Google and the PlusBox Blues

The Google Maps for Business Group has had countless requests for help with erroneous Plus Boxes like this one: ================================================= TOPIC: “+” Sign shows Wrong Address & Phone # in Google Search Results! HELP! ================================================= Date: Mon, Mar 3 2008 12:10 pm From: rjfny Hi Jen, Here is the link to our search results page …

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Google Maps:The Authoritative SpamBox?

Update: 03/04/08 1:30 pm This listing no longer shows on the search. The Authoritative Onebox when returned on general search phrases is very powerful. The result dominates the page. Google assumes that they know exactly what the searcher wants. We saw last December the impact that this had on a florist in Denver. What happens …

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Local Links of Interest

The No. 1 Thing I Learned at SMX West (about Local Search) Matt McGee, Small Business SEM Brian Gill was talking about the Yahoo “Local Shortcut” — when they show three local business listings in the regular Yahoo SERPs. Here’s what he said:”Reviews and ratings have no impact on reaching those top three spots in …

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Review Sites in the Restaurant World – Dallas vs. Buffalo

Last week I looked at which review sites were considered by Google in the ranking of the Top 10 Restaurants in Buffalo, NY. Here is a similar analysis of the review sites for Dallas compared to Buffalo: Directory 2008 February Buffalo 2008 February Dallas 10best.com 1 2 AOL.Com 7 ChefMoz.org 8 2 Citysearch.com 70 80 …

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How many Reviews does a Top 10 Restaurant need?

Buffalo, NY has a population of 276, 059. Dallas Texas has 1,232,940 folks and San Francisco has 744,041 people. Yet the number of reviews bears no correlation to their populations in the Google Local 10-Pack results: Rank Buffalo Rest. Web Site Rev.Totals Buff. Dallas Rest. Web Site Review Totals Dallas S.F. Rest. Web Site Review …

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Google Maps Business Record: A journey in search of accuracy

Earlier today EarlPearl asked the question: Where is the information turning up erroneously? in the comments section of my write-up of the business record in Maps that contained so many errors. While EarlPearl intended the question in its simplest form it triggered a thought experiment for me. Where could it be wrong? I came up …

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Local Links of Interest

Google Local Maps Is Not Yellow Pages – Miriam Ellis, SEO Igloo An insightful piece on the conflict between SMB expecations and reality in Google Maps and what Google can do to help improve the situation. In the “not every Map Idea is a Good Map Idea” Category: My Neighbors are Nucking Futs – Jerrold, …

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