Comments on: Google Maps Not Counting Own Reviews http://www.solaswebdesign.net/wordpress/?p=156 SEO, Local Search Optimization and Website Design for small web business owners Sat, 04 Sep 2010 20:23:26 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: SEO Igloo Blog » Google Maps and YP - Comparing Oranges To…Tangerines http://www.solaswebdesign.net/wordpress/?p=156&cpage=1#comment-87980 SEO Igloo Blog » Google Maps and YP - Comparing Oranges To…Tangerines Wed, 16 Jul 2008 21:06:54 +0000 http://www.solaswebdesign.net/wordpress/?p=156#comment-87980 [...] friends and neighbors in Local Search spend a lot of time calling attention to bugs and spam in Local Search. Having watched florists, locksmiths, plumbers and canoe resellers pull out their hair by the roots [...] [...] friends and neighbors in Local Search spend a lot of time calling attention to bugs and spam in Local Search. Having watched florists, locksmiths, plumbers and canoe resellers pull out their hair by the roots [...]

]]> By: SEO Igloo Blog » Goofy, Goofy Google Maps Review Numbers http://www.solaswebdesign.net/wordpress/?p=156&cpage=1#comment-59743 SEO Igloo Blog » Goofy, Goofy Google Maps Review Numbers Wed, 26 Mar 2008 04:55:37 +0000 http://www.solaswebdesign.net/wordpress/?p=156#comment-59743 [...] in January, I blogged about the fact that Google was failing to count their own reviews in the A-J listings and the small popup in Maps. One had to click into the bigger popup to see [...] [...] in January, I blogged about the fact that Google was failing to count their own reviews in the A-J listings and the small popup in Maps. One had to click into the bigger popup to see [...]

]]> By: admin http://www.solaswebdesign.net/wordpress/?p=156&cpage=1#comment-44099 admin Thu, 10 Jan 2008 23:07:04 +0000 http://www.solaswebdesign.net/wordpress/?p=156#comment-44099 Mike - I think that's a good plan. I'm going to keep working on this! David - Yes, could well be that this is a lag issue. It sure is producing strange results. Miriam Mike -
I think that’s a good plan. I’m going to keep working on this!

David -
Yes, could well be that this is a lag issue. It sure is producing strange results.
Miriam

]]> By: David Mihm http://www.solaswebdesign.net/wordpress/?p=156&cpage=1#comment-43712 David Mihm Tue, 08 Jan 2008 20:41:25 +0000 http://www.solaswebdesign.net/wordpress/?p=156#comment-43712 Miriam, I see I completely missed the boat on all of these comments, but I agree with what most everyone has said. Matt's comment about the 'slowest clearinghouse' on the internet seems to be the simplest answer?? Miriam, I see I completely missed the boat on all of these comments, but I agree with what most everyone has said. Matt’s comment about the ‘slowest clearinghouse’ on the internet seems to be the simplest answer??

]]> By: Mike Blumenthal http://www.solaswebdesign.net/wordpress/?p=156&cpage=1#comment-43028 Mike Blumenthal Fri, 04 Jan 2008 19:42:44 +0000 http://www.solaswebdesign.net/wordpress/?p=156#comment-43028 Miriam- It looks like you should become the "power reviewer" and we can all say that your reviews were helpful...to see what happens. Mike Miriam-

It looks like you should become the “power reviewer” and we can all say that your reviews were helpful…to see what happens.

Mike

]]> By: admin http://www.solaswebdesign.net/wordpress/?p=156&cpage=1#comment-42738 admin Wed, 02 Jan 2008 22:10:03 +0000 http://www.solaswebdesign.net/wordpress/?p=156#comment-42738 Hi Matt! Thanks for stopping by. In the case of the Denver Florist, the Google review was exactly 6 months old, as it happens. Seems like a pretty long time if this is just some kind of lag...or even a sandbox-y thing, eh? Matt, if you happen to know of any power Google reviewers you can point me to, I'd like to investigate the reviews in their profile to see if I can get any further than this! Hope your week is off to a good start. Miriam Hi Matt!
Thanks for stopping by.

In the case of the Denver Florist, the Google review was exactly 6 months old, as it happens. Seems like a pretty long time if this is just some kind of lag…or even a sandbox-y thing, eh?

Matt, if you happen to know of any power Google reviewers you can point me to, I’d like to investigate the reviews in their profile to see if I can get any further than this!

Hope your week is off to a good start.
Miriam

]]> By: admin http://www.solaswebdesign.net/wordpress/?p=156&cpage=1#comment-42736 admin Wed, 02 Jan 2008 22:06:21 +0000 http://www.solaswebdesign.net/wordpress/?p=156#comment-42736 Hi Dave! I have yet to do any proper reading about the coupons. That expiration issue sounds like a very goofy one. There was a thread on Sphinn this past week about how the author wished Google could slow down and really do serious usability testing before releasing products, but BETA seems to be the way of things on the Internet. In the event that Google feels they simply can't slow down without losing their competitive edge, then citizen usability testing is what it comes down to, and, like Mike, I'd like to see them get some help in the local department so that reported issues could be logged and fixed quickly. Google should make use of their users if BETA is their state of mind these days, don't you think, Dave? Thanks for taking the time to comment. I surely value your input! Miriam Hi Dave!
I have yet to do any proper reading about the coupons. That expiration issue sounds like a very goofy one.

