Local Search News

If you have followed the any of the local blogs such as this one along with Mike Blumenthal’s, David Mihm’s , and many others;  you know that ever since Google has increased the amount of information required for listings to become verified,  it has come with some consequences. The public has in fact received good data, less spam, and better user experience overall. However,  it has become more difficult for users that represented franchises and companies with multiple locations to verify each location. Rather than receiving a postcard at each business location, users did not receive postcards and thus chose to not verify any location. The time of unverified listings has come to an end.
Yesterday at our first Local Search Summit, which David Mihm will be posting a wrap up on here shortly, Google announced in the final session that they went live with a new feature that allows large franchises and/or any company with 10 or more locations to simply fill out a request form (located here).  Users with multiple locations can now simply plead their case for a verified listing, agree to follow the Local Business Center guidelines and they will receive a yes or no answer shortly after.
This is a big step for Google and I think a much needed one. Users have been screaming for this feature for a long time and Google has come through big time for us. As much constant criticism Google has received for their lack of support for Google Maps (much of which was deserved), they have gone about these changes in the appropriate manner. They had to minimize the verification methods because too many people were taking advantage of the LBC and that was causing too much grief for users. They catered to the majority first (the end user) and then added a great feature for the minority (the large franchises) too make up for it.
Another question that came from the audience yesterday was if Search Marketers could take advantage of this feature. Ari Bezman, Google LBC Product Manager, stated that they are not in the business of mediating who controls the data for the businesses in question. However, what they do need is confirmation from the business via the form that the given LBC account may then have control of those listings.
This is a big, big step in getting large franchises online. Hats off to the Google Maps team for getting this feature launched, doing the right thing, and catering to the need of the larger users in the LBC.