After reading Danny Sullivan’s post about his and Mike Blumenthal’s continued frustration with Google’s Local Business Center and its shortcomings, I went to check the status of my recent attempts to further manage my business listing and its details in Google’s Local Business Center.
I was surprised to learn my listing edits were disapproved for reasons which weren’t fully explained other than through a pop up which said: “This listing does not comply with our policy of allowed terms.”
Policy of Allowed Terms
I haven’t yet been able to locate their policy of allowed terms.
Fortunately and because the Google Local Business Center still has room for improvement – my business listing can be found in a Google or Google Maps search for Advanced Marketing Consultants Nichols Hills, OK.
Google Local Business Center Overview
However, so can my competitor’s “listings”.
I was even more surprised to find information other than data directly related to my business inserted into both the Overview and User Content sections of my business listing by a “consultants directory” which effectively submarines my listing – not once but three times – all with the same “information” from the same “consultants directory”.
Marketing Consultants
I am not sure these are the type of search results Google wanted to see occur when they opened up and allowed “user generated content” within Google Maps – yet these types of results are now appearing there.
How long will it take before every business category gets submarined by directories who spam Google Maps with their “Placemarks” on “Untitled Maps” under the auspices of “user content”?
Placemarks Untitled Maps
I don’t know exactly how Google can stop spammers from generating “Placemarks” on “Untitled Maps” which in turn get published under unsuspecting business owner’s business listings.
Surely though since Google created the “User Content” system – they can also fix it.
Search Marketing Communications 
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