Comments on: The Glacial Rate of Change at Google Maps http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/the-glacial-rate-of-change-at-google-maps/598/ Because not everyone can throw thousands of dollars at the 'How do we market ourselves online?' question... Fri, 05 Sep 2008 22:23:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Matt McGee http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/the-glacial-rate-of-change-at-google-maps/598/#comment-6726 Matt McGee Sat, 24 Mar 2007 05:23:48 +0000 http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/2007/03/20/the-glacial-rate-of-change-at-google-maps/#comment-6726 You're spot on, Jon, with the comments about Google's customer service. That's always been the big fear as Google has expanded beyond the search box -- can they support all these new applications and services they offer? They have maybe 2-3 people who monitor the Google Maps discussion groups, and those folks only check in every few days -- not nearly enough to help all the people asking for help. Anyway, glad to help with that link. Dave - thank you. You’re spot on, Jon, with the comments about Google’s customer service. That’s always been the big fear as Google has expanded beyond the search box — can they support all these new applications and services they offer? They have maybe 2-3 people who monitor the Google Maps discussion groups, and those folks only check in every few days — not nearly enough to help all the people asking for help.

Anyway, glad to help with that link.

Dave - thank you.

]]> By: aurinka_jon http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/the-glacial-rate-of-change-at-google-maps/598/#comment-6720 aurinka_jon Fri, 23 Mar 2007 20:15:51 +0000 http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/2007/03/20/the-glacial-rate-of-change-at-google-maps/#comment-6720 Matt - thanks for your insights. I wonder if it would be better to re-submit or to wait it out. All I know is that their customer service doesn't seem to give a hoot, yet they actively promote for businesses to provide them with data. Time is precious, and business owners shouldn't be urged to waste time on something that provides no results. For now its just a black hole. That link you provided "8 simple steps..." was very useful. I'll plan to apply some of what was written there. I'll post here as soon/if we see anything happen with our listing in Google Maps. Matt - thanks for your insights. I wonder if it would be better to re-submit or to wait it out. All I know is that their customer service doesn’t seem to give a hoot, yet they actively promote for businesses to provide them with data. Time is precious, and business owners shouldn’t be urged to waste time on something that provides no results. For now its just a black hole.

That link you provided “8 simple steps…” was very useful. I’ll plan to apply some of what was written there.

I’ll post here as soon/if we see anything happen with our listing in Google Maps.

]]> By: earlpearl http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/the-glacial-rate-of-change-at-google-maps/598/#comment-6700 earlpearl Fri, 23 Mar 2007 13:55:28 +0000 http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/2007/03/20/the-glacial-rate-of-change-at-google-maps/#comment-6700 Nice research Matt. I haven't seen any changes since 1/29...but I'm not looking at enough diversified queries. It's good to know some things are changing...even if at a very slow pace. Dave Nice research Matt. I haven’t seen any changes since 1/29…but I’m not looking at enough diversified queries. It’s good to know some things are changing…even if at a very slow pace.

Dave

]]> By: Matt McGee http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/the-glacial-rate-of-change-at-google-maps/598/#comment-6697 Matt McGee Fri, 23 Mar 2007 06:14:02 +0000 http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/2007/03/20/the-glacial-rate-of-change-at-google-maps/#comment-6697 Jon - there are a lot of business owners in the same boat, and there seems to be some very recent issues Google Maps is having with addresses/businesses getting lost. I think they have some bad data in the system at the moment. Real quick -- add your street address and zip code to the footer of your web site. Can't hurt. And if you've never seen this, it might give you some new ideas for local SEO: <a href="http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/2006/09/06/8-simple-steps-to-make-a-page-more-local/" rel="nofollow">8 Simple Steps to Make a Page More “Local”</a> Good luck, and please let us know any updates! Jon - there are a lot of business owners in the same boat, and there seems to be some very recent issues Google Maps is having with addresses/businesses getting lost. I think they have some bad data in the system at the moment.

