Google Maps Cash System Forces Your Site Onto Google's First Page!

[Travis Van Slooten]

O.K. I really hate calling out other people but I couldn't resist. The guy selling this product is actually a fairly well known Internet Marketer. I've been on his email list for years. He actually has produced some quality products in the past for Internet Marketers but I think he missed the boat on this one (and may have to unsubscribe from his list after this product launch).

Take a look at his sales page:
Google Maps Cash

Here are some of the highlights of his course...

Rank HIGH in the 7 box even if you don't have an address in the local area you are targeting.

How to get 5000 Citations in a month!

Legally "steal" their legitimate mailing addresses all over the U.S., for free. Use these addresses to dominate Google Plus Local nationwide. (Black hat course only)

Why unique content will kill your 1st page ranking in Google (Google Plus Local novices easily make this mistake).

11 free places to submit your Google Plus Local listing that will almost guarantee placement on google's first page.

And on and on the promises go...

The reason I'm calling this guy out is to warn other new local SEO consultants and business owners that these types of courses are just hype. Don't fall for the sales pitches.

These courses are a dime a dozen and if you actually follow them, you can get into a lot of trouble. Just ask Linda. I found Linda online after I screwed up a Google+ Local account I was working on for a client following a course similar to this (when I was new to local SEO).

There are no shortcuts to this business and if there are, they are short-lived. Sooner or later Google will catch up to your evil ways and punish you

Travis Van Slooten

 

[Linda Buquet]

These courses are a dime a dozen and if you actually follow them, you can get into a lot of trouble.

Just ask Linda. I found Linda online after I screwed up a Google+ Local account I was working on for a client following a course similar to this (when I was new to local SEO).

There are no shortcuts to this business and if there are, they are short-lived. Sooner or later Google will catch up to your evil ways and punish you

Thanks Travis, great minds think alike! And you must be psychic. I was just reading Chad's sales letter too and thinking about posting.

Surprisingly I'm also buying this course as I've bought other courses of his.

Here are my thoughts. And I admit being torn.

On one hand I totally agree with you. I HATE this type of sales letter, I HATE the hype and I REALLY HATE that a ton of newbies are going to buy this and learn black hat tricks that muck up the works and de-value our industry!

Some of the guys that buy this course are going to cause problems for SMBs, including getting them suspended and are going to create unfair competition if they aren't legit businesses located in an area and knock out the legit local businesses that deserve to be in the 7 pack.

More than anything all this crap that will hit the market due to this course (and others like it) could cause Google to crack down even more, throw more babies (legit businesses) out with the bath water and make it harder for honest SMBs to get listed.

HOWEVER...

I am still buying the course because I think there are some good white hat tricks in there.
PLUS to be good at white hat I think it helps to understand what the black hats are doing.

Plus I like learning black hat tricks to see if I can turn them into white hat tricks. Vague example and my thought process "Wow if he can make that work for a NON-legit business not even located there, how can I tweak it and use in an ethical way for a local business that really IS there?"

Plus honestly some of the black hat tools are like a hammer. They can be used to build a house OR to bash someone's head it. It's all in how you use it. I suspect tips like how to get phone verification are that way. If used by the wrong person, would be used to verify a fake location. But same tip used by honest consultant and real location could just help save a step or 2 and be totally legit. (Just example, don't know for sure about that tip or exactly what it is, just a for instance.)

So anyway, not going to try to talk anyone into or out of this course. Just explaining my thought process so if you see me in the forum over there, you'll know I didn't cross over to the dark side.

PLUS I like hanging in forums like that to try to add balance, remind people of the guidelines or warn them when they are really heading toward trouble.

I've been talking about this with the guys in the Local Mastermind group I belong to and many feel the same. Ya Chad wears a black hat but there are some nuggets in there worth trying to dig out.

What do the rest of you guys think???

 

[Travis Van Slooten]

Linda:

The problem is, unless you know what you're doing, how can you tell if a specific thing he says you can do is something "safe" to do.

For example, let's say in the course he says you can do X and you'll be totally fine. Then you go do X and the next thing you know your listing is being removed. To that end, I say a course like this is dangerous for people who don't know what they're doing.

You need to know enough to begin with to separate the wheat from the chaff.

Travis Van Slooten

 

[localseoorg]

I believe this is a pretty old course. I remember taking a look at it in 2008 or so -give or take...

It could have been updated but I didn't see anything on the sales letter that would lead me to believe it was.

 

[Linda Buquet]

EXCELLENT point Travis!!! Totally agree.

Just like what you were taught "was OK" from what was considered a highly reputable course that supposedly knew what they were talking about, that got your listing in trouble.

 

[Travis Van Slooten]

Ya, it looks old. Did you see the screenshot of the 7-pack (with the red tear drop marker on the left and the 5 star review ratings)?

