Duplicate Listings and the New Google Maps

[Colan Nielsen]

I've been noticing that duplicate listings don't seem to come up in the new Google Maps. At least not in the same way. The method for finding duplicates will need a little tweaking with the new Maps.

It appears that only one of the duplicates will actually appear in the "Info Card" that appears in the top left hand corner of the screen when you search for a phone number, even if the business has duplicates.

In order to find the duplicates you need to shift your attention to the map itself to see if the duplicates are appearing, you may even need to zoom into the map a little in order to have them show-up

Has anyone else played around with duplicates on the new Google Maps?

 

[Phil Rozek]

I've mostly kept my new Maps in shrink-wrap Haven't played around with it much yet.

Methinks you could do a nice, quick blog post on how to find duplicates in the new Maps.

 

[gurubest]

In order to find dupes in new maps you need to do the search in the new places search, where the search use the new maps but you have all results listed, works 100%.

 

[Colan Nielsen]

In order to find dupes in new maps you need to do the search in the new places search, where the search use the new maps but you have all results listed, works 100%.

Thanks. Can you elaborate a little. Are you referring to the list of results that comes up when you click "Go To List Of Top Results" from the Google Maps page?

 

[gurubest]

Yes when you click "Go To List Of Top Results" from the Google Maps page you are sent to places search via new Maps, there you can find all dupes you have when you search by phone. There are few other ways to go at that search you can pm me for the details.

 

[Colan Nielsen]

Got it. Interesting, great tip

 

[Linda Buquet]

GREAT topic Colan!

In order to find dupes in new maps you need to do the search in the new places search, where the search use the new maps but you have all results listed, works 100%.

Thanks. Can you elaborate a little. Are you referring to the list of results that comes up when you click "Go To List Of Top Results" from the Google Maps page?

Hmmm at 1st I thought he meant local search in G+. But then he said no click "Go To List Of Top Results" but that does not work for me.

I plugged a phone into old maps for a Dentist I found that has dupes. 5 listings showed up. When I plug phone into NEW maps only the main listing shows up. (Even though it looks like 2 are claimed.) Zooming in I can't find the dupes.

No matter what I try I can't get "Go To List Of Top Results" to show. It does not give me options or search results or filters at all. If I plug in the number OR Dentist + address it still thinks I'm looking for that one listing so that's all it shows me. There's no option to see more it only shows that main info card.

Ahhh figured out how to get rid of his info card to see Top Results. Click anywhere on map. Then yes it takes me to 4. But not to all 5 which the old maps showed me. (The 5th was Dr with diff # but the old maps still found it and showed me.)

In the process of doing the above on the new maps, when I could not get to Top Results, I tried "Local" search in G+ and it gave me the same 4 results in the same order. HOWEVER there were a couple differences.

Screen shots below show why G+ search may be best to use for dupe discovery.

NEW MAPS "Go To List Of Top Results"




Local Search in Google+

​

In this view you can at least see the 1st category and the fact that #4 was marked closed.

 

[Colan Nielsen]

That's another great tip, Linda! This is turning into a doozy of a thread!!

 

[JoyHawkins]

Hey Linda,

I think searching in Old Maps is still the most accurate way (a phone # search). Using that example, I found a 5th listing that didn't pull up on your print shots. Same address, but different phone number. Still could cause some ranking issues though.

How I did this > click the gear on the top right corner, click "Classic Maps", then do the phone number search and make sure (as always) you click to view all results. Another way is to just go here: https://maps.google.ca/maps?ie=UTF8

 

[Linda Buquet]

Yep agree Joy, old maps is best.

I was assuming that once the new maps fully rolled out, the old maps would be gone. So that's why I was exploring alternate methods. Sure hope classic maps remains an option.

Right now I'm set with both. I still have old on FF and new only on Chrome which I use with a different Google account. So I go back and forth when I need to compare that way.

