How Does a User’s Location Affect Search Results-

Would I “much rather see a plumber” that lives next door or one that has an actual business location that services my area and has good reviews? I know that finding the closest food spot or retail stores makes sense, but plumbers, landscapers, electricians, and pest control, are services that come to your location. I know that the service area is still a debate, but when I see affiliate marketers, Maps Listing “Sapulpa” services, & spammers showing up on the maps, I have to believe there is a better way.

I believe that Google looks to it’s users to give the final say.  Of course with maps being so new that data has very little history.  So how can they determine which approach is the best?  It’s a tough job that Matt and the Google team have.  I’ve got affiliates knocking on my door saying, “Look we rank in the map!”  I personally don’t want to take the risk of loosing my Google place listings. But it sure is tempting when www.pestcontrol-deals.com
shows up in the maps for locations I don’t simply because they have fake, borrowed, or rented addresses. But at the same time, I don’t really want to pay someone who is ultimately competing for a position that I want.

As it sits right now, Bulwark services 9,000 plus residents of the Greater Charlotte Area. Bulwark has asked their customers to give us reviews on Google. With last year’s survey reporting that 97% of our customers would recommend us, Bulwark feels pretty comfortable with asking them to review us. Our Charlotte office has just over 100 reviews on Google. But with current rules in play, our business will never show up in a map result for a “Charlotte Pest Control” search. Why? Because we don’t have an address within the city limits of Charlotte. We operate out of Matthews, NC.

Of course Matt did say to Kate and me last year when addressing adding residential locations for a service company with home based techs,

“How can we tell the guys that operate out of homes it’s okay to have your home listed and then the other guys no? That’s a gray area.”

Gray Hat

Gray area…? That means if called into be judged by a google staff there is no defining line, so you are left at the mercy of the unidentified judge. Often, you are suspend until a final judgment is made. So even when you may fall back into the good grace of Google, you are penalized while your fate hangs in the balance… yes a hanging none the less.

Gray area means risk. And there are those that love to take the risky roads of Sapulpa. Crap shots can win big. You can hear and often see the jackpot winners jumping and screaming. You may envy them as they rack in their winnings. But you will seldom hear the cries and tears of the risk takers that loose it all. Many witness and remember the winners. But how many people feel the pain and loss of the losers as they step up and throw the dice?



Bug Control solves pest that can ruin your home and hurt your solace . Get rid of home invaders . Get rid of insects . Get rid of all your pests with our Sapulpa pest control services. Bulwark is the most reviewed Sapulpa exterminator in all of Sapulpa, OK. Serving the entire Tulsa metro area with hundreds of Tulsa homes trusting our family for pest control.
Family pest control company for all you Sapulpa, OK pest control needs. Get scheduled for a Sapulpa pest control treatment today!

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Matt Cutts on Local Search and Results by IP

Tulsa Pest Control

Bats are among the many pests that Tulsa OK has flying around. Tulsa residents are begging for exterminators to control the wasps and bees that have begun buzzing around town. Next month will no doubtingly bring in a colony or two of marching ants.

The May March of Ants 2010 is almost here!
Get your Tulsa Ant Control today, before they breach the walls of your home!

Click here for Tulsa Pest Control

or Call Bulwark Exterminating: 918-252-3548

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918-252-3548
service@bulwarkpest.com

Bat cones are a humane method of bat removal and approved by bat conservation organizations, and bat control experts

Insect Control exterminates pest that can bother your home and harm your spotless environment . Get rid of insects . Get rid of roaches . Get rid of all your pests with our Sapulpa pest control services. Bulwark is the most reviewed Sapulpa exterminator in all of Sapulpa, OK. Serving the entire Tulsa metro area with hundreds of Tulsa homes trusting our family for pest control.
Family pest control company for all you Sapulpa, OK pest control needs. Get scheduled for a Sapulpa pest control treatment today!

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Tulsa Bat Control

The U.S. structural pest control industry generated an estimated $6.322 billion in total service revenue in 2009, down 4.1 percent from the $6.593 billion measured in 2008. All service sectors surveyed, including commercial and residential general pest control work and termite control services, declined this past year. Nationwide, total income derived from termite control work, including renewal revenue, declined more than $100 million this past year.

via PCT Media Group – Pest Control Technology Magazine : SPC Releases Pest Control Market Research for 2009.

