Google Local Business Center Updates?

Do they do this regularly or where are they going with this?

[johncory]

I've started registering all of my clients' brick-and-mortar businesses with all the various local-search sites as part of their SEO and site-building.

In the case of Google Local it looks like it might really be worth the effort (all that control over what you can disclose for free). . . if they ever update it!

OK, so it's only been a month and I know that they say it could take anywhere from 2 - 6 weeks but . . . Does anyone know if they do this regularly? I'm certainly not going to stop keeping everyone's contact info legit if they don't but it would be nice to know so I could give people the heads-up and stop checking every day.

[bostonBeans]

We have been doing this for our clients for several months now (since mid/late October) and we have seen 2 updates to the local index during that time.

-bB

[eWhisper]

The data providers send Google info approximately every 30 days. It seems that after they receive this info, then they do an info update.

There have been a few times it's taken much longer than 30 days for info to update, and sometimes a bit shorter.

However, the info will be updated - just make sure the information is upto date with all the local search engines and data providers and your info will eventually be updated.

[johncory]

Thanks, bb, good to know.

I'm going to go ahead and post urls for people who might be searching for this:

Google Local :: [google.com...]

Yahoo Listings :: [listings.local.yahoo.com...]

MapQuest ::? (people still use mapquest?)

of course, [DMOZ.org...]

Any others will be appreciated. Thanks.

[bostonBeans]

Some others to consider:

Superpages.com :: [my.superpages.com...]

InfoUSA :: [list.infousa.com...]

Acxiom :: [bcb.acxiom.com...]

Yellowikis :: [yellowikis.org...]

You can also add detailed information to existing listings in the Amazon Yellow Pages.

[earlpearl]

Geez:

I don't have the update information but we had a significant number of uses of MSN local last year...considerably higher on a volume basis than Y and higher on a percentage basis than G. I would update MSN also.

maybe someone else has the contact info.

Dave

[johncory]

Huh, I didn't even know that there was an MSN Local. Although we've had great SEO traction with MSN, much better than Google or Yahoo . . . the traffic received has, paradoxically, not been that hot and I hate looking at MSN anything. Too many ads.

Anybody have an "add your business" url for this? The interface at [local.msn.com...] is really not fun.

[bostonBeans]

I think local.msn.com is powered by City Search, so you would need to be listed there. Their non-advertiser listings are provided by InfoUSA.

MSN's 'other' local search service is at local.live.com. I have not spent much time looking at the results so I am not sure how they are seeding their local database at this point. It may just be the City Search results with a different look.

[Chicago]

>>how they are seeding

Amacai - an important addition to this list.

You can also hit it here (but not at the expense of Amacai: [feedback.search.msn.com...]

Also there is:
TrueLocal
RegisterLocal
Local.com
InsiderPages
Judy's Book
amongst others.

[DontCopyMe]

Hi, you can submit your site to MSN Local through two options:
www.webfinder.com who display PPC results at the top and sides of the page
www.thomsonlocal.com who display their business listings through the main body of results (free listings too)

Thats in the UK.

Cheers

[bostonBeans]

FYI - our latest batch of additions/updates to Google Local went live today. The Business Center does not reflect the update, but they are in the index.

-bB

[johncory]

I noticed the same sort of thing, bb . . .

I found that one of my listings from one account has gone live but still reads "Awaiting next update," while all the listings from my other account have still not gone live and also still read "Awaiting next update." Very confusing. For a while I thought I might have been doing something wrong.

Maybe it has something to do with their switching of their programming but I'm not going to profess to have any kind of insight on that crystal ball.

[nvautier]

It looks like both local live & local msn shared the same data at one point.

I have a site listed incorrectly in both local msn & microsofts new local live

It is listed correctly in InfoUSA & CitySearch.

The only place it is listed with the same incorrect spelling is in MerchantCircle.

I have submitted a change request to local live. Will let everyone know if the change happens in both the old and the new local search engines.