Real quick — add your street address and zip code to the footer of your web site. Can’t hurt. And if you’ve never seen this, it might give you some new ideas for local SEO:

8 Simple Steps to Make a Page More “Local”

Good luck, and please let us know any updates!

]]> By: aurinka_jon http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/the-glacial-rate-of-change-at-google-maps/598/#comment-6615 aurinka_jon Thu, 22 Mar 2007 03:28:06 +0000 http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/2007/03/20/the-glacial-rate-of-change-at-google-maps/#comment-6615 We submitted all of our business information to Google Maps in mid-January, and although our listing appears if you search by our name, if you do a search by any one of a dozen directly-related keyword phrases along with our city, we don't show up anywhere. Example: "custom stained glass windows in Minnetonka, MN" Ironically, our ranking in regular Google search is very good for the same phrase/city combination. Double-ironically is that Google Maps results list plenty of either unrelated or geographically irrelevant results. Don't misunderstand me - this is not a complaint about ranking, this is about not even appearing when you submit your information directly to Google as we did. When we approached Google Tech support, they first responded with basically "tough, that's just how our algorithm works". When we pressed them and supplied screenshots, they wrote back with some cryptic wording about our listing having been changed (it wasn't) and that it would take a month to appear. There's something really "broken" with their method/algorithm. It would be very interesting to hear other's stories. We submitted all of our business information to Google Maps in mid-January, and although our listing appears if you search by our name, if you do a search by any one of a dozen directly-related keyword phrases along with our city, we don’t show up anywhere. Example: “custom stained glass windows in Minnetonka, MN” Ironically, our ranking in regular Google search is very good for the same phrase/city combination. Double-ironically is that Google Maps results list plenty of either unrelated or geographically irrelevant results. Don’t misunderstand me - this is not a complaint about ranking, this is about not even appearing when you submit your information directly to Google as we did.

When we approached Google Tech support, they first responded with basically “tough, that’s just how our algorithm works”. When we pressed them and supplied screenshots, they wrote back with some cryptic wording about our listing having been changed (it wasn’t) and that it would take a month to appear.

There’s something really “broken” with their method/algorithm. It would be very interesting to hear other’s stories.

]]> By: Matt McGee http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/the-glacial-rate-of-change-at-google-maps/598/#comment-6613 Matt McGee Thu, 22 Mar 2007 02:49:15 +0000 http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/2007/03/20/the-glacial-rate-of-change-at-google-maps/#comment-6613 That's tough, Cathy. Probably not much more you could do, right? It would be great if they'd make a bigger effort to clear out some old reviews and get some more recent ones in the system. That’s tough, Cathy. Probably not much more you could do, right? It would be great if they’d make a bigger effort to clear out some old reviews and get some more recent ones in the system.

]]> By: Cathy http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/the-glacial-rate-of-change-at-google-maps/598/#comment-6567 Cathy Wed, 21 Mar 2007 11:43:44 +0000 http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/2007/03/20/the-glacial-rate-of-change-at-google-maps/#comment-6567 We do appear in OneBoxes but Google Maps has yet to display any of the reviews (or review stars) of our company. It wouldn't matter except they show for others in our category so we look like an unknown entity. I emailed them in January and this was part of the reply: "It's possible that reviews posted on these sites will be included in Google Maps. However, please note that since these are non-Google sites, we can't guarantee that these reviews will be incorporated within a specific time frame or at all." Six weeks later and no change. So it appears all we can do is wait and hope. In the mean time, we've linked to the existing reviews from our site. We do appear in OneBoxes but Google Maps has yet to display any of the reviews (or review stars) of our company. It wouldn’t matter except they show for others in our category so we look like an unknown entity. I emailed them in January and this was part of the reply:

“It’s possible that reviews posted on these sites will be included in Google Maps. However, please note that since
these are non-Google sites, we can’t guarantee that these reviews will be
incorporated within a specific time frame or at all.”

Six weeks later and no change. So it appears all we can do is wait and hope. In the mean time, we’ve linked to the existing reviews from our site.

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