There was a thread on Sphinn this past week about how the author wished Google could slow down and really do serious usability testing before releasing products, but BETA seems to be the way of things on the Internet.

In the event that Google feels they simply can’t slow down without losing their competitive edge, then citizen usability testing is what it comes down to, and, like Mike, I’d like to see them get some help in the local department so that reported issues could be logged and fixed quickly. Google should make use of their users if BETA is their state of mind these days, don’t you think, Dave?

Thanks for taking the time to comment. I surely value your input!
Miriam

]]> By: admin http://www.solaswebdesign.net/wordpress/?p=156&cpage=1#comment-42734 admin Wed, 02 Jan 2008 21:59:54 +0000 http://www.solaswebdesign.net/wordpress/?p=156#comment-42734 Mike - A social aspect to maps! I would not have thought of that. Gosh...I wonder if that could be. Like I said to Cathy, above, it would help to look at a power reviewer's reviews that have been tagged as helpful and see if that crosses some kind of authority threshold so that the reviews start being counted. If you know of anyone with a power account, Mike, maybe we could figure this out. And then, I guess it could just be a bug. Your Thank You post to the Google groups lady seemed to sum up your feelings about this - you make 'complaints' because you truly do want Maps to be better. Google should know that this is going on, if they don't already. Thanks for weighing in, Mike! Miriam Mike -
A social aspect to maps! I would not have thought of that. Gosh…I wonder if that could be.

Like I said to Cathy, above, it would help to look at a power reviewer’s reviews that have been tagged as helpful and see if that crosses some kind of authority threshold so that the reviews start being counted. If you know of anyone with a power account, Mike, maybe we could figure this out.

And then, I guess it could just be a bug. Your Thank You post to the Google groups lady seemed to sum up your feelings about this – you make ‘complaints’ because you truly do want Maps to be better. Google should know that this is going on, if they don’t already.

Thanks for weighing in, Mike!
Miriam

]]> By: admin http://www.solaswebdesign.net/wordpress/?p=156&cpage=1#comment-42732 admin Wed, 02 Jan 2008 21:54:48 +0000 http://www.solaswebdesign.net/wordpress/?p=156#comment-42732 Cathy - Thanks so much for that link. Your efforts have been ongoing and dedicated in all this. I'm impressed, and also, congratulations on receiving that national award! That's pretty great! You bring up a very interesting point in that post. I want to find a Google power reviewer's account and see if their reviews are being counted upfront. This could tie into the whole authority concept. If I could further see a power reviewer's reviews that have been tagged as 'helpful', that would give us more data. And, one of my Local goals for 2008 is to become a power Google reviewer. I haven't put the time into becoming becoming a power digger, a power reddit-er or a power sphinner, but becoming a power Google reviewer is just my cup of tea. Thanks so much, Cathy, for taking the time to share all of your hands-on experience with Maps with us. Your input is really helpful to me! Miriam Cathy -
Thanks so much for that link. Your efforts have been ongoing and dedicated in all this. I’m impressed, and also, congratulations on receiving that national award! That’s pretty great!

You bring up a very interesting point in that post. I want to find a Google power reviewer’s account and see if their reviews are being counted upfront. This could tie into the whole authority concept. If I could further see a power reviewer’s reviews that have been tagged as ‘helpful’, that would give us more data.

And, one of my Local goals for 2008 is to become a power Google reviewer. I haven’t put the time into becoming becoming a power digger, a power reddit-er or a power sphinner, but becoming a power Google reviewer is just my cup of tea.

Thanks so much, Cathy, for taking the time to share all of your hands-on experience with Maps with us. Your input is really helpful to me!

Miriam

]]> By: Matt McGee http://www.solaswebdesign.net/wordpress/?p=156&cpage=1#comment-42717 Matt McGee Wed, 02 Jan 2008 19:23:12 +0000 http://www.solaswebdesign.net/wordpress/?p=156#comment-42717 If the reviews that are not being counted are all semi-recent, I would brush this off as yet another case of Google Maps being the slowest information clearinghouse on the Internet. If it takes them 6-8 weeks (so they say) to update business information after it's submitted into their own system, I would think recognizing reviews in their own system would also be incredibly slow. In reality, they may say 6-8 weeks for info. updates, but reading the Google Groups help threads, it seems more like 3-4 months is common. As slow as they are, I wouldn't be alarmed until a good 6 months have passed. If the reviews still aren't being counted then, something might be broken. If the reviews that are not being counted are all semi-recent, I would brush this off as yet another case of Google Maps being the slowest information clearinghouse on the Internet. If it takes them 6-8 weeks (so they say) to update business information after it’s submitted into their own system, I would think recognizing reviews in their own system would also be incredibly slow.

In reality, they may say 6-8 weeks for info. updates, but reading the Google Groups help threads, it seems more like 3-4 months is common.

As slow as they are, I wouldn’t be alarmed until a good 6 months have passed. If the reviews still aren’t being counted then, something might be broken.

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