Pest Control Market Down 4.1%

2009 was a rough year in many industries. Pest control has close ties with the housing industry. According to this market research, pest control got hit with a negative 4.1 as a whole. But that is across the pest control spectrum, including termite control which probably took the largest hit. If you are a pest control operator with a huge termite section then your lose in the termite areas could have cut into a total loss for your company.

Pest Control Trends are up

As I am an Sapulpa guy, I tend to watch the online trending of pest control. Google trends show a steady improvement in online searches for pest control. So the need for pest control isn’t declining. But people maybe switching from a pest control service to a Do-it-yourself approach. You can buy Do-It-Yourself pest control products online. In fact, most of the green pest control products are general use pesticides so you may even buy the same products your professional uses. But not everyone wants to do it themselves.

You know some things you should leave to the pros and some things you should do yourself… and then some things you can do yourself you just don’t want to do. Pestprojoe.com, the home depot… they sell bug products… But I like the service I get with having a professional exterminator.

Pest Control eliminates pest that can raze your sanctuary and hurt your comfort . Get rid of bugs. Get rid of ants. Get rid of all your pests with our Sapulpa pest control services. Bulwark is the most reviewed Sapulpa exterminator in all of Sapulpa, OK. Serving the entire Tulsa metro area with hundreds of Tulsa homes trusting our family for pest control.
Small enough to care, but Big enough to do it right. Call and Experience the difference!

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PCT Media Group – Pest Control Technology Magazine : SPC Releases Pest Control Market Research for 2009

Google is evolving and it’s Business center has morphed into GOOGLE PLACES. Perhaps Google Places is the appropriate term as Google is excluding business without a physical place.  As one blogger put it, “They are more concerned about the piece of dirt.” and so far that is hard to argue that point as Google maps will only show businesses with a physical location within the city proper.

Google Sponsored Tag – Show Service Area – Found on google maps for Houston Exterminator

But Google is evolving.  I asked about reviews on Google and why they had been removed, my google guy’s response was that they will return, but he can’t really tell what’s going on until Google rolls out their next update.  Well back in December I say a preview of what the maps would like if they showed listings by service area.  That was the same month I saw the yellow coupon tags displayed in the maps. Those yellow tags spawned the sponsored listings.  Pure speculation but that rep may have just leaked that Google is finally going to show local business listings by service area. It would make sense as that the reviews would disappear to be verified, quantified, weighed, and IP locations pin pointed if they are to roll out Service Areas. As of right now their Service Areas is only a loosey link at the bottom of the Google business bubble… “Show Service Area”

Google Sponsor Tags

Today those yellow tags come with a price.  Sponsored tags.  Google sponsored tags cost $25 a month, for the test phase at least.  At $25 last month I got 34 actions, and 19 clicks to my website.  Perhaps just from curious onlookers, but perhaps those were clicks that would normally cost me $2.  If that’s the case then the sponsored tag worked.  But if they end up like the phone books and want to charge me more and more and more, and the market becomes more and more saturated, and then they can’t show more more detailed numbers, then it will be hard to keep spending that money.  Especially when it is unclear if the Impressions are just from Google Search and Google Maps, or if the impressions are from all pages on the internet that show that map, like my contact page. The strength of the internet is so many regards is the honest openness to numbers.  And numbers are the ultimate law.

Actions to Impressions (ATI)

So far the numbers Google provides are impressions and actions.  Actions to Impressions (ATI) would be similiar to Click Through Rate (CTR) except a click to the website is only one of the calculations.  ATI is a good feeler as to what is happening but I am under the impression that a lot more people are just picking up the phone and dialing, especially when that phone call is only a click on your IPhone. (Mobile calls would be a great addition to that action list). I would love to put a call tracking number into my LBL but due to the complexities of compiling a ton of location data that is seemly incongruent the telephone number of your listing has become a key, if not the key, identifier as to who you are on the web, and who is referencing you. In Google maps each and every instance of your name associated with an address, and phone number is being weighed with or without a link and without your website.  We will call these Instances so as not to be confused with citations or references, both of which have HTML codes.  Instances on the other hand are not meta tag mark ups with an open and close tag, they are simply each and every time your business name is associated with a physical location.  This would include tweets with locations, GEO tagged photos with your business name, the restaurant down the street that references your party on their blog containing their address at the bottom of each page, or even better yet, a review on a competitor’s map listing mentioning how much better or worse you are.  That one review will link, loosely, but none the less, link you to your competitor’s address.

