Attack of the Bad Google Local One-Boxes!

[Linda Buquet]

Someone is finally writing about this issue on the organic big brand side of the house. Not as blatant but still glad to see it get more coverage.

Sometimes Google?s Knowledge Graph Highlights Brands For Generic Queries | WebProNews

 

[JoyHawkins]

Another great example - Houston Dentist. The phone # is dead and the url is a parked domain.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Thanks Joy. I posted about that one on the previous page, post #49.

The funny thing is that since so many of these are dead, I think they are previous spammy attempts some SEO did and the method stopped working or the client dropped, so they abandoned the site or whatever.

Now Google dug them back up from the grave. Maybe it's a Halloween joke!

Thanks for reporting to Google too, Joy!

We keep reporting these to Google, to no avail so far.

LOL Joy and Mike are calling these a "Linda-Box" when they report to Google now!

 

[JoyHawkins]

You're right - I just saw that lol. Too many to keep track of. That's sad

 

[Linda Buquet]

Super sad.

For the businesses that are missing, the user AND for Google!

But if this bad result is affecting one of your clients you know how to knock it out if Google does not do anything. Poor business owners would not know what's wrong or what to do, but at least we do.

 

[Daniel C Berman]

For all the data that Google vacuums up, it is really to bad they couldn't chew through bankruptcy proceedings, business licenses applications and renewals, as well as other court proceedings to try and flag businesses that have likely ceased operation and maybe even send an post card to the last known good address to verify if the business is actually still operating and/or if it has moved.

It wouldn't stop the nutty SEO's that are spamming but legitimate businesses normally leave a paper trail in public records that Google should be able to catch up with and at least begin to filter out or at least de-rank businesses that are no longer in operation so that situations like the "Linda Boxes" don't come up.

 

[Dave]

An update: Mike had reminded me of this. I reported a bad PAC result to google local. thru report a problem. Within about 1 week they removed the bad info.

It appears they are responding at times through report a problem or MM.

The volume of these results popping up is a reflection of a very weak older algo that was easily spammed. It would seem that hummingbird resurfaced this old data.

As Daniel above references there is no sense to google maintaining this old crappy information. But they do it. Frankly no other source, directory, or any kind of resource would maintain that type of invalid information.

But google keeps it. Could there be some motive (adsense????) behind keeping this info alive in its indices???

 

[Dave]

Just found this one for a restaurant. the search phrase was alexandria restaurants I searched on it from a pc located in the DC region so it focused on Alexandria, VA:

 

[Scott Rawlins]

I also found this one when searching for Marietta GA Dentists. First one I have found.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Thanks for continuing to post these guys.

Scott I'd try to report that one. Desc reads like a marketing company - maybe a designer trying to rank and sell to a Dentist. No site. Phone is Google voice and address looks like a house, not Dental office.

I smell a scam not a real dentist, and if I remember right you have a Dentist in that city, so I'd try to get it pulled. See my suggestions in post #51.

 

[Dave]

And still one more for a search for:

Pet kennels springfield virginia: https://www.google.com/search?num=1.....0...1c.1.25.serp-shj..2.12.1023.7KvpqtVeSbg

Meanwhile a search for pet kennels near springfield virginia turns up a lot of them.


These types of onebox results had been pushed out of google for a period of time. its a shame to both operators and consumers that they have returned.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Well at least that one is more of a standard onebox for a brand Google thinks is strong for some reason. It's not a pure spam, fake KW name, violation-filled listing - or a dead business.

Interesting that Google thinks that's such a strong match since the home page does not even have a title tag, so you can't say the site is well optimized for that search phrase. And the word kennels is not even on the home page anywhere either. Wonder why G likes that listing so much?

 

[Dave]

Well at least that one is more of a standard onebox for a brand Google thinks is strong for some reason. It's not a pure spam, fake KW name, violation-filled listing - or a dead business.

