Understanding Google My Business & Local Search
Entries Written By Mike Blumenthal
Google Local Adds New Troubleshooter to Move Reviews When a Business Relocates
Google has announced in the forums their ability and willingness to now move reviews when a business has moved locations and to remove reviews with significant brand changes for a given location. The request by the business to do so is done via a new troubleshooter form. The guidelines that will apply to requests to …
How Many Reviews Are Needed to Show Stars in the New Map List View?
Peter Troast of EnergyCircle.com asked a great question in the comments to my post about the new visuals for the (now named) Maps List View -aka Places Search- result: Also seems like the # of reviews threshold is shifting for display. For zero reviews, “Be the first to review” appears right under company name. From …
Some Tidbits from Google’s Rollouts Yesterday
The weird stuff from yesterday has come into clearer focus. New Maps, Back to the Future on Review Rating Stars (although red this time), New G+ (argh)….but here are some tidbits that might make all of the once and future changes a tad more understandable: The new Google Maps is currently available by invite only. …
Access Your Local G+ Page with the New 5 Star Treatment
The new local result list display that was discovered today makes more sense when viewed in context of the newly updated Maps. Select the “Go to list of top results” link from the refinement pane and you will arrive at the new page. For those of you that don’t have access to the new Maps view …
Google Local Returns to a 5 Star System In New Maps
Along with a total revamp of Maps, Google has announced at I/O, the forum and their blog the return to a 5 star review system. You can request an invite to the new Maps here. From their blog post: Users who opt-in to the new Google Maps will now rate businesses on a scale that ranges …
Google Rolling Out New Places Results Page? Or is it a Test? Visible World Wide
Updated: Linda points out that review STARS seemed to have returned in this interface. And they are red. I was first alerted to this change by Radina Sisheva of 411Locals.com. Google appears to be rolling out a new Places (whatever it will be called) search result page that is visually much more attractive. Apparently this display …
What do these numbers have in common?
fWhat do these numbers have in common? 217-351-2072 618-344-2288 618-708-4055 800-388-9326 866-215-8062 866-216-8068 866-627-6475 866-627-6478 866-726-3116 866-938-2374 877-336-2150 888-399-4067 888-719-5954
A Guide to Call Tracking and Local Search
Update 11/25/2014: With the help of CallRail, we have written a new, expanded and authoritative guide to Call Tracking for Local. The question of call tracking keeps coming up in local search. Should it be used? Why or why not? The answer is often posed in stark terms of either you should or you shouldn’t …
Google Local SAB: How to Move Closer to the City
I frequently get the question of how a business in the burbs can compete in the adjoining major metro area. Obviously, one tactic is to do really, really well organically and appear above the local search results. As a tactic that is roughly akin to drawing to an inside straight in poker… not impossible but …
Google Local Tidbits- Dashboard Going World Wide/New Hotel Restaurant Carousel Being Seen
Several items of note. 1- Firstly Google has announced in the forums that the new Places for Business Dashboard is now available for NEW users in UK, Ireland. It is nice to see this staring to roll out internationally. That being said the rate of conversions of existing dashboards is not at all clear. None of mine …
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