Google Places Optimization and Local SEO Blog

Ever have any Google Places review problems? You aren’t alone! Lost reviews, spam reviews, merged reviews, inability for customers to leave a Google review or for owners to respond to reviews are just a few of the problems that come up all too frequently. Review problems of any kind are a HUGE pain point for small business owners. Now you can get some answers and solutions to Google Places review problems.

On 1/16 Purpleibanez posted a request in the Google Places forum for a sticky to help answer all the Places review problem scenarios. Since I’m a Google Top Contributor, I escalated the request to Vanessa, the Google Places Community Manager. She coordinated with her team and came up with 2 VERY helpful docs – 4 days later!!! And you say Google is slow and offers no support?

In the new info-filled sticky located at the top of the forum Vanessa addresses the following review related questions:

Having technical issues with the reviews on your listing?

.:. Where did my Google Places reviews go?

.:. How do I know which of the above reasons is affecting my listing?

.:. How do I get my Google Places Reviews back on my listing?

.:. Where are my owner responses?

.:. Why are the reviews on my listing not related to my business?

.:. One of the links in “Reviews from around the web” is wrong — it’s going to a page of reviews about an unrelated business. How do I get rid of it?

.:. Why can’t my customer leave a review?

.:. How can I report spammy reviews?

.:. I’ve reported a review on my listing, but it’s still there. Why won’t you remove it?

They also added a new help section to the support area:
Technical issues with Google Places reviews

Spent the weekend cutting and pasting and doing graphic editing to make the custom ranking reports I need to show clients and I’m SICK OF IT! No one else does all this extra work and no one should have to! Grumble, grumble… Read on if you want new tools that can do all the manual labor I just did, automagically!!!

Here is a really bad example of a report I just wasted a ton of time cutting/pasting creating by hand. But hey, it helps me get paid for the next month of service! Read on, below the image, for explanation and to learn how you can benefit from this post.

My Ugly Jerry-rigged Before & After Ranking Report
CLICK TO VIEW FULL SIZE

Sorry, really low res, copy of a copy. (Original didn’t look this bad but I blanked out City/client due a shady Dental SEO company that copies everything I do.)

NOTE: Reports above were generated by Places Scout which is my fav because it shows what type of ranking – 7 pack, blended, organic or Places. But I had to cut and paste 2 different reports, screw around with a graphics editor, re-size til it all fit, add the title and border etc. What a PAIN!!!

BACK STORY – I run ranking reports on my clients weekly for my OWN benefit, but I seldom show clients, because all the crazy Google dancing ups and downs are just confusing to them. But I do want to show before and after milestones. I’ll typically show a client a before and after of their results after I optimize their Place page and send it along with their 2nd month invoice so they can see the progress we’ve made. Then I’ll send another before and after, once I do their on-site SEO and their rankings make another jump. I send this with their 3rd month invoice, again so they can see how far we’ve come. The report above is one I just did this weekend.

HOW YOU CAN BENEFIT – I use both Bright Local and Places Scout. Each does different things I like and presents different data in different ways. Wish there was one program that did everything I need, the way I need it! Sigh…

I just emailed the head honcho at both companies on Sunday and showed them a copy of my jerry-rigged reports and explained how many steps it takes and how much time it takes to create these reports. Both companies got back with me IMMEDIATELY. How’s that for support? Both companies said they are working on a solution. However the “squeaky wheel“ gets the grease with coders and can move a new feature up the to-do list. So if you want this report comparison feature SQUEAK BELOW IN COMMENTS so I can show them how much you guys want this feature added!

BOTH COMPANIES are working on other MAJOR updates.

Places Scout is working on a HUGE new reputation management module. In addition to monitoring for negative reviews and bunch of other hot features, I just asked Mark to add 2 other features that are sorely needed in the industry. 1) Notification of ALL Places reviews so business owners will know about EVERY new review as it comes in. 2) Google Places review backup, so you’ll have a copy saved in case Google loses your reviews. I’ve had the report comparison feature on Mark’s to-do list, but his priority is getting the rep management update finished 1st. SQUEAK below to push comparison reports up the list.

Bright Local Rank Checker Myles got back with me right away on Sunday and it sounds like they already have something in the works that will satisfy this need. Myles replied “In February will be launching some new HTML reports which allow you to select start/end reports to compare against – you simple toggle the dates you need and the table updates. We will also be adding in some nice charts/analytics to make the data more visual and granular – you can see the performance of each individual keyword over time. We will make sharing ranking reports more easy by publishing them onto a generic URL which you can share direct with clients or pull in via iframe into your own site.”

So hooray! Awesome updates coming from both companies. Can’t wait to get the goods!

Am I too anal? Does anyone else see the need for this type of before and after ranking comparison report?

SQUEAK below if you’d like to help me push the developers to get this feature added to Places Scout and Bright Local, sooner rather than later.

