We’re not clear if this secondary verification was required because another account claimed the listing or if Google relied upon other signals that affirm that the businesses is alive and kicking.  Previously, in other situations, we had carte blanch to remove any verified listing from Maps.  In any event, kudos Google for this additional security measure.  This essentially prevents unlawful business listing hijackers to maliciously remove competitors from the Maps.

Anyway, we selected the correct, first option.

In turn, after a few minutes, our content was removed from the record and the listing compressed to the new business owners information.

If you login, and edit your business listing, you will see a link that reads, “Fix incorrect marker location” on the right side of the page.  Then you can click and drag the red marker to the new location and click save. Google Maps will then register that update and in the future note the new location for your business’s listing in Google Maps.

“I would like to give a testimonial about Local Splash.  About four weeks ago, a rep from Local Splash called me and asked why I am not advertising in my local town. I told him that I am with FTD and they handle all my advertisements. Plus, I can’t afford to pay any more than that. The Rep told me that there are a lot of positive reviews about my store on Yelp. Then he made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.  Within three weeks, I was being integrated into the Google search engine. By week four, I started to see a difference in my business. I am so glad that the Rep from Local Splash talked me into having more business!

Thank you! Thank you from my heart,”

Katherine
A Bed of Flowers @ Allied Arts in Menlo Park, CA

Today, while submitting a test Google Places listing I noticed a new feature just below the categories section.   For a limited time only, if you are showing the world cup at your place of business, Google will give you a special badge that will make your listing stand out.  That badge might look like a small soccer ball icon or it might be something else, who knows.  For more information please visit http://www.google.com/landing/showfootball/info.html Click on the image for a large picture view.

But hurry!  This is a limited time offer from Google.

Five years ago, most business owners did not understand the importance of being found online. The vast majority thought that the Yellow Pages were the best way to advertise their business on a local level and that they would remain the best local advertising medium. Now, those same business owners would give anything to be able to go back and establish an online presence that would have secured great ranking on a local and organic level today. The bad news is that they can’t. The good news is that there is something big around the corner and it is not too late to get on board!

Some important figures:
91% of Americans have a cell phone. [1] If you take out children and the elderly and that’s pretty much everyone!
20% of people with cell phones (45 million) have smart phones (web browser capable). This percentage is growing by about 20% every three months. [2] At this rate, just about every American will own a smartphone by the end of 2012.

Mobile search is quickly becoming a major player in the local advertising space. In a year or two, most business owners are going to be kicking themselves because they waited too long to try to get their foot in the door… just like those who waited too long to establish an online presence for local search. In larger markets, where there is more competition, a lot of small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) are already beginning to create marketing plans that aim to satisfy the future need for good mobile search rankings. Fortunately, it is still early enough in this new trend to make some early moves that will pay off big time in the future!

Three moves that will pay off:

Get listed in local search (that’s the maps section; specifically Google.)
Improve online presence (website, reviews, links, etc)
Start researching and finding ways to include your business in popular industry specific directories.

#1 Get Listed in Local Search; specifically Google.
Right now, a lot of mobile search applications are using local search results to provide the information that they are displaying. This will serve as a great foundation for your company in mobile search down the road.

#2 Improve Online Presence
It is impossible to predict exactly how the majority of mobile search apps will get the information they choose to display in the future… but what is for certain is that the information will come from the Internet. Continuing to increase your online presence should be the #1 priority for all SMBs right now!

#3 Include Your Business in Popular Industry Specific Directories.
Establishing your presence in industry specific directories now will pay off in the future. As more mobile search apps are created, they will surely get more and more specific. Already, we are starting to see apps that allow users to find a great local restaurant or highly rated locksmiths. It is a good bet that in the near future there will be an app that targets just about every service based industry. The best places for these apps to find information to display as search results is by accessing industry specific databases online.

It is understandable that trying to keep up with all of the rapid changes in local advertising can be frustrating. The truth is that there is no end in sight, however. Technology is evolving faster than the average business can adapt to keep up with it. It is important to get your priorities in order and make the commitment to establish your online presence first. Then the rest gets easier. It pays to be a leader in your industry when it comes to your online advertising. Instant gratification is a rarity in online marketing, yet those who wait to try to see what works for their competition are already a year or two behind. By the time they have made a commitment to catch up, something new has already come along. This is why it is smart to hire a company like Local Splash to take that load off your shoulders when it comes to online marketing.

We prepare our customers for the perpetual evolution of local online marketing, including mobile search, and we position them to make a smooth transition into the future!

[1] Arstechnica.com/telecom/news/2010/03/
[2] ComScore.com

Over the years, online marketing has evolved and now offers many options for generating publicity for local businesses. The online image or “reputation” of a business is increasingly influenced by real customers via online reviews and ratings. This transition from promoting your own business to having others promote for you can generate a positive online reputation for your business if you manage it correctly. Today, potential customers will often make their final purchase decisions based on business reviews, as it reflects a better idea of what to expect. With this development, consider three ways in which business reviews can benefit your online marketing strategy. It is important to keep these concepts in mind when using the Internet as an advertising channel.

#1 – Business Reviews are Publicly Listed in Search Results

When strong competition is prevalent, your business should stand out as much as possible. Due to Internet search advancements, your business can now be seen directly linked to your ratings and reviews in search listings. Websites such as Yelp, Rate it All, and CitySearch display star ratings and comments provided by the public about your business. Other online directories, such as Superpages and MerchantCircle, also list your profile information and reviews on their site; allowing anyone to view the comments. Both positive and negative reviews are publicly viewed.

