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Bear in mind that this is still a beta--it'll keep getting better. I suspect the city vs. ZIP codes have slightly different centroids listed, so that could account for small differences..
Understood completely. I assume what furthers the challenge is multiple zip codes in the same city -- that's when zip code-based searches could differ substantially from city name-based searches. I guess we'll be watching to see how this gets sorted out.
I have 3 websites with local business directory information. All together, they have over 1,000 pages, all "hand built" and human edited with tens of 1,000s of business listings and new ones coming in every day. (I add them for free with no obligation).
I am trying to figure out if this new feature will be a positive event for my websites or a negative one. ON the one hand, Google is offering the same information I have provided (in my different topical categories = no hotel listings either); but on the other hand, my website is often prominently displayed with the web results listings presented by the local search.
Anyone care to hazard a theory as to how this might impact my sites?
In one of the news articles I found on Google News related to this matter, Local Search Online advertising is expected to grow to $2.5 billion
So now I am just discumbobulated in trying to figure out if I am fortunate to be a part of this or if this new feature means total disaster.
Thank You for any insight. GG, any thoughts?
Alina
PS: On Sunday, my Google SERPs across 1,000s of diffent 3,4 and 5 kw possibilities just died and my traffic dropped by 75 percent. With today's release of local search, I find that a strange and disturbing coincidence. It might be temporary, though, as I see the SERPs change several times a week.
Well. you could run adsense or something like that, incase you haven't yet.
btw, welcome to WebmasterWorld, sweet_ali.
Hey GG, can you give all my competitors my URL? That would be great! (kidding of course)
My question is how "local" is the search? I'm in a fairly populated area with many cities within the same local area. So if I search with my actual city name I'm there, but how many others will I show up for?
More directly, is this thing tied into some sort of GIS system? Something like what MapQ--- uses to locate or give directions?
If so, are you guys hiring? I've got a degree in that stuff! ;o)
am trying to figure out if this new feature will be a positive event for my websites or a negative one. ON the one hand, Google is offering the same information I have provided (in my different topical categories = no hotel listings either); but on the other hand, my website is often prominently displayed with the web results listings presented by the local search.Anyone care to hazard a theory as to how this might impact my sites?
I will try, since my clients are in the same boat.
You have a problem and an opportunity, both.
The problem is, this is where people are going to go. The opportunity is that many, many businesses do not need a web site. They just need a directory listing that Google and Yahoo can find. Yellow Pages can offer that, but who needs them now?
Therefore, your listing has value. But, can you go from free to fee? It's difficult. What you might do, however, is to use your directory as a base, then offer its members enhancements. On your directory, for example, you can offer all of the same info, but having a web site url would cost x. At the same time, offer to administer whatever Y and G might offer for a fee.
The problem my clients are facing is that this isn't the biz they are in, so what to do with this opportunity? I'm trying to start a conversation with the local newspaper. But, they're clueless right now. (It's too early.)
Also noticed that all the sites in the serps had a comma after the city name on the indexed pages. Other sites that I would have thought would be listed either didn't have an address on their site ( of coarse it wouldn't be listed in that case) or didn't have a comma after the city name.
You wrote: "We generate this data from multiple sources, including Yellow Pages data as well as from the web. The web gives us more comprehensiveness whereas the Yellow Pages gives us more precision."
By "generate data from the web" do you mean the business address and phone number is extracted from another web page as seems to be the case from a couple of examples I tested? This is problematic as it's done without permission or even attribution.
The data from Yellow Pages, Google has presumably licensed. But re-presenting data collected from a web site without permission deprives the source web site of credit, page views, and potential revenue - among other things.
As webmasters we welcome search engines crawling our web sites with the understanding that it's used to help people come to our sites and not so search engines consolidate and republish our data (even if for the convenience of the end user) and reap financial benefit from that to boot.
Some of the things I've read about what Microsoft is trying to do with web search (integrating it into all desktop applications) raises the same red flags for me as far as repackaging and reusing web data without attribution or consent.
I hope Google clarifies what it's doing if I'm misunderstanding it, and addresses it if I'm not.
