{"id":672,"date":"2008-05-19T13:09:42","date_gmt":"2008-05-19T17:09:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blumenthals.com\/blog\/?p=672"},"modified":"2008-05-19T18:35:15","modified_gmt":"2008-05-19T22:35:15","slug":"google-maps-what-can-be-learned-from-the-mapspammers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blumenthals.com\/blog\/2008\/05\/19\/google-maps-what-can-be-learned-from-the-mapspammers\/","title":{"rendered":"Google Maps: What can be learned from the Mapspammers?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last week Matt Cutts implied that I was endorsing Mapspam tactics when he noted:<\/p>\n

Mike: I find it odd to beat up Google for not taking enough action on mapspam, then beat up Google on the other side when we start taking stronger action on mapspam…..<\/p>\n

During a few parts of the interview I felt like you were giving this fellow \u00e2\u20ac\u0153air time\u00e2\u20ac\u009d after he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d said that there were multiple listings with bad data.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Actually far from it.<\/p>\n

The folks who practice the more questionable tactics in Maps are essentially pushing the system to find its limits; what can be listed, what affects rank, what works. They are doing so in a vacuum of guidance from Google and apparently their motivation is profit. Short term profit at that, as I don’t see it as a sustainable tactic. I don’t find these practices acceptable on any level<\/strong> but I do learn from them.<\/p>\n

I study and report Mapspam because it provides insight
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2 into how Maps works,
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2 into factors influencing ranking,
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2 the obvious contradictions in Google’s policies and practices and
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2 occasionally it provides insight into legitimate techniques that might increases viewer response.<\/p>\n

Here is an interesting case of obvious maps abuse (where else but LA) but one that raises the question, does the tactic increase end user response and is it acceptable practice?<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The search that made me curious:\u00c2\u00a0Locksmith Los Angeles, CA<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I have been seeing more examples of the practice of including a phone number in the bussiness name in a range of industries in LA (perhaps elsewhere) It raises the question:\u00c2\u00a0Does putting the phone number in the business title increase client call in? Is it an acceptable practice?\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0What are your thoughts?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Here are their other obviously spammy listings. I have not explored whether they are hijacked or just bogus listings. I will leave that work for someone else:<\/p>\n

Search:\u00c2\u00a05625\u00e2\u20ac\u017d locksmith<\/a><\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0near\u00c2\u00a0<\/a>Los Angeles, CA<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"LA<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last week Matt Cutts implied that I was endorsing Mapspam tactics when he noted: Mike: I find it odd to beat up Google for not taking enough action on mapspam, then beat up Google on the other side when we start taking stronger action on mapspam….. During a few parts of the interview I felt …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":262,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-672","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-google-maps-google-local"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t