Ok, enough is enough. My Google Places reviews have been missing since mid summer 2010 and I have waited patiently for their return.<\/p>\n
Google has had some problems loosing reviews<\/a> and this problem continues<\/a> to this day. I understand that.<\/p>\n Stuff happens in a complex system and while I don’t like it, at some level I do understand it. I have always advocated for others that these reviews should be resurfaced<\/a> and those that are legit be reassociated with the appropriate Places Page.<\/p>\n But I was looking at reviews in the context of a new talk I am giving this week at the UBL user conference in Charlotte and I realized that some of the reviews that had been lost from my account had more than just commercial value. They hold personal and relationship value as well. When a person you respect leaves a review it means more to me than just a review.<\/p>\n David Mihm is one of the folks in the local search industry<\/a> that I appreciate on a daily basis for his clear thoughts, his concern for the SMB<\/a>, his keen sense of industry trends<\/a> and most importantly for his friendship. The review he left is still visible in his user profile<\/a> but not on my Places Page<\/a>. I would like the world to be able to see it as well:<\/p>\n Blumenthals.Com Web Hosting & Computer Repair 201 N Union St # 317, Olean, NY 14760 How did the review get lost? Its a bit of a long journey through the bowels of the Google Places’s rejection algo<\/a>. Last summer my listing was rejected as part of their algo based efforts to cleanse the index…. not because I was spamming or otherwise abusing the system but because I had a period in our business name (blumenthals.com). It took me a while to figure that out and while that was taking place, Google decided to give me a new CID, the unique cluster ID that refers to my business. My reviews stayed with the old CID and have never found their way back to my new one.<\/p>\n Shortly after my fiasco they changed their policy<\/a> and algo to allow the DOT back into my name.<\/p>\n The reviews are not really lost they are just not seen in my current Places Page<\/a>. They can still be seen in the review history of the person that left them. Mine is still visible in David’s review history<\/a> but if you click through the link on that page:\u00a0Blumenthals.Com Web Hosting & Computer Repair<\/a> all it does it take you to the “We currently do not support the location” message.<\/p>\n
\nThe Best in Local SEO – Apr 23, 2009
\nHaving read Mike’s blog for several years, and worked with him on both research and client projects, I can say he is absolutely at the forefront of our industry. I can’t imagine a better person to hire if you’re interested in more exposure via Local Search.
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