 

[JoyHawkins]

Right. It probably will

Then I would say Mapmaker would be my second choice. I did a search there for that phone # and returned the same 5 listings. Then if I search the exact name (from MM) on the new Google Maps, it gave me the local listings + their URLS.

By right-clicking and searching around the point, I actually found a whackload of other dentist listings at that address. Not sure if it's a separate company or not.

Nice Teeth Dental: Jason Chen DDS
Creative Dimensions in Dentistry
Neighborhood Wellness Center
Chen And Stephenson Nice-Teeth Dental
Northern California Facial & Oral Surgery
Nice Teeth
Bruce Stephenson, DDS
Creative Dimensions: Gee Schoon-Ton Jennifer G DDS
Creative Dimensions: China M Marc DDS
Rice Charles MD
Creative Dimensions: Salehinia Shirin DDS
Creative Dimensions: Maass Robert M DDS
Creative Dimensions: Erickson Jeffrey M DDS
Creative Dimensions: Alvaro Alisa DDS
San Leandro Dental Care: Nguyen Bich-Ngoc DDS
San Leandro Dental Care
Handog Coralinda M DDS
Mac Kenzie G David DDS
Guastella Lucille J DDS
Arslan Norm
Lino Dental Studio

 

[Linda Buquet]

Yes I thought about doing the search in MM and a comparison screen shot there.

Except service area businesses are excluded from MM now so if it's an SAB MM won't work.

 

[Linda Buquet]

By right-clicking and searching around the point, I actually found a whackload of other dentist listings at that address. Not sure if it's a separate company or not.

Yep that's a big medical/dental building with lots of different practices in it.
See in old maps: 345 Estudillo Avenue San Leandro, CA - Google Maps

Which brings up a totally different point about location, location, location.

If I were a Dentist I would not want to be in a Dental building with all those competing Dental offices my patient's have to walk by to get to me. I'd probably want to be in the strip mall next to the grocery store or popular salon or spa if I was a General/Cosmetic Dentist or Toys R us if I was Pediatric Dentist.

 

[JoyHawkins]

No kidding! That sounds like a nightmare.

Do you have a SAB example that has duplicates? I wanted to see what I could find...

 

[Linda Buquet]

Not one that comes to mind. I mean I've helped SABs in the G forum but can't remember any of the specific examples.

 

[gurubest]

@Linda
In new maps in order to get to " Go to list of top results, you have to do search " kw city state" - like " dentist San Leandro CA", then you can go to the places search, where do a search by phone "510 483 2164" and you will get all dupes - 4 of them, 5ht one that comes out in old maps is not really a dupe - it is connected to the address that is why it comes out as well, as we can see in new maps search is bit better cause it makes bigger difference between address in same building but we different #.
The above example works for all kind of businesses, SAB or no. Other way to enter this kind of search in new maps with list of results is:
Do no matter what search add at the end of the result link " prmdo=1&tbm=plcs" and you go there where you can search for dupes or find your business if not listed on 1st page.
The problems with new maps are that they are using more deep user experience so soon results for everyone will be different, but when not logged in and using location "city state" + kw, will still work. This is problem solved for desktop computers, but for mobile devices new maps are killer for local search without the bar on left with list of businesses means if you are 3rd they might never find you since the user have to zoom in/out in the map and gets most relevant local business to his search based on his user experience. For me personally this is low quality search from Google, people are used to see listed results some squares on the map wont help to improve user experience in my point of view.

 

[Linda Buquet]

@Linda
In new maps in order to o to list of top results, you have to do search " kw city state" - like " dentist San Leandro CA", then you can go to the places search, where do a search by phone "510 483 2164" and you will get all dupes

Do no matter what search add at the end of the result link " prmdo=1&tbm=plcs" and you go there where you can search for dupes or find your business if not listed on 1st page.

Using the method above it only surfaces 3 listings as opposed to 4 or 5, the other way.

Note that search parameter needs to have an & at the beginning like so "&prmdo=1&tbm=plcs".
This shorter parameter also works “&tbm=plcs”