I’ve been really busy helping on the Google Places forum and working on some behind the scenes projects but wanted to share this info as it will enlighten pros about how do deal with merges, give a little more insight into how the cluster works and why cluster F#s happen. Also wanted to give you an exciting update on something I’m working on that’s coming soon – so read on!

A law firm posted a reply on my blog with a DETAILED account of their merging problems, all the steps they’d taken, all the frustration they’ve been through. I had them re-post on the Places forum so I could escalate to Google management and get Vanessa involved. Be sure to read the whole thread and follow it for more info. So many insights about G support, merges, clusters, etc. Google Places forum post below.

Merged Listing Since 9/2011 – Help Us Vanessa, You’re Our Only Hope

Then Mike Blumenthal posted about it & there is a good discussion started over at his blog. The Long and Winding Tale of Trying to Fix a Merged Listing

Places Scout Update – Today I’m meeting with Mark to give him some insights/recommendations on a new module that’s coming soon. Wanted to give my readers a head’s up because the price of Scout is going up, so if you have not gotten it yet, you’ll want to!

Places Scout will soon have a new “Reputation Management” module for tracking reputation, citation analysis, TRACKING YOUR GOOGLE PLACES reviews and more. That’s all I can say right now. But on top of the Places rank tracking, reporting, competitive analysis and prospecting features, if you do local, I think you should consider getting it now. The price goes up every sale. Eventually it will be 197 or sold per individual module.

SEOmoz PRO just FINALLY launched a major update that added local (Google Places) results to their rank tracking solution and it looks like it has some pretty cool features. I have not tried it yet since I’m not a member. Have wanted to join, but held off since the tool previously didn’t feature local results. I’ll probably give it a spin soon.

Read the full post and see the screenshots over at the SEOmoz blog.

Lots more info - Click to read the rest here

I wanted to point everyone to a really important post over at Mike’s blog.

The Untold Story of 2011: Google’s Significant Investments in a Google Places Support Structure

I’m sure most of you read Mike’s blog anyway. But I know sometimes people don’t have time to get through all the comments and there are some important and insightful ones there. I wanted to copy my comment over here too to be sure my readers see it. The part about the new troubleshooter is especially important because I still get emails from lots of pros that are pulling their hair out trying to find solutions and they have not even tried the troubleshooter yet.

Lots more info - Click to read the rest here

I’ve been getting lots of emails and some posts on the Places forum asking why the link feature on Google Places pages went missing and if/when it will come back. I hear ya and was feeling your pain for a few days, but I just got the link to Place page option back and you’ll get it back soon too. Here’s the scoop.

Lots more info - Click to read the rest here

UPDATE: 11/29 MAJOR SOFTWARE UPDATE – CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS. Tons of new features including ability to do ranking reports for keywords without geo modifier. HUGE! Distance from city center added to competitive analysis. Also HUGE! If you already read the original post from Nov 10, be sure to skip down to read about all the new software features. (Even if you already purchased, learn about all the new power that was added.)

You guys KNOW how hard it is to find local rank tracking software that really cuts the mustard! I have BETA tested so many programs + use other disjointed tools for competitive analysis and other tasks to run my business. But half the time I just need to go to Google and do manual checks to get the data I need.

Today I am SO excited to share with you guys some software I’ve been BETA testing that is like a swiss army knife for local SEO. It does really advanced Places rank tracking PLUS competitive analysis to help you rank your clients higher, PLUS lead generation to help you find new clients PLUS citation finding PLUS reputation management to a degree and lots more, all in one VERY INEXPENSIVE software program. (I keep telling him I could sell this at 3 times the price. Lucky for you he hasn’t taken me up on it yet!)

Before I even introduce it I want to explain part of the ranking tracking piece that is REALLY important. I had the developer program in a way to show you the TYPE of rankings your client has. Do they rank #2 in a 7 pack plus #3 organic? Or #4 in blended? (If you don’t know why this is SO important read below.)

This software even shows clients how well they rank in surrounding cities VISUALLY on a MAP!!! CLICK IMAGE for more details.

Introducing Places Scout. (FYI the site isn’t even up yet, so this is a link to a special discount at the Warrior forum – $only 97 right now.)

There are TONS of features, so watch the videos and check out the screenshots that explain each module. So be sure to check out the features that interest you for more info, as this post mainly zeros in on the rank tracking piece. The software has gone through several updates and I was holding back until the last one to announce this to be sure it has most of the new features. And I have him working on some new stuff that will really blow you away! But there are lifetime upgrades, so you can buy now while the price is so low and grow with it, as new features are continually added.

NO OTHER SOFTWARE shows you what TYPE of ranking all in one report. (Pure Places, Pure Organic, Blended and 7 Pack) This is HUGE! (More info about that below.) And again this program does an amazing job of competitive analysis, prospecting and citation research. But the part I’m most excited about is the rank tracking. CHECK OUT THE VIDEO BELOW.

