Avoiding the Google Local Review Filter

[JoyHawkins]

Hey Linda,

I don't know if there is an existing thread on this but I thought I'd start a new one. I have a client who is experiencing the (lovely) review filter and it's driving me insane. So I thought I'd post everything I know on here about his review situation and see what everyone would advise.

His listing: Todd Jackson State Farm Insurance - About - Google+

At one point he had like 19 reviews, before the filter hit.

Here are 2 that are filtered:

Ross Klie - Google+ (He sent this client an email asking for a review and the review has never shown on his profile)

Jeffrey Jackson - Google+ (He sent this client an email asking for a review and it was showing for several weeks and just disappeared today)

He just had a client leave one from an Iphone while in his office (I told him this might work better) and that one isn't showing up either. I'm asking him for the link to the person's profile and I'll see if I can post that one too.

I really don't want to advise clients to not try and get reviews because I know how important they are. I also think it's a good way to promote leaving reviews on Google period.

What do you think he should do differently?

 

[Linda Buquet]

Hi Joy,

I don't have any magic answers when it comes to review problems. I'll just tell you my observations, but honestly don't know if any of these are the real problem.

The 1st review had Todd's name 3 times and I've thought at some points that could possibly trip a filter. BUT the 2nd one didn't have any repetition at all.

IF and it's a big IF - IF you believe any of what Andrew says about KW repetition in the business owner's description... Insurance is repeated twice AND it's not only his KW but it's in his name and his cats - plus he'd probably say the words excellent and cheap are also possible problems. BUT I'm not sure I buy into his theories. (Literally just throwing anything I see out there I see...)

So then of course, even though I know you have - I checked for dupes via phone map search. WAS IT YOU I had the convo with here? I think it was. You know when you search for dupes and it says "See all 10 results for (907) 345-0214" but you click and there is only 1? Was that you I talked to? Anyway we wondered if that indicated all the previous dupes that had all been merged into one listing??? If so, I've wondered sometimes if reviews could attach to one of the hidden merged dupes in the cluster and get buried that way. (But it's just something I've wondered, have nothing to back it up.)

SO then I went to MM to see if I could find any evidence of dupes.

HMMMM why is his description different there and so long??? And again if there is anything to what Andrew says, that MM desc has Insurance 4 times, plus city repeated, plus state abbreviated, plus state spelled out. Plus State Farm repeated which is also in his name.

Plus there are way too many cats and the main KW ins is repeated way too many times IMO.

Insurance Quote, Home Insurance, Auto Insurance, Health Insurance Agency, Home Insurance Agency, Services - Insurance, Services - Investments, Services - Financial Planning, Services - Mortgage Services, Financial Planning Consultants & Services, Insurance, Financial Advisory Services, Insurance-life (agents), Commercial Insurance, Insurance Agency, State Farm

Plus several of those violation the "is not does rule", but I'm not sure if that's a guideline in MapMaker.

So again I'm not saying any of those things are the cause. Just sharing anything that even remotely jumped out at me. The only thing that really concerns me is the MM cats and desc, but I'd worry more from a ranking perspective than a review perspective. What Andrew says resonates with me a tiny bit sometimes and I've wondered about it myself. Am just not convinced it's really an issue, but if you saw his latest post on it he says he's done research and has data to back up his theories.

Also is this the agent that you personally reviewed logged into his account? If so I really think that could put a block on reviews - if it appeared to the algo the business was doing a self review.

Last but not least, I really feel the review problems are more about bugs than spam filters in many cases. I mean think about it. Everyone is trying to figure out what spam filter they could have tripped - but how buggy is G+ Local??? How much worse did the review problems get after the instant auto update to G+ L? I just really think a lot of it is bugs and not something client or reviewer did - therefore it may not be anything you can control.

 

[Colan Nielsen]

WAS IT YOU I had the convo with here? I think it was. You know when you search for dupes and it says "See all 10 results for (907) 345-0214" but you click and there is only 1? Was that you I talked to? Anyway we wondered if that indicated all the previous dupes that had all been merged into one listing??? If so, I've wondered sometimes if reviews could attach to one of the hidden merged dupes in the cluster and get buried that way. (But it's just something I've wondered, have nothing to back it up.)

I think this is the conversation you are referring to:

Something I've always wondered about in GMaps, but never asked

 

[Linda Buquet]

Yep that was it thanks Colan!

 

[JoyHawkins]

I thought I'd post an update. We tried several things and looks like posting from an Iphone is the best way to have a review stick. He had customers do this while at his location and got 2 today. He watched them do it and said when they first hit "post" it takes them to their profile. Then if they go back the review and hit post again, apparently that is when it shows publicly on his listing.

I have to mess around with leaving a review from an Iphone myself. I'm going to get my friend to let me use his phone so I can do some print shots. This process really should be easier.

I also asked Jade about that description and she said there was no issue with it. I don't personally think there is much merit to the "description spam", but I'm willing to give anything a shot