usage share, iOS has 4.9 times the global usage share of all Android devices”.
Yahoo Local Filled with Locksmith Spam
I look at Yahoo Local rarely and report on it even less. However, my lack of attention to it doesn’t mean that Locksmiths are not interested in playing there. And while this is old news, with Google Places having become a difficult place for them to play, locksmiths have moved on (for the most part) …
Google Maps and the Payday Loan Industry – Strange Bedfellows?
I read the other day in I, Cringely’s Blog that Google had a booth last month at the Online Lenders Association convention in Chicago, a group mostly composed of Payday lenders… you know the ones… they charge ~400% to help poor folks get from one pay check to a smaller one. What Google was doing at …
Pew Research: 24% of American Adults Have Posted Reviews
The Pew Internet and American Life Project has just published their recent results of Online Product Research by American adults. The hghlights: *58% of Americans now reporting that they perform online research concerning the products and services that they are considering purchasing. *The number of those who do research about products on any given day has …
Google Places QR Codes Missing in Action
Last week on 9/23, there were major disruptions to the Places listings in Google Maps with numerous reports of listings not showing, showing the wrong Place, duplicate listings and the QR codes not working. One theory posited on the disruption was that Google was moving Maps to new servers. At the time, Google noted the …
Google Maps – Report A Problem Process “In the Weeds”
Last October, Google replaced TeleAtlas as their primary geo data provider with their own StreetView data. At the time, they also rolled out the “Report a Problem” link on Maps. The idea was/is that users could help Google keep all of this Map data up to date. Google’s goal at the time was to resolve …
GetListed Local U – Denver
The next GetListed Local University is coming up in Denver and will be held Thursday, October 21 at the Sheraton Denver Tech. Pricing for the event is $129 and with the discount code: MBDenver your cost will only be $89. There will be morning and afternoon events and you may sign up for single tickets …
Google Maps Experiencing Difficulties – Do not change the channel, I repeat do not change the channel
Update 9:00 PM EST:Google has noted the following in the forums this evening: We’re aware some of the business listings were not appearing on Google Maps earlier today. This was a technical issue that’s now been resolved. Google Maps Experiencing Difficulties – Do not change the channel, I repeat do not change the channel and …
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