Interesting that Google thinks that's such a strong match since the home page does not even have a title tag, so you can't say the site is well optimized for that search phrase. And the word kennels is not even on the home page anywhere either. Wonder why G likes that listing so much?

Linda: The two I just found, including the pet boarding one and the restaurant one are simply lousy results: I saw them but haven't looked into them in depth. On a very quick visual overview they didn't seem spammy.

One boxes were a problem going back a number of years. Google seemed to get rid of the issue. With a lot of alternatives in a community its a disservice to consumers to show just a single alternative.

and btw: it kills the competitors. Just kills them. But its primarily a crummy result.

On the other hand if google doesn't stem this, its going to result in a lot of research and then spam down the line....all of which will make for more lousy results.

 

[Linda Buquet]

And still one more for a search for:

Pet kennels springfield virginia: https://www.google.com/search?num=1.....0...1c.1.25.serp-shj..2.12.1023.7KvpqtVeSbg

Dave if you have a vested interest in this one, you could report that the name has city added and is in violation. That's the only reason I can see that the confused brand biased algo gave them a one box.

 

[Silkstream]

Hi Linda,

Its happening here in the UK too. I noticed this about 3-4 weeks ago, but ive only had the chance right now to understand what was happening, Thanks to a helpful lady Miriam from Solas pointing me in your direction. Look at this:


That box in the right-hand side pane sends you to the local result for the top position who have used keywords instead of brand in their local page.

Ive added my comments to your webmaster forum thread.

Is there anything I can do, or do we have to wait this out?

 

[Jo Shaer]

Hi Silkstream

It is a perennial problem here in the UK

Google makes rules. The good guys stick to them. And then they see others who break all those rules being rewarded with super duper rankings.

It doesn't help that Google have also messed up the categories for many local businesses who have followed the rules.

So suddenly businesses that have dominated the 7 pack for years lose the main service that they offer as a category. And until that business gets the new dashboard, there seems to be no way to retrieve the lost category.

As a result, the good guys are totally excluded from ranking for that keyword and replaced by one noobie that has no right to be there.

I always have karma issues with telling tales but if my American cousins think we should be reporting these bad boxes to Google...?

 

[Silkstream]

Thanks for your response Jo. Indeed, I feel much the same.

I too only like to "tell-tales" when it feels we are left with no other option. I actually received a response to this tweet from Matt Cutts last month, which made my day
The UK sees so many AU and NZ results for transactional terms, but a local one too??
The results for that search remain the same, as we know these things are never fixed quickly.

I used Google Map-Maker to report a "suggested edit", company name was a field within this edit. Maybe somebody will pick it up?

 

[Jo Shaer]

Wow, I've never noticed a listing from another country in a UK local search before!!! Will make sure I check the website addresses carefully for the future. Thanks for the heads up!

And a response from Matt Cutts would have had me dancing round the office too.

Let me know how you get on. Earlier in the year I was struggling to get Map Maker to pick up edits but if you can get others to confirm the details of your edit, that seems to help.

I've just seen where you are!!!!

 

[Silkstream]

Really? I'm surprised! A client of ours was pushed from the first page for almost all their keywords at the beginning of this year, in favour of .au .nz and US stores like Macys. Throw in the domain clusters and the romantic relationship between google and amazon and they were left at positions 15-20 for most.

Funnily enough I've just received a generic response from Map Maker:

Thank you for taking time to notify us about an issue with Intensive Driving Courses Southend. We will use your feedback to investigate, verify the correct information and publish any necessary changes.

So I'll be keeping a sharp eye on it!

Yes, we are from the same town haha, what a small world!

---------- Post Merged at 11:49 AM ---------- Previous Post was at 11:36 AM ----------

PS restaurants southbank is another search that will give you crazy local results from australia.

 

[Silkstream]

Another example of a "bad local one box" not a spam page this time, but again, Canada is not very local to the UK...



I've added this one to my tweet thread with Matt Cutts. Hope somebody is picking these up!