Mike Blumenthal

Maps Guide Jen has commented that Google has now fixed the most recent hack that allowed records claimed in the Local Business Center to be hijacked: Hi Mike, Thanks again for bringing these cases to our attention. The issue involved was different from the ones that affected listings a few months ago. Like those, it’s …

In January I speculated Google’s Streetview Data be could used to replace TeleAtlas. One of the elements missing from this scenario was that TeleAtlas also provides Google with routing information and Google had not yet developed routing capacity. Well it appears now that Google has internally developed directional routing and has released it in their Map Maker …

SearchEngineLand is running an opinion piece that I wrote: Despite Fixes, Google Maps Still Vulnerable To Spam which summarizes much of the recent goings on with insecure records at Maps. In the article I voiced the opinion that Google in unleashing an immature product on us had gained much, while loosing little and that the real loosers …

Gogole Maps is now presenting a stronger indication that a previously claimed record can not be claimed by a second party. This new feature was pointed out to me by the folks from the Inn at Tanglewood Hall, a bed and breakfast in York Harbor, ME: There are a number of ways to get to …

The Locksmith industry brings out the worst in search marketing and where but New York City to get the worst of the worst? A recent trend in hijackings there and elsewhere across the country has been cross industry hijackings where a restaurant or hotel record is stolen by a blackhat locksmith for the benefit of …

In June of last year, reports started flowing into Google support groups about hijackings of claimed listings. In December, I communicated to Google a method by which “blackhat” locksmiths were hijacking business records previously claimed via the Local Business Center and which Google had posited as secure. Towards the end of January, Google notified me …

I have written often and critically of Google’s (mis)use of the PlusBox since it was introduced in December 2006: •Google and the PlusBox Blues •Google Plus Box – Where does the (wrong) data come from? •Change Your Address In The Google Plusbox In 5 Simple Steps •An Internet Change of Address Guide Last April 1, …

Google has been doing its darndest to catch Mapquest and become the most visited mapping site…seems that they have been succeeding in that, having caught up and possibly passing Mapquest. If this Google Trends Chart is any indication, it also appears that users are actively looking for Google Maps and that their mind share in …

A number of businesses in the Maps Help forums have reported Placed Closed labels being placed on their business listings. This issue was highlighted recently on SearchEngineLand and SEO Roundtable. It appears that the increase in Place Closed labeling was due to a change on Google’s end and not nefarious community edits. The designation was showing …

Yahoo CEO says she prefers Google Maps to Yahoo Maps – Shane McGlaun, DailyTech.com Bartz is looking at email as one of the anchors for Yahoo’s business and she says that she ordered ads to be stopped on the companies email service in countries with low bandwidth to provide a better user experience. She said …