Google Posts Content Now In Some Google Local Listings
Dave DiGregorio posted screen shots of content from a local business’s Google Posts content showing up in the local listings, including the local knowledge panel and local pack listings. This gives more exposure to the Google Posts content and possibl…
Google Maps Adds Hotel Check-In & Check-Out Times
Google announced that hotels can now add their check-in and check-out times to their Google Local, Google Maps and Google Hotel listings. Brad Brewer shared a screen shot of one listing that already has theirs listed.
Now Google My Business Bulk Users Can Download/Upload Spreadsheets
Kara from Google announced a small update in the Google My Business Help forums saying “Now, bulk users can download and upload their locations to and from spreadsheets.” “This feature enables bulk users to easily manage and organize their multiple loc…
Google+ APIs Shut Down Concerns Google My Business Developers
Yesterday, I and many developers received an email from Google Developers that had the subject line “[Action Required] Google+ APIs and OAuth requests are being shutdown on March 7, 2019.” The issue is not specific with Google+ but some of those APIs …
Google My Business Photo Bug Prevents Photos From Showing On Google Maps
Joy Hawkins posted in the Local Search Forums that a bug with Google My Business is causing photos that were recently uploaded via Google My Business by the owner not to be able to be seen in Google Maps by searchers. There is no ETA for a fix, but she…
Google Local Pack Defaults To Showing 4 Stars For Some Queries
If you do a search for [top soil] where I am and in some other locations, Google will show you a local pack but the local pack will be filtered to only show results with 4.0+ ratings or higher. If I do another search, like [barber shop] I do not get …
Google My Business Helps Businesses Without Offices With New Sign Up Process
We saw this coming and now Google officially released a new sign up process for service area businesses, businesses that don’t operate out of a specific location(s). Google now lets them specify the locations they service, instead of being stuck witho…
Google Patches The Open Date Google Local Edits Hack
Google has reportedly resolved the issue where anyone can change the open date of a business listing in the local Google results and ultimately hurt that business from ranking in the Google local results. Jason Brown via Nate Somsen noticed Google fix…
Google Spammers Using Open Date Edits To Hurt Local Businesses
In November, Google began supporting the option to specify when the business opens in the future. So if you are a new business and you want people to find you in Google local before you open, you can set a future open date for your business. But some …
Google Webhook For Google My Business Reviews Delayed, Working On A Fix
Kara from the Google My Business team confirmed Google is working on a fix for the delays in getting review data from the Google My Business API, specifically webhooks. Kara said “Our teams are working on the issue but they don’t have an estimate for w…
Google My Business: Reconfirm Location Vs Verify Now
I am not sure what this is about but one local SEO is being asked to verify their business by clicking verify now or reconfirm location. I am not sure what the difference is and neither are any of the local SEOs in the Local Search Forums.
Google Local Listings Tests Your Match Scores
Google is testing a feature in the local listings, the local pack, that shows how closely the listings match you. It is a feature Google announced but did not launch back in May 2018 called “your match.” Through machine learning Google shows “a number…
Google Drops Unicode Hack In Local Panel
Earlier this week we reported how one Google My Business listing added unicode like text to their business name listing and it shows up all funky and cool in the local panel. Well, now it is gone – it no longer shows up as unicode. I guess Google did…
Google Local Asks For Food Or Other Photos From Local Guides
I cannot replicate this, but I suspect certain level Google Local Guides are being asked to upload specific photos to local businesses they are viewing. Here is a screen shot from Carrie Hill where she is being asked to upload a photo of food to this …
Google Tests Larger Messaging Buttons In Local Panels
Joy Hawkins who follows the local SEO beat really closely spotted a new interface treatment that really calls out the messaging functionality within the Google local panels. The new button to message a local business, when available, is massive compare…
Unicode Works Within Google Local Listings
Andy Simpson spotted a local panel that was using unicode to make the business name stand out from the rest. Andy was doing a normal search for a barber shop and this listing came up in Google’s local results, which caught his eye.
Google Moving Google Posts Back Up?
A few months ago, Google stopped showing Google Posts in the top location, somewhat above the fold, in the local panel for a business. That seemed to have led to Google Posts performance drastically dropping off. Now, Google may be testing moving the …
Google My Business Products Beta Gets Update Design
Kara from Google said in the Google My Business Help thread that they have done a user interface refresh of the relatively new Product Editor interface. This can be found on some Google My Business consoles under the Product beta link.
Local SEOs Say Google Posts Traffic Significantly Declining
A group of local SEO experts are saying in the Local Search Forums that the Google Posts traffic has significantly declined over the past month or so. This specifically happened when Google moved the Google Posts to the bottom of the knowledge panel a…
Google Hotel Highlight Overlays Now Live
A month ago, Google began testing putting the hotel highlight details in an overlay window instead of a normal web page window. Well, today Google is rolling out that change.