Google Places Optimization and Local SEO Blog

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
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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.

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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!

HIGHLIGHT YOUR BUSINESS – STAND OUT FROM THE COMPETITION!

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.

San Diego Car Rentals

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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.

Gray Map Pins & Location Data on RIGHT
CLICK HERE FOR To See FULL PAGE SERP

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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!

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I just coined a new term. “Red Hat” Local SEO. As everyone knows “Black Hat” and “Gray Hat” are where you break or skirt the boundaries of Google guidelines. I don’t do that. However I do take every ethical advantage to make my clients listings not only rank, but stand out from their competition.

“Red Hat” = Smart, Bright, Bold Optimization! Red hat optimization involves thinking outside the box, discovering and utilizing advanced techniques that help make a listing stand out and give conversion rates a boost. Here’s a great example of something I’ve been doing for awhile and just decided to share.

Here’s the Place page for a Dentist I recently took from #16 to #2 on Google for all his main keywords. (Using some ninja Red Hat ON-SITE SEO techniques.) Note he only has 1 Google review which does not look good. BUT he has over 100 reviews on a Dental review site Google was not counting in the algo. So all those great reviews don’t show on his Place page at all.

CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW FULL SIZE

That one little red hat technique provides several important benefits:

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Was just quoted in the media again about Google Places and wanted to share. But 1st, in case you missed it, on September 5th the New York Times reported on a major Google Places problem that I gave them the story lead on and researched for them. It was about the problem of viable businesses being easily marked as “This Business is Permanently Closed” on Google Places. There is no Google verification, it happens quickly and is being used as a competitive tactic.

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I’m working on some unique tip-filled posts but in the meantime wanted to share some great posts with some good tips from others. When I curate my Google Places news channel @Scoop.it some days I find little of interest. But the past few days there has been a ton of good info so wanted to spread the word.

Google appears to be crowdsourcing website verification on Place pages now. Hope a competitor can’t nuke your website as easily as they can mark your business as permanently closed.

Just noticed this today. On many Place Pages, if you click the link to the web site and then go back to the Place page, there will be a yellow box asking “Is this the right website for this Place?” The answers are Yes, No, Don’t Know. (See screenshot below).

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The New York Times interviewed me recently about a Google Places problem I’ve blogged about a couple times. I helped David Segal, the reporter, with that story, which still could go to print. Then I asked him if he’d like a Google Places story lead about a another problem that is negatively impacting small businesses and proceeded to fill him in on the following issue.

Of course the story hit Monday, while I was off on an unplugged vacation. Just got back and even though it’s late, thought I’d share for anyone that missed it.

See Google update on this issue below.

Closed, Says Google, but Shops’ Signs Say Open – New York Times

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Have some new free Google Places software to share with you guys. I tested this a couple weeks ago and discovered it was malfunctioning due to the past GP update, so report the problems to them and have been waiting for them to fix it. The new version just came out yesterday. They also incorporated other feedback and improved some of the functionality, so it works much better now.

This is a super lightweight app that can help you quickly analyze a specific Google Places market. It would also be helpful for analysing why a particular client was not ranking and to find out at a glance what the top 7 competitors in that market ARE doing that helped them get to the top.

One feature I really like is that you can add a specific Google Places CID for comparison against the top 7 results. So if you are talking to a potential new client who is stuck down on page 3, you can get a quick snapshot of what it takes to rank in that market.

CLICK IMAGE For Full Size Screen Shot that Shows All the Fields
Link to Video Instructions & Free Download Below

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There is a new type of competitive sabotage on Google Places that’s making the rounds and it can be totally devastating to small businesses.

There has been a huge increase in the number of reports that viable businesses are being marked as PERMANENTLY CLOSED on Google Places. Some users in the forum report it happens to them numerous times per week and they have to check their Place page several times per day and constantly fight to get Google to remove the bright yellow PERMANENTLY CLOSED sign from their listing.

There are probably shady companies offering a new service billed as an easy way to “Nuke Your Competitors off the 1st Page of Google.”

BTW this sad story has a happy ending, because Google listened and implemented one change that will help. Read on for breaking news about how Google listened, took our advice and implemented change.

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Find out what people want and GIVE IT to them! I believe it was Napoleon Hill that originally said that. I apply the same principle to Google Places and local search optimization. Find out what Google LIKES and GIVE IT to her!

So let’s dissect a VERY interesting search result to find out WHY Google likes this listing enough to give it a HUGE ONE BOX for a competitive search term. And while we’re at it let’s try to figure out why this local Dentist got all these EXPANDED local sitelinks too, shall we?

I DOUBT THIS LISTING WILL BE LIVE FOR VERY LONG. So let’s reverse engineer it while we can. I think/hope it’s a temporary anomaly because I may have a new client I would need to get ranked in this market for this search term and right now this Dentist has it locked up all to herself! There are some good lessons to be learned from this listing, so I wanted to share. See SCREEN SHOT BELOW.

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Following are some Google Places updates, bug reports and fixes. I have also observed a number of changes lately, some fairly minor, however if your Google Places listing is affected by one of these issues it may be a big deal. So I wanted to share what I’ve observed. Confirm if you are seeing any of these things.

NEW – SHORT LINK FOR PLACE PAGES – The long awaited short URL for Places pages is finally here. I just discovered it last night. Maybe it’s been there for awhile and I just noticed, but I don’t recall anyone else blogging about it, so I think it’s new.

REVIEWS – YELP TOTALLY REMOVED? – From some limited research I’ve done, it appears Yelp is no longer listed at all in reviews from around the web. Does that mean they are not counted in the algo either or have they just been removed from view? Not sure yet. My market does not really rely on Yelp reviews so I have not dug too deeply. But check for yourself and tell me if you find any. I did some restaurant searches in major cities because restaurants tend to have lots of Yelp reviews. Zip. Zilch. Nada. I also checked some recent SERP screenshots that WERE showing Yelp reviews a couple weeks ago. Now they are not. (Are they having another fight?)

BUG – WEB SITE MISSING FROM PLACE PAGE & SERPS – A large number of users are reporting that their web site is missing even though it’s listed in the dashboard. So double check your listings. I think the last update tweaked something in the URL structure and if you added www. without the http: then your URL stopped displaying. (My guess, but that appears to be the case.)

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If you have missing Google Places descriptions or info that is not updating or think you are in the Google Places new listing sandbox and wonder how long you’ll be there – you’ll want to read on.

One of the big questions that keeps coming up about the July 21st Google Places update is why did descriptions disappear? Everyone thought it was a bug. Google employees confirmed it was an “issue” and was being worked on. Vanessa confirmed in the forum that descriptions were not removed as a result of the update. I started a thread on July 6th about the missing description bug. Weeks have gone by, descriptions continue to go missing, but we’ve been unable to get an update from Google on the Google Places forum.

Well I just got an answer from Googler Joel Headley in one of my Google+ streams about the missing descriptions problem. He also confirms the current length of the Google Places update cycle – which is MUCH longer than people realize. Wanted to share the info, since I doubt many people will see Joel’s comments hidden in my +stream.

Below is a link to my Google +stream where I air concerns about many of the recent Google Places bugs and problems. Joel has commented 4 times so far with some important insights. I’ve only copied a few snippets, you need to head over to read the whole stream.

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