MapQuest Local Business Center is Shutting Down

[DFoertsch]

Guess Mapquest's love affair with local search has ended. Received this email today from Mapquest & Yext:

from:	MapQuest businesslistings@mapquest.com
to:
date:	Wed, Jan 22, 2014 at 9:46 PM
subject:	MapQuest Local Business Center is Shutting Down
mailed-by:	email.yext.com
signed-by:	yext.com

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Dear David, We wanted to inform you that the basic version of the MapQuest Local Business Center (LBC) is shutting down. As of January 31, 2014, you will no longer be able to access your listings account within the basic version of the LBC. We have, however, continued our partnership with Yext, which gives us the opportunity to offer you an enhanced business listing with plenty of tools and features to help your business succeed. With a Yext Premium Powerlistings account, you will be able to manage and edit your own business listing, monitor customer reviews, add enhanced content to your listing such as menus, product and service lists, calendars, promotions, hours of operation, staff bios, photos, and more, and also sync your Yext content to your business' Facebook page. Package options vary. Upgrade to a premium package and make sure that your potential customers can continue to find you on the web. Click here to get started! Best Regards, Your Friends at MapQuest

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[Broland]

Yea, sad news for any remaining MapQuest fans. They removed free submissions and started only pushing Yext a couple months ago. It's a shame companies like Yahoo and MapQuest don't have better marketing teams that can competently compete in the local search space so they resort to things like this.

 

[Vijay Marathe]

Remains to be seen if descriptions, website URLs, photos and videos that have been added in the past to a basic listing are left untouched.

 

[Phil Rozek]

Yeah, it?s weird to see old MapQuest pushing up daisies. I used it way before Google Maps showed up, for directions and the like. (Now it?s not even good for that.)

As more of these sites become irrelevant to local SEO and to local customers, it?ll be interesting to see how Yext?s value-proposition changes. A greater percentage of their partnered sites will be ghost towns.

 

[iwebresults]

When you go to yext.com they don't even have pricing on their site, this is one of those companies that is just living off small business owners ignorance.

 

[Phil Rozek]

Really want to see something fun? Read the responses to their Yelp reviews:

Yext - Flatiron - New York, NY | Yelp

For the record, I think Yext is an OK service in some circumstances. They just need to engage in the conversation - and be genuine about it.

 

[Dave]

Phil: Except for a 3 star rating, they are either 1 star or 5 star. That is totally bizzarre.

 

[Phil Rozek]

Bizarre indeed. Topped only by those responses to the stinkers.

 

[Dave]

Phil: sorry. While you had referenced the yext responses, I didn't read them till I saw you reference them a second time.

That packaged response is downright nutty!!!! Oi. after going through the 1 stars and the 5 stars....and the repetitive response...I get the gag response. I really want to puke.

the whole thing is a lesson on how not to inspire confidence.

Weird.

 

[Phil Rozek]

Great comment, Dave:

MapQuest Transfers Local Listings Management To Yext

 

[Cam]

I just received the exact same email this morning. My question is, will this be a concern as in like when I move to Charlotte, NC and I need to update my citation info what is this going to equate into that I need to pay YEXT $500.00 in order to correct my NAP info on MapQuest?

I think that this is a legitimate concern for millions of people.


What are you folks thoughts on what I just presented please?


cam

 

[Broland]

I just received the exact same email this morning. My question is, will this be a concern as in like when I move to Charlotte, NC and I need to update my citation info what is this going to equate into that I need to pay YEXT $500.00 in order to correct my NAP info on MapQuest?

I think that this is a legitimate concern for millions of people.


What are you folks thoughts on what I just presented please?


cam

Well, 1 inaccurate listing out there usually won't make much of a big picture difference anymore, but you can contact mapquest with a request. They should probably implement a better UI for reporting, editing, correcting listings if they want to stay afloat - but at this point they are years behind mapmaker.

Here are the helpful links to report a closed business or error on mapquest:

https://support.mapquest.com/hc/en-us/articles/200481443-Report-a-Closed-Business
https://support.mapquest.com/hc/en-...n-Error-for-Directions-or-Residential-Address

 

[DFoertsch]

Mapquest also has a blog post on the topic, it seems to cover some of your concerns.

How You Manage Your Business on MapQuest Is Changing


It seems they'll be leaning on Localeze to care for changes/corrections to existing listings.

https://support.mapquest.com/hc/en-...-Update-an-existing-business-listing-for-free

I just received the exact same email this morning. My question is, will this be a concern as in like when I move to Charlotte, NC and I need to update my citation info what is this going to equate into that I need to pay YEXT $500.00 in order to correct my NAP info on MapQuest?

I think that this is a legitimate concern for millions of people.


What are you folks thoughts on what I just presented please?


cam

 

[timcapper]

Hi All

I have never had to update Mapquest before for a US business ( I'm UK based ) but they directed me to expressupdate.com.

Simple and painless.