Lots more info - Click to read the rest here

HAPPY CYBER MONDAY 2011

A few years ago in my other company, I juiced up the lyrics and made it a tribute to Cyber Monday. Since a lot of my readers at this blog are local retail businesses I thought I’d share it over here too.

Lots more info - Click to read the rest here

Review spam is rampant, especially in certain industries like locksmiths, movers, plumbers, carpet cleaners and some others. But I don’t normally see a lot of it in the Dental industry. One of the reasons I picked Dentistry as my Google Places niche (besides the fact I have a strong background in Dental) is the fact that I feel Dentists for the most part are genuine, honest business people.

So it’s disturbing to me to find Dental practices that APPEAR to me to be higher end, very nice offices who are paying for fake reviews to game Google. Some Dentists may not realize it, but not only are fake reviews a violation that could cause you to LOSE your Place page but fake reviews ARE AGAINST THE LAW and can get you in trouble with the FTC!

I don’t necessarily enjoy ‘ratting’ people out. But fake review spam hurts everyone on several different levels. It makes it hard for honest Dentists to compete fairly. It forces Google to tighten the review spam algo which OFTEN results in even REAL patient reviews being mistakenly deleted as spam. But not only that, the more fake reviews that are out there, the more consumers do not trust reviews at all, which hurts everyone.

Also see 11/17 UPDATE below (ORIGINAL POST ABOVE WAS FROM 11/15)

Lots more info - Click to read the rest here

According to some stats I found at eMarketer the other day 70% of consumers checked an online before going to a local business or restaurant. Google was the #1 source at 43%, no surprise there. The yellow pages came in 2nd at 30%. A little surprised it’s that high actually. People still use the YP? Really??? The 3rd spot goes to the 1st link on the search results page. Reviews sites are hanging in there at 13% followed by Facebook at 12%.

Lots more info - Click to read the rest here

I’m working on some important research and need help from the local SEO community. If together we can figure this out, it will help us all do a better job of helping our local search clients AND be able to give them reports that knock their socks off! IF the limited research I’ve been able to do so far is correct, then there is a huge hole in the way we analyze rankings and report success metrics to clients. 1 work closely with 3 companies that have some awesome local analysis and ranking solutions. (One really hot brand new one I’ll be blogging about this week.) If I can get your help to prove my theory, then I can get them to program in a solution that may help us all. (If I’m right, maybe I’m off base.) Bear with me and I’ll explain.

Back in October Myles Anderson shared some great research at SearchEngineLand about HOW consumers search for local products and services. Really important data if you missed it. His research shows that 58% of searchers use a local modifier. Most use city a smaller percentage use zip. So city dentist, plumber city, plastic surgeon 90210, etc.

My research so far suggests surfers search for keyword WITHOUT geo modifier 3-4 times MORE than with without. SEE KEYWORD STATS BELOW. I need your help and your stats to prove or disprove these numbers. (See call for stats and benefits of this research below.) But 1st – the back story.

I’ve been helping some clients affected by the new part of the blended algo I dubbed the “Proximity Lockout Algo” and more and more people on the forum and in comments to that post are reporting they’ve been negatively affected by
Lots more info - Click to read the rest here

The long awaited Google+ for Business solution was just announced. This is VERY exciting news and I see can all types of amazing possibilities.

Official Google announcement: Get closer to your customers with Google+

One of the biggest concerns I’ve had about + for Business was what will happen to Place pages and how will everything integrate. The answer is that for now the 2 solutions, Google Place Pages and Google+ Business Pages, are separate and have to be managed separately. Here is an editorial note added to the Small Business blog post.

Lots more info - Click to read the rest here

Saturday I blogged about some major local search layout changes Google was testing and the update started on Tuesday. The changes are still rolling out in some areas and some browsers may still see the old layout. Here’s the image I posted Saturday in case you aren’t seeing the changes yet. NEW LAYOUT.

In a nutshell, the map markers turned from red to gray. But when you mouse over them, the gray pins light up red. Also the location data and pins moved from below the listing to the right side.

But the big change I want to highlight in this post is the rich new preview data Google shows about a business. When you mouse to the right side of each listing there is an arrow. Google used to show a large web site preview. NOW she shows a smaller site preview, a dedicated map of that Places location and up to 4 images from the Place page, plus other Place page data.

So it’s more important than ever to claim and optimize your Place page. REALLY IMPORTANT – Be sure to put your best foot forward with GREAT images that showcase the benefits of your product or service. The 1st 5 images on your Place page show up in your preview. LET’s TAKE A LOOK!

