Mike Blumenthal

Google Maps does seem to be on the Self Improvement Plan of late. Today I noticed a survey to take: Here is a link to an HTML file of a copy the survey: google-maps-user-happiness-survey.html I guess Google wasn’t happy with my one person assessment of the situation. So here is your chance to have some …

Nokia and Google battle for the mobile web – Jack Ewing, businessweek With the cell phone fast becoming an Internet entry point of choice, the handset maker is grappling with Google over the wireless Web Geo-blogging with Google Maps – Scott Gilbertson, Wired Tony Hirst, who also created the amazing Google Calendar-on-a-map mashup we told …

Is a Google Categories fix is on the way? After recently completing a number of posts on the problems, background and possible work arounds to the Google Maps category issues, I was able to interview Google’s Carter Maslan, Maps Product Management Director. It appears that a fix to the category issues is on the way. …

While exploring a potential new feature that would allow video to be added to your Local Business Record in Maps (first spotted by Mike The Internet Guy) I found that Google has added an ability to report inappropriate photos for any of the following reasons: •This image infringes on my privacy •This image violates a …

Yesterday I reported an example of two listings of different businesses with the same address being merged. There are more reports of similar problems in the Google Maps for Business Group recently being reported (here and here). The first instance reported in the Group has a number of similarities to the case reported yesterday; it …

Rob Nicholson of VisitBritain.org has shared an unusual problem with Google Maps: Google has combined two listings (despite me registering our business as the correct details) thus giving a “kind of competitor” the picture as a screenshot of their product and the email and url as theirs! and there doesnt seem a way to fix …

There has been much discussion in the local community about the impact of reviews and review star rating on local rankings. In research done last year, it seemed that the quantity of reviews had significantly more impact on ranking than the quality of reviews.Recently however Google Maps has added a new option in Maps Text …

Conversionrate of Melbourne has pointed out a stunning example of mapspam that has occurred in Melbourne, Australia on the search: mechanic melbourne australia. According to the folks at conversionrate.com.au: We recently found a Melbourne based mobile mechanic who spammed his business into 500 locations on the Melbourne Map in Google Maps. Whilst the business appears …