Google Places is a local business directory paired up with Google Search. It gives a business a landing page where it can describe its services, additional contact information, highlight products through photos and video, and allows customers to leave reviews. … Continued
A survey sponsored by CityGrid Media and conducted by Harris Interactive confirmed what many of us already suspected–search engines are the leading way in which people find information for local businesses. Review sites are equally influential on mobile devices. This survey … Continued
The New York Times recently highlighted a new form of local search sabotage where competitors, disgruntled employees and dissatisfied consumers are going beyond negative reviews and instead claiming businesses are permanently closed in order to inflict more harm than a … Continued
The New York Times recently published a story exposing call centers posing as local locksmiths inundating Google Maps and displacing actual local businesses. The problem with the call centers is that many of them are involved in unscrupulous business practices. … Continued
Recently two of our clients have been given multiple one star reviews from user accounts whose sole purpose is to down-vote competitors while giving glowing reviews to one company in particular. While I think that consumers can recognize that a … Continued
I noticed something unsettling today after search for the phrase “dentist in San Antonio” Take a look at the following picture and you’ll see what I mean. The top result for this term is a “phone service company.” I decided … Continued
