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Recent changes in Google Places???

by Greg Cooksley
7 replies
Hi there,

Having recently begun offering Google Places as an option to my offline clients, I've noticed some changes with what Google is showing on a Places page.....

Previously it appeared that Citations very viewed as being very important. In fact, I read somewhere that having Citations was almost the same as having backlinks to your website....Now it appears that Citations have all but disappeared.

Another thing is that when you fill in a new Places listing, there are multiple entries for additional information. I've searched across a number of different niches and have yet to come across a Places listing that provides all the additional info. Admittedly, it could just be that the owner never added the info in the first place....However, some of the niches I searched are highly competitive and the info was not there....

I'd appreciate it if you could shed some light on this.

Regards

Greg
#google #places #recent
  • Profile picture of the author JimmyD
    Hi Greg

    The citations are still important from a ranking point of view in the same way as general backlinks.
    I have heard differing reasons why Google stopped showing the exerpts from the citation sites, from Google wated to force people to leave reviews on Places to the hird party citation sites complaining that Google was stealing their traffic.
    Who knows how they make any of these decisions?

    I think the lack of additional info is down to the site owners not making full use of their Places page.

    Cheers
    Jim
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    • Profile picture of the author Greg Cooksley
      Originally Posted by JimmyD View Post

      Hi Greg

      The citations are still important from a ranking point of view in the same way as general backlinks.
      I have heard differing reasons why Google stopped showing the exerpts from the citation sites, from Google wated to force people to leave reviews on Places to the hird party citation sites complaining that Google was stealing their traffic.
      Who knows how they make any of these decisions?

      I think the lack of additional info is down to the site owners not making full use of their Places page.

      Cheers
      Jim
      Thanks Jim,

      I'm working thru a course and they emphasize Citations, so when they disappeared I wondered whether it was worth putting in the effort.....

      I've just read several blog posts where this issue is discussed and it appears that Google has made several changes...read this:

      A Potpourri of New Google Places Changes, Bugs, Tips, Updates – Including New Places Short URL - Google Places Optimization Blog

      Certainly appears that there is quite a bit of churn going on in Places...

      Regards

      Greg
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  • Profile picture of the author seocatalysts
    Local links-Business listing are more useful to achieve high ranking in local place page.But there are certain rules which we have to follow to gain it.
    Before two week, i read the blog in which they told that for some time,the reviews are gone from place page.This kind of changes happen two times.
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    • Profile picture of the author pouringpound
      Thanks for the post! i was looking for this since many days.
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  • Profile picture of the author 1stpage
    It's my understanding that 3rd party citations were removed due to legal liability issues with Yelp in particular.

    Like a lot of things with Google, just because they don't show it doesn't mean that these citations don't count any more. It is just a bit trickier to track them down. You can search a listings location & phone number and pull up results of probable citations.

    As far as additional information, just fill out as much as is relevant. I don't believe that this is a significant factor in rankings, but every bit does help.
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  • Profile picture of the author RockstarBen
    Greg,
    It has been very frustrating, but I have found that all the best practices are still working to get proper ranking: citations, pinging, having it filled in 100%, etc. Even though all the details are not showing up, Google sees them, so it is still relevant. What makes places so funny is that most people don't realize that (although it is ever-present for local search) it is (for lack of better term) in "beta." Google itself hasn't figured out what they want to do with it or how they will fully monetize it, but for now - I am still getting my clients on page 1 using the tried and true methods. The biggest change is that it takes a little longer than it used to to get them recognized. In the good ol' days (like a year ago), you could use the tricks to pull a page 1 (7-pack) in under 24 hours. Now, you are looking at a week, maybe 2 at best, but never promise your clients anything under 6 weeks - that's my recommendation!

    Best!

    --Ben
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    • Profile picture of the author Greg Cooksley
      Thanks Ben,

      That's encouraging...at least I know I'm going in the right direction. My clients are very important to me so I want to make sure that I deliver on what I promise as well...

      I also want to ensure that everything I do is completely legit and above board...

      Regards

      Greg
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