Linda, if you buy this will you report back (before the launch closes in 4 days) and let us know if you'd recommend it?

Travis Van Slooten

I believe this is a pretty old course. I remember taking a look at it in 2008 or so -give or take...

It could have been updated but I didn't see anything on the sales letter that would lead me to believe it was.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Ya we were just discussing in another group how much of it looks updated. I bet a LOT is old and regurgitated. I noticed that the last one I bought.

And ya that's 1st thing I thought when I saw that screenshot too.

I'm mainly interested in some of the MapMaker tips he says he's going to share. I think that section is all new and the main thing I'm interested in.

Here's FB post and video about it. Chad MM Teaser | Facebook

"Linda, if you buy this will you report back (before the launch closes in 4 days) and let us know if you'd recommend it?"

I'm sure I'll buy but my problem is I buy this stuff and then never have time to dig in. AND doubt I'll get too far in the next couple days before it closes.

I know at least one very well known pro that just got it. So I'll see if he'll come and share what he thinks.

 

[Andrew Sawyer]

Ya we were just discussing in another group how much of it looks updated. I bet a LOT is old and regurgitated. I noticed that the last one I bought.

And ya that's 1st thing I thought when I saw that screenshot too.

I'm mainly interested in some of the MapMaker tips he says he's going to share. I think that section is all new and the main thing I'm interested in.

Here's FB post and video about it. Chad MM Teaser | Facebook

"Linda, if you buy this will you report back (before the launch closes in 4 days) and let us know if you'd recommend it?"

I'm sure I'll buy but my problem is I buy this stuff and then never have time to dig in. AND doubt I'll get too far in the next couple days before it closes.

I know at least one very well known pro that just got it. So I'll see if he'll come and share what he thinks.

I watched his video and I'm not left with the feeling that he knows his stuff inside and out. He states that "Trusted Google Reviewers" are selected for having a certain numbers of edits, not true Google invites people in and you have to agree to the same Reviewing Guidelines that Google Employees use.

He says/implies that being a Trusted Google Reviewer better allows edits without Review. Being a Trusted Reviewer only allows you greater publishing powers when REVIEWING edits. While there are ways to game the system to do edits and reviews to build up your trust score. What he doesn't mention is that Trusted Reviewers have a percentage of their edits audited and this allows Google to keep us honest. If we were to approve affiliate links or businesses that have no physical address we wouldn't last to long and would loose trusted status.

I'm sure he has some techniques but the problem with adding spam is that it lingers around and Google is pretty good and punishing those sorts of things (even if people use multiple accounts). I'm interested to hear if he has any good techniques, but from what I heard he doesn't fully understand the system and/or is grandstanding.

 

[Linda Buquet]

I watched his video and I'm not left with the feeling that he knows his stuff inside and out.

I'm sure he has some techniques but the problem with adding spam is that it lingers around and Google is pretty good and punishing those sorts of things (even if people use multiple accounts). I'm interested to hear if he has any good techniques, but from what I heard he doesn't fully understand the system and/or is grandstanding.

Andrew that last word resonates with me.

My general feeling (not talking about Chad specifically but this likely fits him too) is that MANY of these IM courses are out to make a quick buck and capitalize on A) People that want to start a new biz. B) Capitalize on local, perceived as and IS a hot market.

Many (in general) giving these courses are trying a bunch of stuff and may find things that work that short cut the system or give a quick temporary jump. MOST are NOT doing this full time for REAL businesses.

Now if you are trying to help a fake location rank and get them in trouble - so be it. They should never have been on local to begin with. I think that's the ball game lots of these guys are playing in. Fake listings, rent a site model, lead gen model, affiliate model - lets see if we can game the system and get some extra traffic.

HOWEVER if you are working as a SERIOUS consultant and working with REAL businesses like Doctors and Dentists and Plumbers and you screw with their business and income it's a totally different story. BEST practices and solid principles win in the end.

So ya I think maybe he knows some tricks and enough to be dangerous, but he does not live and breath the world of Google maps and Map Maker like you do and can't have that depth of knowledge. Plus I'm sure does not know all the pitfalls and gotchas.

BUT ANDREW there are lots like me - I can give you a whole classroom full - that are super frustrated with MM but need to understand how to use it better or even for me just understand it better to even use for troubleshooting. We a desperate for anything we can get that will make it easier. You and Gregg should do a course. SERIOUSLY! You should!

 

[Andrew Sawyer]

Andrew that last word resonates with me.

My general feeling (not talking about Chad specifically but this likely fits him too) is that MANY of these IM courses are out to make a quick buck and capitalize on A) People that want to start a new biz. B) Capitalize on local, perceived as and IS a hot market.

