Duplicate listings

[grasshoppersean]

While looking into my Google places page i noticed there was two listings of my business, two separate Google places pages, so i deleted the page that i don't use. can it be harmful have two duplicate pages. i don't know how long it has been on there but i must have done it at some point.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Yes more than one claimed Place page is a violation PLUS they merge and that can cause all kinds of other problems. So it's good you deleted the other one.

 

[Michael S. Doran]

Here is an interesting case of purposeful duplication:
http://goo.gl/maps/jiyzR

Real Business:
Nemanic Chiropractic
4902 E Warner Rd #2, Phoenix, AZ ‎ (480) 785-7246 ‎ ? nemanicdc.com

Fake Duplicate:
Ahwatukee Chiro
4902 E Warner Rd, Phoenix, AZ ‎ (480) 785-7255 ‎ ? ahwatukeechiro.com

Both listings and both domains take you to Nemanic Chiropractic.

So the question is, what to do about it?

 

[Linda Buquet]

Hi Michael,

What to do depends on what the situation is???

Is this a client of yours you are trying to fix?

Or is this just a listing you found and want to report it?

 

[Michael S. Doran]

Hi Michael,

What to do depends on what the situation is???

Is this a client of yours you are trying to fix?

Or is this just a listing you found and want to report it?

This isn't a client of mine.

It is blocking someone that I am working with. I have used the Report a Problem feature long ago but it seems to have been ignored by Google. I think it is great that this guy's real listing is ranking well, but adding a fake listing too... not cool.

There is no doubt that both listings are for the same business. There is no doubt that the 2nd listing is in violation of Google guidelines.

What would you do in this situation?

 

[Michael S. Doran]

This isn't a client of mine.

It is blocking someone that I am working with. I have used the Report a Problem feature long ago but it seems to have been ignored by Google. I think it is great that this guy's real listing is ranking well, but adding a fake listing too... not cool.

There is no doubt that both listings are for the same business. There is no doubt that the 2nd listing is in violation of Google guidelines.

What would you do in this situation?

It is as if the people at Google don't care if business owners put up fake listings.

I guess this is a valid technique for dominating local results. Just purchase an additional domain and phone number for each extra listing and win with fake listings.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Well I think Places management does care and it is clearly a violation. I think something just falls through the crack when it comes to policing, reporting and fixing. I don't know if it's lack of staff, too much volume or just poorly trained low end workers who don't know how to identify spam.

I reported this Chiro Sept 13 thats 10 times worse. Check it! 10 listings, with fake KW stuffed names. Tons of violations. STILL UP!

 

[Michael S. Doran]

Well I think Places management does care and it is clearly a violation. I think something just falls through the crack when it comes to policing, reporting and fixing. I don't know if it's lack of staff, too much volume or just poorly trained low end workers who don't know how to identify spam.

I reported this Chiro Sept 13 thats 10 times worse. Check it! 10 listings, with fake KW stuffed names. Tons of violations. STILL UP!

Dang! That shouldn't even require anything more than a person with a pulse at Google to see that problem. It interesting that a fix on the map can be approved so quickly and yet garbage like this stays up for months and months.

---------- Post Merged at 09:44 AM ---------- Previous Post was at 09:35 AM ----------

So I reported a few of them for name corrections to test that out.

I went to:
Edit details
Name
Leave a comment
Not a real business name.
Texas Spine and Sports Therapy Center has multiple fake listings.

I did that for 4-5 of the listings. Let's see what happens.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Thanks Michael!

I never followed up cuz don't have any kind of vested interest in this one. If it was for a client and was their unfair competition I would have stayed on it.

Just stumbled across it. I report spammy ones occasionally just to test to see if they are taken care of and how long it takes.

FYI my report was this:

Linda Buquet Place Top Contributor here.

Just noticed this one. (512) 219-8999. 10 Chiropractor listings with keyword stuffed fake names all at the same address.

So even though I said I was a TC it didn't help. But I think I did a mass report of all, not each indiv listing.

So let's watch it and see if they act on your report.

HOWEVER we need to keep in mind Google reads this forum and usually acts on listings we report publicly like this. So we won't know if it was fixed through normal channels or based on reporting here.

 

[Michael S. Doran]

Doing experiments is one of my favorite ways to learn. We need to remember to check this every so often.

 

[Dustybones]

Whoa.... that's a nice one Linda. Will need some Green Tea in me to look at that.

Just stumbled across it. I report spammy ones occasionally just to test to see if they are taken care of and how long it takes.

 

[Andrew Sawyer]

The issue us that if the listing is claimed a Listing Editor will review any edits made to the feature. They have a known flawed process they use and also prone to deny any edit which would be unfavorable to the business. Your best bet is to mark the offending listing as a duplicate of the actual listing in Map Maker and also use Report a Problem in Maps as they go to different teams.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

[Linda Buquet]

Thanks for stopping by to weigh in Andrew. Really appreciate it!

 

[Michael S. Doran]

I just checked and my report resulted in at least one of the fake listings being deleted.

Gone:
Chiropractic Center On 38th Street

Hopefully this one will be next as I reported it for deletion:
Neck Pain Injury Rehabilitation at Texas Spine and Sports Therapy Center

Also reported for deletion:
Austin Rotator Cuff Syndrome Therapy at Texas Spine and Sports Therapy

 

[Linda Buquet]

Thanks Michael,

I don't have much MM clout because I seldom edit there, but just marked your edit as correct.

Hey I just had an idea. Maybe I could start a new forum section called Vigilantes against Google Map Spam. We could list ones like these with the goal that everyone interested would chip in and approve edits. You know how in the MM forum you post and ask people to approve edits, we could back each other up here and do that.

On second thought, I don't know how many more altruistic, unpaid projects I can take on. Think I just volunteered to over-extend myself again.

 

[Michael S. Doran]

Thanks Michael,

I don't have much MM clout because I seldom edit there, but just marked your edit as correct.

Hey I just had an idea. Maybe I could start a new forum section called Vigilantes against Google Map Spam. We could list ones like these with the goal that everyone interested would chip in and approve edits. You know how in the MM forum you post and ask people to approve edits, we could back each other up here and do that.

On second thought, I don't know how many more altruistic, unpaid projects I can take on. Think I just volunteered to over-extend myself again.

I just saw that approval from Linda and was hoping that was you! I like your idea of helping each other clean up listings. Any idea on what happens next or how long until the MM change is in effect?

Also I did the same thing for a spam duplicate here in the Phoenix area. I would appreciate it if you could do the same for Ahwatukee Chiro as it is a fake duplicate.

 

[valesence]

Thanks Michael,

I don't have much MM clout because I seldom edit there, but just marked your edit as correct.

Hey I just had an idea. Maybe I could start a new forum section called Vigilantes against Google Map Spam. We could list ones like these with the goal that everyone interested would chip in and approve edits. You know how in the MM forum you post and ask people to approve edits, we could back each other up here and do that.

On second thought, I don't know how many more altruistic, unpaid projects I can take on. Think I just volunteered to over-extend myself again.

You start the forum Section Linda, and I will moderate. I think it is a brilliant idea and I would be glad to contribute