Mike Blumenthal

Sergey Alakov (a Toronto SEO that spends way too much time looking at local search results 🙂 ) spotted a mobile search result where videos from around the web are showing as integral part of the Local Knowledge Panel. The videos are presented in a carousel format that allows the user to scroll to see …

Last weekGoogle rolled out two new Knowledge Panel features; department hours (which show hours for any business “located in” a main listing and more significantly, they are now showing real time visitation in comparison to what it regularly is. Here is a screenshot of the department hours of a local Walmart and search for you to …

In early October, Google announced a new test for service area businesses that offered direct consumer contact and exhibited lots of spam (ie locksmiths, plumbers etc) that involved an advanced verification process. The advanced verification process is similar to, although less rigorous than the vetting process involve d with the Home Service Ads that were …

Google has announced that MapMaker will be sunset and rolled into Google Maps. Here are some thoughts from Joy Hawkins. I have not yet thought throught the implications of this but they are significant. I just received this email: Google Map Maker graduates to Google Maps We have some important updates to share with you …

Google’s Local Guide program is a Yelp Elite like program at huge, worldwide scale. Anyone can become a guide and their is are gamefication levels that create incentives for involvement. There are also contests and give aways to incentivize continued involvement of the guides. The newest Local Guide give away of L’Oréal professional products strikes …

I have not seen this before. Not sure if a test or a release. Google is getting downright social in their old age. And in typical Googly fashion THEY decide which sharing I should be able to use rather than relying on the iPhone OS level options. Oops just seemed to have forgotten SMS/iMessage. Big …

Google announced today a plan to increase verification scrutiny of plumbers and locksmiths. The beta is taking place in San Diego and every verified plumber and locksmith will be emailed a request to go through the new advanced verification process. The businesses will have their application accepted or denied within a two week period. Google …

Google announced in mid August that they would be expanding their test of the beta ‘direct to search’ posting for SMBs. Barbara Oliver Jewelry just received her entree into the beta so for the first time I can test the product and assess its value1 . And learn better what how it performs and what benefits accrue to Barbara when …

My wife was extolling the virtues of Dried Plums as a sweetener in her homemade ketchup the other day. She was convinced that they were better than prunes for the task. Little did she realize that “in 2001, plum growers in the United States were authorised by the government to call prunes ‘dried plums’. Due …

Talk about walk and talking in Local at the same time, Google Local has been on a testing tear with the Local Pack. Lots of reports of new and different pack layouts over the past few weeks. A special nod to Sergey Alakov, Barry Schwartz and Jennifer Slegg and the many other observant souls who …