Google My Business Rolling Out Short Names

Google has started the rollout of “Short Names”; the ability of a business to create a custom, short URL that then can be used for easy access to their business profile on Google. Customers can enter the short name URL in the browser’s address bar, like “g.page/[yourcustomname]”, to go directly to your Business Profile. So …

Continue reading

Bed & Breakfasts Forced to “Suck Hind Teat” at Google

Tim Capper pointed out a few weeks ago How Google Exploits the Hospitality Industry for Profit.  Bed and Breakfasts are effectively treated as hotels on Google so they have to put up with all of that and then some. Growing up my father raised dogs. When there was a new litter, the runt was often …

Continue reading

Google Confirms Removal of Anonymous Reviews

Google has confirmed that anonymous reviews have in fact been removed from public view. Their statement to me: “We do not allow anonymous reviews today and we’ve removed legacy anonymous reviews.” If you recall, on May 24th, I reported their disappearance with the article Google Stops Counting Anonymous Reviews?. Given the obvious angst that many small …

Continue reading

Google Posts Testing More Visual Display

Petra Kraft, a long time Local SEO and careful observer in the hospitality space, noticed an interesting test in Google Posts. She found a Knowledge Panel where Google was showing six posts using the primary image and a text over lay and the abilitly to see more via a right arrow. This is one of …

Continue reading