If you click through to Google’s Local Finder Page from a local 3-pack in the search results, you might see AdWords ads showing up on the left hand side, above the organic map pack listings. I first spotted it on Monday night, but it seems as though it is a limited test with only a […]
Google Expands Home Service Ads to Sacramento & New Professions
Google has expanded Home Service Ads in two ways – they have added additional locales and they have expanded the professions offered. First, Google has announced they are expanding their Home Service ads to the city of Sacramento, California. Google initially launched Home Service Ads in the San Francisco area, and this marks their first […]
Implementing Hreflang? Google Recommends Hreflang Sitemaps
Is there one type of hreflang implementation that is more successful than others? Maile Ohye from Google was asked this question during the SEJ Summit on Wednesday. And she had some interesting comments about it, especially for first-time implmenetations. So does one hreflang implementation have greater success? I would say yes. And then there’s like […]
Google & Bing Add Gas Pricing to Local Search Results
Both Google and Bing are now displaying pricing information for has stations directly in their search results. Here is Google displaying gas prices both for a generic gas search and for one with a specific gas company name. Google is also showing them in the desktop results too, also in the local pack. Bing also […]
Google Showing Mini Reviews in Local 3-Pack in Search Results
Google is testing showing a single line from a Google+ review in a business’ listing within a 3-pack in the search results. The review features a short amount of text from the review and the icon of the reviewer. Here is how it looks: Dr. Pete Meyers from Moz was the first to notice the […]
Google My Business Local Ranking Factors for 3-Pack
Google My Business has updated their “Improve Your Local Ranking on Google” page for local businesses. While there has been a lot of speculation and reverse engineering, this seems to be the first time they have given official guidance on ranking in the local 3-pack. According to Google, they determine local rankings based on 3 […]
Google Changes Sign In Flow for Leaving Local Business Reviews
Google has changed the login flow for those users who are not signed into a Google account but are trying to leave a review for a local business in the local knowledge panel. And it seems the change was likely made to combat pop-up blockers. Conrad O’Connell spotted the change and created this GIF of […]
Google Testing Local Results in Knowledge Panel Style Product Listing Ads
Google’s hybrid of knowledge panel and product listing ads have become familiar in the Google search results since we first spotted them last year. Last October they started showing them to mobile users as well. Now they have added another new component – local. When you search for a product that triggers these larger product […]
Yelp Reviewer Sued By Business With Non-Disparagement Clause
A business is suing a former client after they left a negative review on Yelp. The review was left despite having a non-disparagement clause in the The issue stems from a negative review that a client, Michelle Duchouquette, left for Prestigious Pets, a local pet sitting business in Dallas, Texas. But Prestigious Pets includes a non-disparagement […]
Couple to Pay $350k in Damages for False Local Reviews
Have you ever left a bad local business review with false information? You might want to rethink doing that in the future after a couple was ordered to pay $350,000 over false reviews they left for an attorney. The divorcing couple, Copia Blake and Peter Birzon left reviews that were not only opinion but that […]