If you are not seeing the update yet, let me explain. Lots more info - Click to read the rest here

I’ve been seeing a strange new style of Adwords ads in local the past couple days. Looked so odd on the map that the 1st time I saw it yesterday I was in a rush and dismissed it as a fluke, but then saw @SIMpartners tweet an example and decided to investigate. I have not seen Google mention this new style ad unit yet, but then again I don’t read many PPC blogs these days. If I missed the announcement or if you have more info or any theories to add, please post in comments.

Lots more info - Click to read the rest here

Google SERPS and Google Places are continuously changing and Google runs tests all the time. It’s impossible to know which of the tests we see will become the new standard format AND for how long. Back in July 2010 I was the 1st to break the story about the new “Blended” algo over at Mike Blumenthal’s blog. I was sitting on a Google test server and was the 1st to discover the test. Then 4 months later the results went live.

Today I want to share a couple new tests with you that are rolling out on a pretty broad scale. I’m not seeing the changes, but my clients and other bloggers are. One change involves some major Google blended and 7 pack SERP changes. Be sure to read below too for major dashboard changes that were just reported today. Sounds like it could include a change in the number of categories as well as category selection functionality.

Lots more info - Click to read the rest here

Wowser, have you seen any of the 3D business tours Google has done show up on any Place pages yet? VERY cool! Google announced the Business Photos pilot program back in May. But they just started rolling it out on a bigger scale. You can read more and request a business photo shoot here.

I discovered an interesting thread about the new rollout on Hacker News yesterday and tracked down a few 3D business photo shoots for your viewing pleasure below. Cruise around inside these businesses and take a look!

Lots more info - Click to read the rest here

Google just announced they will auto-update your business data on your Place page based on user edits and 3rd party data they scrape from the web. They’ll make the changes automatically without your consent, but notify you so you can try to fix it, if the info’s wrong.

I’m afraid this move will cause all kinds of problems. I know Google is doing it for the right reasons and I understand where the change comes from, but I think it’s going to create a ton of new issues. Read the full announcement (only a snippet is below) then see my comments.

SEE IMPORTANT 10/14 UPDATE BELOW – NEW INFO – They are emailing BEFORE the edits go live and giving you a chance to dispute the changes, but it’s still causing lots of problems already. See update and comments below.

Lots more info - Click to read the rest here

If you or your clients have noticed a ranking drop lately this could be the reason. Several companies have come to me recently that were ALWAYS on page one for their CORE keyword, then suddenly dropped only for City + Core Keyword. Some were always #1 or 2 and dropped all the way to page 4 or 5. They all rank super high organically, all have well optimized Place pages and also have more reviews and citations that most of their competitors. They all STILL rank page one for all of their other keywords EXCEPT for their core keyword. They all SHOULD/WOULD still rank if not for this new algo tweak. My theory is that there has been a major algo change.

I’m dubbing this change the PROXIMITY LOCKOUT Algo. IF my theory is correct, then Google has added a proximity filter to the “blended” results that was not there before AND they dialed it in WAY too tight on city center, which is not fair AND is not in the best interest of the user. SCREEN SHOTS BELOW.

I couldn’t figure out why these companies weren’t ranking for their main keyword until I saw a distinct change in one of the primary markets that I track. Let’s take a look at the search phrase “Seattle Chiropractor”. I’ve been tracking this market for a long time because I know it’s a dog-eat-dog competitive market, in fact some of these Chiros are pretty gray/black, so I keep an eye on what they are doing and how the ranking changes over time.

Lots more info - Click to read the rest here

Here’s a quickie update about a new Google Places feature I have not seen before. User uploaded images in reviews. Check out the screenshot and Place page below. Phil Rosek made this discovery – here’s his blog post.

Back in January Google announced the ability to add user-generated photos to Place pages. But photos showing up reviews is new I think. So why not try asking happy customers to dish up some photos with those reviews?

Click to view full size

Check it out live at Mike’s Pastry in Boston.

Side Note: Have had people ask if I’m OK because I’m not blogging, tweeting and updating my Google Places Scoop.it channel like a mad woman these days. I’m fine, just incredibly swamped and carpal is really bad again. However, I’ve been working on a BIG post about a pretty radical algo change that’s causing lots of page one listings to drop to page 3 – 5. It’s a big one with lots of screenshots so is taking some time, but stay tuned for that post. Coming hopefully tomorrow.

I was recently quoted a few times in an Infoworld story about the lack of Google Places support. Google: The big baby that won’t grow up While I’m quick to report on major Google Places problems, I try to be equally quick to give credit where credit is due and acknowledge their attempts to improve the platform.

Google just launched a new level of support for Google Places users. It’s not a full on phone support option which is still sorely needed, but it sounds like it may be a couple steps up from the “report a problem” option that was previously the only way to get help. I’m anxious to try it on some of my problem listings to see how the response is. (More details below the video.)

THANKS to the Google Places team for hearing our pleas!

Lots more info - Click to read the rest here