Category: Google Maps

Claire Carlile posted a screen shot on Twitter of Google showing a new section to display Google Posts in a Google local panel. The new section is named “related to your search” and seems to show Google Posts that are more relevant to your search quer…

Sergey Alakov posted on Twitter screen shots of Google showing the hotel finder box but without putting in the location of the searcher. So you searched for [hotel] and Google asks you to enter in the location of the hotel you are looking to book and …

I am hearing reports of two separate increases or sudden spikes across both Google Search Console and Google My Business. Some are reporting that within Google Search Console there has been a sudden spike in errors within the error reports. And some a…

Google is testing an option to let the searcher select which area they want the local pack finder results to zone into. Valentin Pletzer shared screen shots on Twitter of Google asking him to “Choose Area” at the top right, which brings up a numerous …

The folks in the Local Search Forums are noticing that Google is now blending or morphing the organic search results interface with the local knowledge panel interface for branded queries – so when you search for that specific brand.

Google is once again testing using a carousel design for the local pack again. They tested an alternative form of this back in March 2017 and they are testing it again now. Here is what the new test looks like:

Google announced yesterday that both restaurants and their customers can add popular dishes to their Google local panel results. Google also said machine learning can help, “The popular dishes feature is powered by a machine learning algorithm that ma…

Google is testing using company logos in map pins. Darren Friel spotted an example of this with the Early Settler brand. Here is that screen shot.

The folks in the Local Search Forums spotted Google showing green map pins in the local pack map for Google local pack ads. Can you see them?

Mike Blumenthal spotted Google renaming the Google Posts section in the local knowledge panel from “Posts” to “Updates.”

Google announced Google Trips, a more consolidated view of using Google for trips, travel and vacations. Google will put hotels, flights, things to do, places to eat, weather, packages and more right in a central place.

It looks like the folks at Google My Business are testing and maybe rolling out yet another new design for the Google My Business console. The new design lets you update the cover photo easily, the new navigation at the top and up-selling G-Suite serv…

The folks in the Local Search Forums are complaining that some of their clients are showing weird reporting glitches within the Google My Business Insights section. It is supposedly not too uncommon to see weird dips and/or data glitches in this repor…

Google is sending out a survey to some local businesses asking if they would be willing to pay a monthly fee in exchange for Google My Business listing services.

Last week we reported how many businesses in Google My Business were noticing Google adding a new category to their listing named “POI Establishment.” Google supposedly began fixing this Thursday evening but now many are noticing it read “Point of Int…

There are numerous reports of Google Maps listings, Google My Business listings that have had their suspension removed then seeing all of the reviews they had on their listings vanish. Joy Hawkins at the Local Search Forums wrote “listings that are su…

I am seeing reports of business owners and local SEOs saying they are seeing a new category being added to some of the business listings they manage. The category is called POI Establishment and folks are confused what this is about, espesially because…

You’ve seen the Google local services ads before, they have the Google Guarantee label on them. But when the Google Assistant started showing ads, people asked how does one not pay to show up in the local listings if you need the guarantee label but t…

Google posted on Twitter that within Google My Business you can now highlight and post automatically suggested reviews as customer testimonials. Google said “Google My Business now provides suggested posts to help you showcase positive reviews. These …

A thread at the Local Search Forums has different local SEOs saying different things about how Google Posts helps their local rankings in Google Maps and local. Some say it helps, some say it doesn’t help and some don’t know either way.