Mike Blumenthal

PureSheer, a locksmith internet marketer that has shared Google Maps blackhat techniques with me, recently posted this into Google Maps Help Forum: So Maps Guides, you thought all Locksmiths are ‘Black hat’, ay?! Hey Maps guides, I’m the one that post the issue of “Stealing Gmaps claimed listings” to Mike Blumenthal (which, as in a …

Google has been expanding where and when they show ads in general and in Maps in particular. I am not sure when this started showing but Google Maps is now also showing ads deep within the tabs of business listings in Text View: Showing ads inside Maps in general increases relevancy. Displaying subtle ads at …

The recent crash of Flight 3407 that killed 50 was a disaster that affected many in Western NY. The degrees of separation are few in our communities and a disaster like this is never far from touching each of us. In many business meetings over the past few days there has been more than one …

Gate Keepers, Digital Gazetteers and Folksonomies – Part Two – Mike Dobson, Exploring Local Who provides authoritative cartographic information now that the Mapping world has moved online? TeleAtlas and Navteq are primarily interested in selling navigation services and thus only focusing on gathering navigation information in countries with significant transportation infrastructure. Who will fill the …

David Mihm alerted me to an interesting tidbit about the new K- Pack. The new Google Maps feature showing more than 10 business in the Maps view, conclusively demonstrates there are more Locksmiths than cabbies in NYC. On one small block in Chelsea between 22nd and 23rd Street on 9th Avenue, Google is showing 10 …

Google has introduced an enhanced business listing Map view in Google Maps that they have referred to as “1000 is the new 10” in the Lat-Long blog announcing the rollout. The new Map view provides an additional layer of dots that indicate that there are more relevant results than can be shown on one page. …

Google has recently informed me that the vulnerability that has led to the hijacking of claimed listings has been fixed and that business listings that have been claimed can no longer be compromised. The hijackings, common in the Locksmith business, were first reported very early last summer and fall. There have been numerous reports as …

In a new development in the mapspam world (as if we need new developments), it was reported in the Google Maps Help Group that the search: Auto Insurance Los Angeles, CA is now returning not just mapspam but porn mapspam. This listing does not appear to be a “community edit hijack” but rather a “legitimate” …

Heather Hopkins has posted updated Hitwise traffic for Google Maps and Mapquest: She noted: “A few weeks ago I thought I was onto something very hot. I was getting ready to announce that Google Maps had caught up to MapQuest in share of US Internet visits. I decided to wait a week to be sure …

Google Maps has no real public persona that equates to Matt Cutts on the organic side of the Google house. Cutts has taken on the role of guide, teacher, disciplinarian, webmaster liason, diplomat, conveyor of the company line and industry  spokesperson for Google. You may not always agree with him but he has earned our respect.   There …