Many (in general) giving these courses are trying a bunch of stuff and may find things that work that short cut the system or give a quick temporary jump. MOST are NOT doing this full time for REAL businesses.

Now if you are trying to help a fake location rank and get them in trouble - so be it. They should never have been on local to begin with. I think that's the ball game lots of these guys are playing in. Fake listings, rent a site model, lead gen model, affiliate model - lets see if we can game the system and get some extra traffic.

HOWEVER if you are working as a SERIOUS consultant and working with REAL businesses like Doctors and Dentists and Plumbers and you screw with their business and income it's a totally different story. BEST practices and solid principles win in the end.

So ya I think maybe he knows some tricks and enough to be dangerous, but he does not live and breath the world of Google maps and Map Maker like you do and can't have that depth of knowledge. Plus I'm sure does not know all the pitfalls and gotchas.

BUT ANDREW there are lots like me - I can give you a whole classroom full - that are super frustrated with MM but need to understand how to use it better or even for me just understand it better to even use for troubleshooting. We a desperate for anything we can get that will make it easier. You and Gregg should do a course. SERIOUSLY! You should!

Linda, I hope I didn't convey that this training wouldn't have any benefit. If I actually was using this for a business I might actually drop the money to take his training. I am sure he has some good nuggets that you and others can benefit from.

What I didn't like in his video that rubbed me the wrong was was he was essentially saying that he was going to teach people some ways to game the system (affiliate links, non-physical businesses and using multiple accounts to affect the reviewing.) I'd be interested to know if he does actually have some ways to skirt the rules and game the system without raising too many eyes.

I know that you and others here are smart enough to realize this. If I were in your shoes I'd probably do the same to gain an insight for the ins-and-outs of MapMaker and how it affects Places; One of the reasons I'm here. And one of these days I'll take one of your courses. Until then I'll keep gleaning some insights from your site Hopefully I can fill in some gaps on the MapMaker side.

 

[Flash]

Wow, yeah, I'm with Andrew. Almost everything this guy says is just plain wrong. Not morally (though there's that too), but he's lying through his teeth. While he doesn't need to be an expert, there is no way he could have done enough research to put together a course and still actually think what he is telling you is true.

• RER's are hand choosen, edit numbers have nothing to do with it.
• RER's are the most highly monitored people in Map Maker. Becoming an RER is the last thing you want to do if you wan to slip things past Google.
• As Andrew said, RERs are granted reviewing powers only, we get nothing in edit powers. The two get confused because we became good, trusted editors first, and then were asked to be RERs.
• Map Maker edits get much more scrutiny than Places edits.
• Making quality edits will raise your trust level, that is true, but obviously Chad doesn't realize that is how it works. However, every type of edit has it's own trust level. I can edit street priorities over and over again, and gain a high trust level for that type of edit, it's not going to make a difference when I try to edit street names or business categories.
• No software is going to help you raise your trust level. It might crank out automated edits, but those then have to be reviewed. Automated edit would either be so bad they would not be approved, or so simple that you're only gaining trust in making very simple edits (see last bullet).
• Certain edits never get raised trust levels. These include adding, deleting and modifying business listings; those ALWAYS go for review (except for third world countries). Andrew and I must both get a reviewer to approve our edits for those types of features every time. This is the biggest thing wrong with what he's selling; there is no way to get around this fact! And yet that is his target audience. He's telling you that you'll learn how to get business edits auto-approved, but auto-approval is for trusted editors of streets.
• The Map Maker community are not idiots. There are many who enjoying figuring out the lastest spammer techniques and using the method as a template to find all the similar spam. And then they post it in the forums and have dozens of passionate people watching for it. Lately, whenever a new method starts up, it is less than a week before we are all over it, deleting it all and informing the Spam Department so that they can ban accounts. I'm almost willing to bet some of this guy's accounts have already been noticed and we've discussed them in our private forum as ones we'll watch.

With the things I know about each side, if I was going to be Black Hat, I would actually use Places before Map Maker.

To summarize, this guy doesn't just have a few mistakes in that video, it's almost all wrong, it sounds like a complete waste of money whether you wear a white or black hat, I don't think he even has any black hat knowledge in this case.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Thanks for weighing in Gregg. I didn't listen to the video. I mean I had it playing in the background but was multi-tasking and not listening critically. Even if I did, I don't 'get' MM enough to even know what's right or wrong.

But all day I've bee dragging my heels on this for a variety of reasons. Not the money or anything, just really conflicted about the whole thing. I'm just having a hard time supporting (by buying) something that seems not only black hat, but based on what you are saying either is bad info, fabricated or total BS.

I know some high level guys that have gotten it, may see what they think.

 

[Linda Buquet]

I did end up getting it. Have some important feedback for you in the Private Pros forum Travis.