#2 – Business Reviews Improve Online Exposure

Reviews increase exposure and awareness for your business. For instance, a search on Google for Belmont Pets & LaunderPet, Long Beach, CA shows a Yelp listing as the third highest search result, with 42 reviews and a 4 ½ star rating for this business.

To the viewer, this business may seem very appealing. This business listing is more likely to be featured in search results and have improved visibility on search results due to the high activity of reviews and ratings. As more and more people click to the business and read the reviews, the business gains online popularity.

Google and other search engines monitor every search (impression) and click-through rate (CTR). As a result, these search engines interpret the results and provide the rankings for each business available. A lower CTR decreases your business ranking relative to other businesses, while a high CTR improves the chances of being listed near the top of the search results. The higher your search ranking, the more customers will find your business online.

#3 – Encouraging Business Reviews from Customers Will Increase Business

With business reviews, you have the opportunity to further promote your business and increase the amount of links to your website or online profile. Customers who post positive reviews will help develop your customer base. On the other hand, having too many negative reviews can have the opposite effect. Therefore, encouraging customers with positive experiences to post reviews is beneficial to your business.

It is easy to generate business reviews. The simplest way is to staple a business review card to every receipt that is handed out. Visit www.GetBusinessReviews.com, for useful information and free postcards provided by Local Splash. The site includes popular business review websites and free, downloadable business review postcards. On the card, customers will receive instructions to post comments and rate their experiences on specific business review sites. As an extra incentive, you can provide customers with a discount or reward for taking time to write a review. The extra incentive can make a big difference in getting more reviews and growing your business!

Fountain Valley, Calif. – June 15, 2010 – Local Splash announced today that they will be creating a free web video for all new customers that sign up from today through July 31, 2010. This package will enable Local Splash clients to enhance their web visibility, increase rankings, and attract new business. Local Splash clients will have free use of this video for as long as they subscribe to Local Splash, a $20/month savings.

The video will appear on both the client’s Custom Web Address and on their Relevant Yellow page. Clients will benefit from a wide variety of quality images from a photo library or clients can supply their own pictures to communicate their marketing message. Clients can also choose whether they want a male or female narrator for their video.

Examples of other Local Splash client videos can be seen here:

http://www.roofingcontractorhendersonville.com/company

http://www.plumbingharwoodheights.com/company

http://relevantyellow.com/siding-services-shawnee-mission-ks/services

http://relevantyellow.com/contractor-supplies-tyler-tx/services

Specifics of each client’s video content will be discussed during account activation. The offer, effective June 15, 2010 until July 31st, will help Local Splash clients achieve the level of online exposure they want and deserve.

About Local Splash

Local Splash is a Search Engine Marketing service that gets clients ranked on the first page of major search engines. Local Splash provides local (map), organic and pay-per-click results. The company behind the Local Splash service is Relevant Ads, Inc. Headquartered in Fountain Valley, California, Relevant Ads, Inc. uses proven, proprietary Local Search Engine Optimization (Local SEO) technology to get clients ranked in the first page of search engine results. Clients include thousands of local businesses and national chains that target customers by geographic areas. Relevant Ads offers agencies and resellers a unique partnering opportunity. For more information about Local Splash, please visit www.LocalSplash.com.

Free Local Splash Video For Every New Customer*

Local Splash will be offering a free web video to all new customers from June 15, 2010 until July 31, 2010! The video will be posted on the customer’s Custom Web Address page and on the Relevant Yellow page (we create both pages for every customer). Having one of these content rich web videos for your business will improve search rankings and create more interest from your potential clients.

The content for the video is created from information and images provided by you. We have a large selection of stock photos that can be used as well. You also get to choose whether a man or woman narrates your video.

Here is what the video looks like on some of our customers’ Custom Web Address pages:

http://www.roofingcontractorhendersonville.com/Company

http://www.plumbingharwoodheights.com/Company

Here are a few examples of what the videos look like on the Relevant Yellow pages:

http://www.relevantyellow.com/Siding-Services-Shawnee-Mission-KS/

http://www.relevantyellow.com/Contractor-Supplies-Tyler-TX/

————————————

Note:  Customer must pay standard setup fee of $99 to receive the free video.

Tags will now also appear on mobile searches and a new Tag type, called Posts, will be available. A Post allows a business owner to create a custom message that can be changed as often as owner would like. This new feature could be used to highlight special discounts or a limited-time offer and seems likely to be popular. It would be more useful if it were allowed to also link back to a web page but maybe now coupons will finally get the exposure they deserve.

At a flat rate of $25/mo per business, Google Maps will have a simple to use paid product in place. Google has noted that 2 million businesses have claimed their listings. If there is even only a 10% adoption rate, it will mean income of $60 million/year for Google. I would guess that the uptake will be higher than that and once one 7-Pack entrant adds a Tag, there will be a certain pressure, logic not withstanding, for others in the 7-pack to do so as well.

Thanks to Mike Blumenthal for this Blog.   http://blumenthals.com/blog/2010/06/10/google-begins-nationwide-rollout-of-tags-and-adds-new-features/comment-page-1/#comment-495239

Below is the reply by a Google Maps team member:

Hi Dave,

Your Google Maps problem report has been reviewed, and you were right! We’ll update the map soon and email you when you can see the change.

Report history
Problem ID: 2882-085A-2530-5884

Your report: 25-1539 E Main St, El Cajon, CA 92021 is not an address. The prefix “25-” is not needed.

–
Thanks for your help,
The Google Maps team