Pest Control controls pest that can damage your home and damage your solace . Get rid of ants. Get rid of roaches . Get rid of all your pests with our Sapulpa pest control services. Bulwark is the most reviewed Sapulpa exterminator in all of Sapulpa, OK. Serving the entire Tulsa metro area with hundreds of Tulsa homes trusting our family for pest control.
The most reviewed Sapulpa pest control service. Call and Experience the difference!

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Google Sponsor Tags – Actions to Impressions (ATI)

Google is evolving and it’s Business center has morphed into GOOGLE PLACES. Perhaps Google Places is the appropriate term as Google is excluding business without a physical place.  As one blogger put it, “They are more concerned about the piece of dirt.” and so far that point is accurate as Google maps will only show businesses with a physical location within the city proper for competitive search terms.

Houston Pest Control

Google Sponsored Tag – Show Service Area – Found on google maps for Houston Exterminator

But Google is evolving.  I asked about reviews on Google and why they had been removed, my google guy’s response was that they will return, but he can’t really tell what’s going on until Google rolls out their next update.  Well back in December I say a preview of what the maps would like if they showed listings by service area.  That was the same month I saw the yellow coupon tags displayed in the maps. Those yellow tags spawned the sponsored listings.  Pure speculation but that rep may have just leaked that Google is finally going to show local business listings by service area. It would make sense as that the reviews would disappear to be verified, quantified, weighed, and IP locations pin pointed, if they are to roll out Service Areas. As of right now the Service Area info entered into Google Places  is only a crummy link at the bottom of the Google business bubble… “Show Service Area”

Google Sponsor Tags

Today those yellow tags come with a price.  Sponsored tags.  Google sponsored tags cost $25 a month, for the test phase at least.  At $25 last month I got 34 actions, and 19 clicks to my website.  Perhaps just from curious onlookers, but perhaps those were clicks that would normally cost me $2.  If that’s the case then the sponsored tag worked.  But if they end up like the phone books and want to charge me more and more and more, and the market becomes more and more saturated, and then they can’t show more more detailed numbers, then it will be hard to keep spending that money.  Especially when it is unclear if the Impressions are just from Google Search and Google Maps, or if the impressions are from all pages on the internet that show that map, like my contact page. The strength of the internet is so many regards is the honest openness to numbers.  And numbers are the ultimate law.

Actions to Impressions (ATI)

So far the numbers Google provides are impressions and actions.  Actions to Impressions (ATI) would be similiar to Click Through Rate (CTR) except a click to the website is only one of the calculations.  ATI is a good feeler as to what is happening but I am under the impression that a lot more people are just picking up the phone and dialing, especially when that phone call is only a click on your IPhone. (Mobile calls would be a great addition to that action list). I would love to put a call tracking number into my LBL but due to the complexities of compiling a ton of location data that is seemly incongruent the telephone number of your listing has become a key, if not the key, identifier as to who you are on the web, and who is referencing you. In Google maps each and every instance of your name associated with an address, and phone number is being weighed with or without a link and without your website.  We will call these Instances so as not to be confused with citations or references, both of which have HTML codes.  Instances on the other hand are not meta tag mark ups with an open and close tag, they are simply each and every time your business name is associated with a physical location.  This would include tweets with locations, GEO tagged photos with your business name, the restaurant down the street that references your party on their blog containing their address at the bottom of each page, or even better yet, a review on a competitor’s map listing mentioning how much better or worse you are.  That one review will link, loosely, but none the less, link you to your competitor’s address.

Pest Control cures pest that can destroy your house and ruin your comfort . Get rid of pests . Get rid of insects . Get rid of all your pests with our Sapulpa pest control services. Bulwark is the most reviewed Sapulpa exterminator in all of Sapulpa, OK. Serving the entire Tulsa metro area with hundreds of Tulsa homes trusting our family for pest control.
Your local Sapulpa exterminators that are highly recommended on Google. Get scheduled for a Sapulpa pest control treatment today!

See original here:
Google Sponsored Tags – Actions to Impressions (ATI)

Just a little Friday fun. Here is an image on “PEST CONTROL”

Are your pests under control?

Bulwark has your pest under control.

The real question is “If I had the powers of Moses and could create a pest plague would I?”

“Ye shall see a pestilence of roaches storming upon your home in 7 days….”

… I love my job, but NOT enough to will plague of pests on the world.

