Category: Google Maps

Google is testing more local pack designs and features in search. Sergey Alakov and Mordy Oberstein are noticing Google adding more tabs to the branded local pack. And now Mike Blumenthal is also seeing the carousel/scrollable local pack design that G…

Google has now added to some business local knowledge panel a call to action to “get a quote” or “request a quote.” So when you search for the company name, in the right panel or at the top of the mobile results, you get that call to action button.
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Google has told Joy Hawkins that it has fixed all the reviews that disappeared over a technical issue. The statement she was given and she posted in the Local Search Forums was “All the reviews that have been removed for technical reasons have been re…

Google My Business posted on Twitter that businesses owners can use now the Google Maps iOS app to edit their business profiles. This is without using the Google My Business app or web site.

Google seems to have fixed one of the many Google Maps bugs and has acknowledge they are working on a fix for the other. The Google Maps Q&A feature didn’t let owners properly respond to questions left about their businesses – that supposedly has been fixed. The reviews going missing is something Google is working on fixing still.

I get it Google, you can’t handle all the Google Maps issues. You are seriously delayed with getting back to businesses. You are suspending businesses that should not be suspended. You are claiming those suspensions were fixed but they weren’t. Now …

The other day we reported that the Google My Business issues were reportedly fixed according to Google. Well, many local SEOs and businesses are saying this is not true.

We have been tracking the issue with Google My Business listings going missing maybe due to suspensions and other rumors around shortnames. But as we said, a fix was coming and it came. Greg Sterling from Search Engine Land updated us on Google’s sta…

If you do a search for a local company in Google mobile search and then click on the result, you will be taken to that company’s Google My Business local listing. If you now scroll through the information on that business, Google will stick the CTA opt…

Google told Search Engine Land they are pushing out a fix for the issues around business listings not being visible soon. They said the rumors around the shortnames causing the issues were not exactly true, saying it “was not directly tied to the shor…

There are a lot of rumors and suspicions that Google My Business suspensions are due to the release of the new shortnames feature. I am not sure if that is true, we covered the suspension issues well before the launch of the shortnames release and we e…

Here is a screen shot from Ellen Edmands of Google showing a double or dual listing for a business “related” carousel on desktop. I cannot replicate this and I don’t think I’ve ever seen this happen before but I am told it does happen and it is rare.
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In the past week or so, many local SEOs have been complaining that reviews on local listings in Google are disappearing. Some are saying it is tied to the launch of short names and removing your short name will bring back the reviews but I am not sure …

Some folks when they login to their Google My Business account and click on a business to manage will see a more visual and image friendly interface. I am not seeing it myself but I am seeing numerous reports of the new design.

Google has launched what they are calling place topics. Place topics use data based on reviews to provide concise information on what customers highlight about your business. In short, it summarizes the reviews left by your customers into tags.
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With Google deprecating the social profile markup, some businesses may be out of luck with being able to control the social buttons shown in their local knowledge panels.

Google My Business has told one local SEO via Twitter direct message that the team is delayed 2-3 weeks. They wrote “please be aware that the team is currently experiencing a backlog and responses may be delayed for up to 2-3 weeks.”

Google My Business announced a number of updates to the platform yesterday to help small businesses do more with their Google Maps and local listing on Google. In short you can personalize your business profile by adding a cover photo, logo, and claimi…

You and I and the whole local SEO community know how bad the Google Maps business listing spam issues are. We’ve been covering it forever. We know Google is trying to make efforts to improve things but the spammers are always one or two steps ahead of…

There are many local SEOs who are complaining about the delay with Google My Business in reinstating businesses that were suspended. I am seeing numerous complaints in the forums and on Twitter about this.