Local Search 100 (101 is for next time)...

This article concerns what I have observed about local search engines which now number in the low fifties. As I mentioned in my last blog, it's not local search if it's not authoritative. There are three reasons why no one (except FindItByMe.com) is very happy to carry unverified data:

1. Web statistics = sales potential for web-only advertisers.


2. Non-paying business owners have no leverage against social networkers who can torpedo and sand bag at will for which the business owner has no recourse (except in a limited way by Yelp).


3. The public has grown accustomed to putting up with outdated, inaccurate and unreliable data.

Web statistics are the great lever against which a local search engine can exercise price points for advertisers looking for a lot of page views. The more page views, the more money the Typical Local Search Engine gets. There is no real business reason to ever clean up your data. You can act concerned and put a "Claim This Listing" button next to each business you display, but this is meaningless in practice. The more page views you can mislead someone into viewing in their vain attempt to find what they were looking for, the better it is for you and the web-only advertisers.

The social networking craze has made it even better for the Typical Local Search Engine by allowing reviews and ratings to be applied to any and all local businesses. Now the humble searcher of local establishments is treated to a shouting contest between a businesses' supporters and detractors. Even if a business could "Claim This Listing" and post replies to refute the negative comments, the comments are picked up by search engines and are part of the record forever. In any case, social networking means more page views which means more advertising banners and links for web-only/non-local advertisers.

The public's acceptance of inaccurate and misleading information is the biggest tragedy. It allows the Typical Local Search Engine to continue on their path of page views = $$$ with no regard to real local search whatsoever.

A business owner always has a large personal, financial and physical investment in the success of their business. Bad comments and negative press are sometimes warranted, but only if a sincere effort has been made to bring the matter to the attention of the business owner and there is no recourse left. I lay the blame squarely at the foot of the "free" search engine which uses unverified data to drive traffic to their sites and then sell ad space based on the statistics.

Business owners should not be tempted to find all these various search engines and submit their current information. It only helps drive business to other advertisers and allows you to be a target for malicious social networkers. Regrettably, the folks who post good comments can never override the effects of the negative ones.

In my next blog, I'll demonstrate clearly how to avoid this trap and be properly represented.

It's Not Local Search if It's Not Authoritative

I just found another local search engine that says it has 13 million listings for the US. In fact, you can buy a list for a state for a flat fee. I was tempted, but then I tried to see how the good the data is. I did a search for "avocado" for Fallbrook, CA and it came back with no results found. I also tried some business names which I know to exist, but nothing found. I did some category searches for restaurants, and two of them have been out of business for over two years. Another replay of roll-your-own search.

What I don't get about all these people is how they expect a local business person who has never heard of them to log into their web site and then authenticate their listing. That might work for a business that does exist and the owner just "happens" to find every possible search engine in existence that would allow them to log in and correct their information. But what if a business moves or ceases operation? Do you think the owner of the now defunct operation will go to all the trouble to update every single search entity with the fact that he no longer exists? This expectation is silly at best and tragic at worst.

There is still only one way for this to work, and that there has to be people on the ground in each locale that is responsible for keeping the database accurate. I really can't understand how it can be any other way. You can dress up functionality on the site any way you want, but without authoritative data, it really is useless. And that goes not only for listing data, but GIS data as well. Not keeping up with street re-alignments and other surface changes is absolutely essential to a well-kept search engine. If anybody in search land disagrees with me, please give me a convincing argument for not having accurate data. I'm really anxious to hear it.