Mike Blumenthal

Starting Monday we started seeing a growing number of weirdly formatted G+ Pages for local. Apparently it is being caused by the fact that Google has changed EVERY MANY G+ Plus page url for local (not all pages but definitely some…). Most of the new URL’s redirect accurately but for some fairly large percentage that is …

I have just published a new post on incentivizing revies at the GetFiveStars* blog: Review Incentives? Are the Benefits Worth the Cost? Reviews and testimonials are powerful social proof of your business’s capabilities but they are often hard to get. Incentives, including contests and discount coupons as well as direct rewards, often will increase your review …

I have been traveling for the past week so I am not sure when this hit the street or that I am seeing it because I am inside of Google but Google has added the ability to directly contact a business via the Knowledge Panel. This is a feature that was first tested in 2006 and …

Google, with the release of the new Google My Business API, is perhaps suggesting one of the biggest “best practice” shifts for handling SMB Google My Business accounts in years by suggesting that it is not only ok but preferred to claim multiple listings in a single Google My Business account. Yesterday in the Google Ads …

Updated 10/15 Google has started to open up the Google My Business API. The API allows “authorized representatives to manage business location information on Google that you can use with Ads, Search and Maps”. Currently the API can be used to edit individually verified locations but not bulk. The API will be able to manage …

Google My Business sent out a survey this AM where they noted: ….asking for your feedback on how we can best meet your business needs. You can count on us to follow through and continue making improvements to our products and services to help you succeed. For example, in our most recent survey, customers told …

Many (myself included) who use both Apple Maps and Google Maps contend that Apple Maps has gotten good enough that it is simply a matter of preference not functionality as to which one to use. The one area though where Apple had a distinct advantage was in the Watch integration of Apple Maps. It is …

If your account hasen’t yet been upgraded, I have just published a brief but detailed video at LocalU that details some of the features and functionality of the new Google My Business Dashboards. If you would like to see what’s coming and how it works visit the post at Local U.

As we speak Google is in the process of rolling out Google My Business (GMB) & the Google My Bussiness Listing (GMBL bulk) interface updates with a logical integrated hierarchy that is consistent across both products. The upgrade provides improved navigation within any section of the product via improved menus (top and left) and breadcrumbs. It …

Robert Ramirez, SEO Manager at Bruce Clay,  points out that phone number are back in the 3-Pack once again as of the evening. And, once again they are showing in Safari, Chrome and Firefox in the US and on the foreign IPs that I checked. So when you wake up tomorrow morning in Europe and the …