Mike Blumenthal

Google Organic returning results from Map in organic search results page?

Curiouser and curiouser as they say. In a recent search in Google, the organic search results showed a link to the same search on Google Maps. This is an interesting way for Google to promote users accessing Google Maps but I have not seen this behavior very broadly. In fact I have never seen if …

Google Organic Local and Google Maps Local data diverge

About a month and half a go I spotted a trend that is interesting: The top three local listings on the Google Organic results page and the top three listings in Google Map are often not the same. This has implications for both optimization strategies for Google Organic AND going forward for the directory assistance …

Google Vocal Local Phone number change & other thoughts

Google’s voice driven directory assistance has removed the 877-GOOG-411 number and now automatically forwards any calls to that number to: 877-520-FIND. It is interesting that Google has not publicly acknowledged that the experiment is theirs and that the phone number has been changed to further distance themselves. Perhaps they didn’t want to seem like they …

Redemption in the Gilded Google Age

In early October I wrote a post about achieving a “an automatically expanded Plus Box” for a client on a valued search phrase (Vacation Rentals Ellicottville NY) BUT having the url Google had associated with the listing pointing to their competitor. After postulating conspiracies and incompetancies on the part of all but myself I determined …

Google Conference Call talks about Local Monetization

Greg Sterling highlighted some interesting comments. I was intrigued by the comment from an analyst: I know you were doing some testing with some retailers, putting their names in the bullets on the Maps and things. Can you talk about that at all? It appears that one of the means of monetization is a strong …

Picking Your Categories to reinforce your key words

When you enter your business in either Google’s Local Business Center or in Yahoo Local Listings you are limited to entering your business in 5 categories. It is not clear whether Google prioritizes these categories but Yahoo definitely does, allowing you one primary listing and 4 secondary listings. Since both Google and Yahoo over a …

The Google “Onebox” on general search phrases

7)Using Google adwords in the local listing In a previous post about ranking well in Google Maps I listed 6 items that seemed to affect ranking. It seems that there may be a seventh. Although the sample size is limited, there is some evidence that having an adword campaign running in Google Maps adds authority …

Google Maps goes Vocal

Sahelia Datta has uncovered what appears to be a voice driven directory assistance service for Google Maps. She details both its strengths and its foibles. The number for this free service: 1 877 466 4411 (1 877 GOOG 411) Greg Sterling has an interesting analysis in his posting on Brands, User Experience and Mobile. He …