Hijacking Google Local / Maps

[neildt]

I've seen a number of domains (one in particular) for the hotel industry that has hijacked hotel listings for Google maps. Basically when searching for the "hotel name city" as a example this domain now replaces the hotel's official site; at the top of the organic search next to the Google map.

Has anyone else seen similar instances ?

[anallawalla]

Yes, it happens from time to time, often owing to bugs at the Google end. My client bank had a problem two years ago where many of its ATM listings actually contained the location and name of a rival bank! The solution was to delete our listings and re-upload them. While it solved that problem, we still have defunct locations, complete with a 2009 StreetView "confirming" the bank's existence, when the branch closed down in 2010 and moved elsewhere. Very hard to remove them, in spite of having business contacts at Google Maps (in Sydney).

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