Note that you can type in an exact address and that will give you more precise answers. I just tried that a few minutes ago, and using an exact address changed my results for searches (and the results were a little more precise). So I'd go for an exact address if you want the best results.
Their address is not ever shown in the phone listing or the ad.
I know a lot of people that are going to have a freakin heart attack when they discover this.
Ooops!
<added>pele, sounds a little weird that a business would advertise in yellow pages but wouldn't want its address listed? What industry is this? The FAQ does talk about where to write if someone want to delete their listing though.</added>
That kind of messes us up though! We won't be in the regular searches then either unless you separate the bots into a regular and local directory bot?
I also run a local info site and right now my site is coming up right under most of the searches when someone types "city state". It's fine if they use the regular google search but when they use the local google I'm toast.
Also... many of these yellow page listings are people who don't have websites and are completely clueless about anything to do with computers and the internet.
HOW? What subject title to use so it doesn't get lost? That's what I wanted to do.
thanks!
I've seen the link where one is able to send in a request to be listed. I myself own a "from home" run business, very related to sites I already own...and I'll soon have the .INFO site for the business.
Thus, considering what's been mentioned about folks having their home address and such listed, how would Google approach something like a PO Box? 'That is, a PO Box registered in the Business' name?
Would this be acceptable?
Thanks for your quick reply, but let me be more specific with my question. If you search for "NY Pizza" in Palo Alto, CA:
<snip>
My question is whether a) that address and phone is *always* gotten from some Yellow Pages data that Google has licensed, or b) that address might have been extracted from one of the "related" web pages (e.g. the menuchannel.com site in that search)? I only have a problem if the latter.
[edited by: Brett_Tabke at 11:35 am (utc) on Mar. 26, 2004]
[edit reason] no specific searches or info [/edit]
Multiple word searches in this new local search don't work.
Let's say I just got arrested for drunk driving in Florida. (hiccup)
I do a search for the closest ‘dui lawyer’ in zip code ‘33308’
Instead of lawyer pages I get traffic school pages.
<snip>
A search in a different large city for the same phrase 'dui lawyer' brought back zero results.
<snip>
Should I use these search engines rather than Google? Are they better search engines than Google or others because they are more local to me? Are they even search engines?
This seems like grand folly, and maybe there is gold at the end of that thar rainbow in a few months or years, but it would sure be nice if Google fixed the primary Google search engine in the interim to allow local mom and pop sites back (after Florida filter) before creating more rocket science that is exploding on the launch pad.
[edited by: Brett_Tabke at 11:35 am (utc) on Mar. 26, 2004]
[edit reason] please review the tos. [/edit]
..I certainly want more info than I can find in a phone book. I am trying to think what kind of biz doesn't need a site. Help me out here.
Tree services, auto repair shops, shoe repair, plumbers, locksmiths--they all buy YP ads, but they all say the same thing.
Everyone needs a web presence, but not a web site. Indeed, thanks to G and Y, a powerful local directory listing is now more valuable than a static web page.
My friend with the used books store has a e-commerce site. Does well with it. But, she can't compete on G and Y on "books." But, thanks to her directory listing, with a local search she pops up among the top listings along with Borders and Barnes & Noble.
G and Y both have some work to do, but us ol' timers remember back in the day, when even search was pretty weak. (Keep in mind that AdSense is year old next month.)
Our US directory (UK Hosted) is showing top in the normal SERPS but when we look at the "Local Results" and the "Related Web Pages" our site is no where to be seen. Do I now need the site to be hosted in the US?
switchboard.com seem to have done very well out of this.
What is it about combining multiple sources of data and geocoding web pages from across the web that reminds you of cats?
Regards...jmcc
Of course, this wouldn't be so critical if the regular results I got back weren't useless spammy garbage, the adwords on the side weren't all about a city in a different state with the same name as mine (despite my specifying my state in the search), or any shoe stores were listed in my town's ODP category. But those things being the case, I was surprised and pleased to see the local results offered as an alternative. :-D Two thumbs up over here.