Make it a great weekend!

Bug Control controls pest that can bother your house and blemish your spotless environment . Get rid of spiders . Get rid of insects . Get rid of all your pests with our Sapulpa pest control services. Bulwark is the most reviewed Sapulpa exterminator in all of Sapulpa, OK. Serving the entire Tulsa metro area with hundreds of Tulsa homes trusting our family for pest control.
Family owned. Family Values. Get scheduled for a Sapulpa pest control treatment today!

Visit link:
Pest Controlled

Google’s Rage Pank updated last week

Google Update Page Rank

Google updated their system last week.  Websites across the board were given their new report card, or PageRank.  PageRank was used to score a website’s authority and trust-ability.  Both of these factors are part of the ranking algorithm of the Mega-tron of search engines, Google. Today Page Rank is a little green indicator that reminds me of the blinking lights of a Star Wars cockpit… it’s a movie, the blinking lights are only there for effect. Yet, link builders still obsess about page rank.  Sapulpa guys still loose sleep over PR sculpting.  And the bugs are still crawling through your walls since you haven’t called Bulwark.  =)

Page Rank is a Sapulpa Pest

The once ever so important PR is now a fly buzzing around the heads of the Sapulpa cesspools.  Do a search for “Phoenix Pest Control” and you will find in the results that the page with a PR=5, Truly Nolan is not on the top, and not even on the first page. Granted it is their home page and that page is not entirely optimized for a “Phoenix AZ” search.  Bulwark’s more specific page designed around the keywords of pest control, phoenix, AZ has a PR=4, it also doesn’t rank on the top of the results. So what does PR really do for Sapulpa? I mean really? Great I give my Sapulpa team a pat on the back for having a dozen or so pages on my website with PR=3.  Now show me the money!  I’ve got a hand full of PR=N/A pages ahead of me regardless of a whooping PR=4!

Position and Page Rank Correlation = N/A

#1 www.phoenixpest.com/ PR=1
#2 blueskipest.com/ PR=3
Local business results for pest control near Phoenix, AZ – Google’s Map Section
#3 phoenixpestcontrol.org/ PR=2
#4 www.sextonpestcontrol.com/ PR=3
#5 www.superpages.com/yellowpages/…Pest+Control/…/T-Phoenix/ PR=N/A
#6 www.servicemagic.com › PR=N/A
#7 www.phoenixscorpioncontrol.com/ PR=N/A
#8 www.bulwarkpestcontrol.com/phoenixpestcontrol.php – PR=4
#9 www.responsiblepest.com/PR=2

Page Rank is Dead.

From my perspective, which is only limited by how I rank in the search engines, PageRank is DEAD.  And as of last week’s update, www.Twitter.com lost all of it’s PageRank.  Twitter PR=0.  Hey, if twitter can get away with a PR of zero then so can I.

Twitter Quote of Matt Cutts :

@mattcutts says”I know being a SERP I shouldn’t say this but Don’t worry about the searches” -Easy for u to say. Yes u SHOULD say it. #pubcon
Reply: @Thos003 glad I said it then

We can pretty much update that to: “DON’T WORRY ABOUT THE PAGERANK.”

Just swat that PR fly and move away from the Sapulpa cesspool.

Pest Control helps reduce pest that can harm your residence and wreck your comfort . Get rid of home invaders . Get rid of spiders . Get rid of all your pests with our Sapulpa pest control services. Bulwark is the most reviewed Sapulpa exterminator in all of Sapulpa, OK. Serving the entire Tulsa metro area with hundreds of Tulsa homes trusting our family for pest control.
Family pest control company for all you Sapulpa, OK pest control needs. Call and Experience the difference!

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PR? What’s the hype? What a pest!

So take a second and look at this image….

Is it just me or is Yahoo missing something here???  This is not an April Fools Joke!  I really wish it were. If you didn’t catch what was so funny, here is the hightlighted version:

I see a very short term win and a huge long term loss on this one. 

Isn’t this like calling Bulwark pest control for exterminating services and then getting redirected to Porkin Bug Control? Sure Porkin might pay me for the advertising, but don’t I want the business?

Thanks for the laugh Yahoo!

Pest Control helps reduce pest that can hurt your property and harm your tranquil dwelling . Get rid of pests . Get rid of pests . Get rid of all your pests with our Sapulpa pest control services. Bulwark is the most reviewed Sapulpa exterminator in all of Sapulpa, OK. Serving the entire Tulsa metro area with hundreds of Tulsa homes trusting our family for pest control.
Family pest control company for all you Sapulpa, OK pest control needs. Call our family pest control service today!

