Tag: Google Places

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Google Places Changes Limited Information Now Visible on Google Places Pages

I wanted to share with you a letter I sent out earlier this month to our Google Places clients. I think that you should be similarly aware of the changes that we are seeing in Google Places that affect the use of account set up and management services including our own. You will always get the truth from us on things that have changed on the Web, even if it affects our service offerings.

For now, we are evaluating if we will continue to offer Google Places management services or create a new and revised program.

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I wanted to keep you updated with the changes that Google has been making in the last several weeks to Google Places.

First, it used to be that when your listing was shown in a local search that the first page in the search results Google showed was your Google Places page. It was crucial that this page be optimized for your services for local placement.

These past several weeks I have seen a change in the way Google returns Google Places. Now it appears that Google ranks your listing, but is driving traffic NOT to your Google Places page, but rather directly to your website. For some accounts Google shows a link to the places page which now really just shows an owner comment section (which we update monthly) and your Google reviews from customers.

Although I am not sure yet if Google is still using the information that we update on your account to rack and stack listings, what we have been doing in our monthly updates for Google Places accounts is not visible to the consumer when they click into the Google Places page – only reviews are visible and the “owners” comments.

For now I am not discounting the importance of what we do in a Google Places monthly update but am watching carefully so that every service you purchase from us has value. If based on this new information you would like to stop our $40 per month Google Places update service to see what happens to your listing, just let me know.

If as I evaluate further and if I see that what Google has changed makes our update service not meaningful for you, I will make sure to advise you so.

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At this point, I don’t have a definitive answer to let you know about Google Places, but I do feel that we will be changing our program based on what is visible to the customer as well as potentially creating a Google Review Getting program. Stay tuned as we try to reach some conclusions on where your money is best spent for Google Places.

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How to Get Your Google On!

Google is the top search engine and continues to stay that way even with increased pressure from Bing and Yahoo. So it is important that your marketing plan cater to this fact. So often I am asked what can I do to improve my search position on Google? Here’s how to “get your Google on”!

1. Redo your home page to include content and not mainly images. Search engine spiders cannot read images.

2. If you are using WordPress as the backbone for your website, contact a WordPress web designer to make these changes to your template:

  • If you have been archiving content like newsletters or blogs off-domain, get them on-domain now! If you aren’t blogging get your designer to create a page template just for your blog page. It must include the archives, categories, and tags.
  • Update your site navigation with links to point to the blog, create a new section just for your videos if you have them. If you don’t have videos get started creating simple ones and post them to YouTube.com ( a Google property) and embed them in your website. Start a regular informational content building program ON-DOMAIN.
  • Bring all old newsletters onto your site you have archived off-domain and housed at Constant Contact or other resource. Most likely a page will need to be created for each newsletter and then hard coded into the newsletter page.
  • Create a new reviews page on your website. Pull the favorable reviews from the web, link back to the original content. Build up the positive things. Link to the home page of the BBB showing your rating if you use them.

Get Google Maps going for any locations
Pricing is $240 per location for set up and then $40 each site for monthly account refreshes.
More info: http://www.mccordweb.com/internet-marketing/google-maps.php

Consolidate your efforts in Facebook. One page for all business. locations don’t be fragmented
Do Facebook Mini services for $8 per day
More info: http://www.mccordweb.com/internet-marketing/twitter.php#ghost

Get going on Twitter or remove the icon from your website
If you aren’t going to update something, don’t take a black eye remove the link from your website.
Twitter Mini $8.50 per day
More info: http://www.mccordweb.com/internet-marketing/twitter.php#ghost

Get blogging but only on-domain
Do the Topaz Level at the minimum two days a week for $50 per week. If you can afford a higher level do it!
More info: http://www.mccordweb.com/blog-writing/index.php

Get going with Google AdWords
Set up and first four weeks of account management is $699. I would recommend a landing page for each of the four ad group themes we would do. Landing pages typically take 5 hours at $80 per hour to create. You may need your blog designer to help with the contact form implementation as typically the landing page will have a small form at the bottom.

