GetListed Birmingham

Today, I am presenting at the fifth GetListed.org Local University in Birmingham AL. If you are coming PLEASE take a moment to introduce yourself as I would love to meet you. For those of you that attended the presentation these links will provide background information and details for a pathway to dig deeper into the world …

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I Want My Places Reviews Back – It’s Getting Personal

Ok, enough is enough. My Google Places reviews have been missing since mid summer 2010 and I have waited patiently for their return. Google has had some problems loosing reviews and this problem continues to this day. I understand that. Stuff happens in a complex system and while I don’t like it, at some level …

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Google Places Tightens Up Verification Process for New Businesses

Last week, I reported that a number of folks were only seeing the post card verification option and no phone verification when entering new businesses in the Google Places Dashboard. In the forums Google noted: Hi all, I understand there have been some recent questions about verification methods. If a business is new to Google, …

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TripAdvisor Reviews and Google Places – the Saga Continues

Su from the Inn at Tanglewood Hall, a bed and breakfast in York Harbor, Me alerted me on the 20th to the fact that TripAdvisor reviews were once again missing from Google Places. Today she sent me this missive from the CEO of TripAdvisor, Steve Kaufer inviting questions via Twitter about the TripAdvisor-Google battle over …

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Google Places Review Bugs on the Mend

Late yesterday Google  quashed at least 3 known Places review bugs. Reader Jeffrey Magner of TrumpetMedia reported that the nasty review bug in Google Places first seen last week that prevented anonymous reviewers from leaving reviews has been fixed. All anonymous reviewers with nicknames are now seeing a highlighted publish button and are able to leave a review. …

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Google Places Tidbits and Quirks

Update 3:30: Google Employee Sid has noted below that the Report a Problem Link is a bug that Google is working hard to fix. 1. Top Contributor EHG in the Google Places forums, emailed me yesterday that the “Report a Problem” Link has disappeared from the bottom of your Google Places Page. It is still …

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Google Places to Rollout Repair Option for Merged Listings

Ethan Russell, a Product Manager on Google’s local search team, recently posted some comments on my post: Google Customer Service: Up Against the Algo. He noted that sometime this quarter, Google will be rolling out a service solution to the long standing problem of two listings merging. It doesn’t appear that mergings will cease but rather …

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Google Places Search Results: When it Goes Wrong, it Goes Very Wrong

Reader Plamen Byrzev called my attention to this very bizarre Places Search result on the phrase sports nutritionist Las Vegas NV. Local indeed. One presumes that the result is related to the Contact Page on her site named http://www.christinaleora.com/las-vegas-trainer/ with the following title tag: Las Vegas Trainer -Personal Trainer Las Vegas | KICK YOURSELF FIT …

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