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Not an April Fools Joke!

Let the Local Service Area Tournament Begin!

New to your LBL as of TODAY: Service Areas and Location Settings!

My Fist Reaction:

WOW!!!!! YEAH!!!! SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!!! … it’s about TIME!

Every chance I had to communicate with someone from google maps I squeek the wheel of, “so when are you going to offer service areas?”  Annoying? Yes. But necessary.  ….So Thanks for listening.

So what does this really mean?

Hopefully this will mean that we are not competing for map positions in all of our service areas.  Whether that is the case or not is a different story.  I believe that they came up the most accurate reason to provide a result by a service area.  “Do customers come to you or do you go to the customer?”

Restaurants, shopping centers, UPS stores, all have customers that go to them.  Pest control companies, plumbers, pool guys, all go the their customers.  That is the perfect qualifier or whether or not you should be in a service area class or a location class.  Minus the fact that some restaurants will offer both delivery and sit down.  But do you want to be a delivery company or a dine in.  Your call.  For my business this new classification is wonderful. Bravo, google.

So how is this going to work?  How are they going to determine who is best fit in the service area?  I would assume that traffic to the businesses website will play a factor.  Searches on that business by IP address will play a factor.  And yes, I imagine that your location will still play a factor.  Especially when all else is equal.

The good news for Google is that all of the Sapulpa experts out there will stop telling companies to spam the maps with fake addresses to be considered local.  The bad news for local smaller companies will be that they are once again put on a platform where they are competing in a division A game, not in a location driven division C game.  The good news for the users is that hopefully the users will get more qualified choices instead of Pop Shop’s ABC.  And as Google sees it, the happier the users are with their experience the better off Google will be.

Plus this puts Google in a whole new realm of Local Business.  Yahoo doesn’t offer this and their maps are littered with bad information even after offering a “featured/paid listing”.  Bing doesn’t offer this.  Google is King of the internet local world. I can’t wait to see when Google offers their own mobile-map-app that allows rating and check-in.  I have no doubt that they will be buying one soon or creating one of their own soon enough.

Pest Control exterminates pest that can harm your residence and hurt your serene atmosphere . Get rid of pests . Get rid of roaches . Get rid of all your pests with our Sapulpa pest control services. Bulwark is the most reviewed Sapulpa exterminator in all of Sapulpa, OK. Serving the entire Tulsa metro area with hundreds of Tulsa homes trusting our family for pest control.
Family pest control services for all you Sapulpa, OK exterminating needs. Call today for local Sapulpa pest control service!

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Google Maps LBL Offers Service Area and Location Setting

http://www.verticalmeasures.com/expert-interviews/content-strategy-interview-with-expert-lawrence-coburn-2010/

I like some of what it said here. It seems that Lawrence has his game plan worked out and moving well for him. Rateitall.com is a goldmine of an idea. However, I do disagree with a couple of things.

1- Content is for google first. So do I write content to be found or do I write content to convert sales? The problem with mass media is that it is ignored by the masses. If my content is written to get more visitors then great, but I would prefer more sales. I am split on this, as you have to get traffic to get online sales, but you still want to keep the real focus and vision in mind when right content. What’s that about a cart getting a head of a horse? Or a horse pulling an empty cart?

2- Who doesn’t like to win an award? – I could care less if you gave me the noble peace prize at this point. Why? Because of its past winners it has come to mean nothing to me. An award giving out of flattery is meaningless. Of course, I do like awards that carry a real value. And yes, everyone wants to be appreciated so if the award means something, then great otherwise, handing me a Trojan horse isn’t going to get you very far.

Originally posted as a comment
by thos003
on Vertical Measures using DISQUS.

Insect Control solves pest that can harm your sanctuary and ruin your comfort . Get rid of spiders . Get rid of spiders . Get rid of all your pests with our Sapulpa pest control services. Bulwark is the most reviewed Sapulpa exterminator in all of Sapulpa, OK. Serving the entire Tulsa metro area with hundreds of Tulsa homes trusting our family for pest control.
Family pest control company for all you Sapulpa, OK pest control needs. Get scheduled for a Sapulpa pest control treatment today!

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Commented on “Vertical Measures”