We recommend a click budget paid to Google of $500 per 30 days on top of our fees.
More info: http://www.mccordweb.com/internet-marketing/adwords-quick-start.php

Get your site confirmed and set up with the Google Webmaster control panel
Get a site map created and your site validated. Diagnostics can be done on demand to the site after set up.
Typically set up and validation is about 1.0 hours or so. We recommend monthly reporting once set up. We review placement on keywords, review your webmaster control panel, reload your sitemap. Set up is 1.5 hours and then monthly reporting is typically 1.5 to 2 hours billed at $80 per hour.

Build online reviews
I would highly recommend that you start approaching clients to build your online reviews. Get the email when setting up service, Offer to send coupons for the services you provide. In all your correspondence link to your Google Places pages for both locations and ASK for a review.

Remediate your online reputation
Make sure all employees know of any bad reviews you have received online and work to implement new procedures that solve those problems. Reviews may be scathing, but there is typically truth in them. Look at them as areas of constructive criticism.  All employees should believe that customer satisfaction is their job. It will show in your reviews, your referrals and repeat customers.

If you can’t afford everything I would do AdWords first, at the same time do Google Places, then the website changes, then the blogging, then Facebook and Twitter.

It is time to get your Google on!

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Google Places – Don’t Steal An Account

This blog post is especially pointed to consultants or agents who share the same office. Did you know that only one person in your office can own the Google Places account tied to your physical location, and that person really should be the corporation not an individual agent? Here’s an example, let’s say you are a real estate company, did you know that the first agent who claims your Google Places account tied to the office address, will own it? That means no other agent in the office can create a Google Places account using that address even with a different suite number and for that matter neither can you the legitimate business owner.

If an agent has tagged your Google Places account, you the real owner, cannot claim it and other agents in the office are at a real disadvantage due to the agent who has grabbed it who will then not share potential leads. You as the legitimate business owner do have the right to ask the agent to relinquish ownership of the Google Places account so you as the corporation can then claim it and then share leads throughout the entire office.

To do this the agent simply needs to go into their Google Places account click edit and then click delete this places account with the selection that this account has been linked to you in error. The main office can then claim the account rightfully.

If you are an agent who has claimed the office account be aware that if you are paying a service for Google Places services you will lose your money that you have invested as the account was never really rightfully yours to claim. You may benefit from its use initially, but if asked you WILL have to relinquish access. So just be careful and take this as a word to the wise.

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More on Fake Google Places Reviews – Be Careful

It is illegal to create fake reviews for your business online according to the FTC guidelines released in November 2009, but it is happening big time on Google Hotpot and Google Places. Don’t be caught by being ignorant of the tactics that scummy firms are using that may get you in trouble.

Here are just three “fake” reviews that I found on one  Google Places page. Boy do they look contrived and created by an SEO firm for placement due to the use of keywords, repetition, and bolding.

[Name removed] knows all the tricks I was side swiped by a car in [bolded City Removed] and I did not have health insurance at the time. I called [Name removed] and he told me that my medical bills would be paid by my own car insurance policy. I was shocked to hear that my own auto insurance pays my medical bills, even when I was not driving and my car was not involved in the accident. He knows all the tricks of the trade!

[Name removed] is truly super! When my Dad was fired from his job, we suspected it was because of his age. I knew I needed to call [Name removed]. I wanted the best. I knew [Name removed] had been selected by [bolded City Removed] Magazine as a “Super Lawyer” and has been on TV multiple times. My Dad was thrilled with [Name removed] at the initial hearing with the [State Name Removed] Human Relations Commission. My Dad settled his case and ended up with a nice size check to add to his retirement. [Name removed] is truly super!

[Name removed] tripled my settlement I was involved in an accident in which I injured my hand. Since I was not working, I was worried I would not receive much in compensation. The insurance company offered me a settlement, but I was not sure if I should take it. I wanted an attorney I could trust. I called [Name removed] and he handled everything. I received a settlement that was more than triple what I was offered by the insurance company. Boy, I am glad I called [Name removed]…she tripled my settlement.

What do you think? Sure looks like the same reviewer writing these to me. The page I reviewed had five more just like this. When I see bolding, use of keywords and repetition in a review, the review is flagged for me as a violation of Google’s own spam policy and a possible violation of FTC regulations.

As a business owner you need to be aware of what tactics SEO and Google Places services firms will use to promote your business. Don’t be caught in a FTC violation in a possibly illegal or questionable effort to garner top Google Places placement.