So here's an update on my company SEO nightmare - Local.com IS in partnership with Yext, which I already knew was not a company I would ever EVER deal with. I had, of course asked that question when I first interviewed local.com. They lied and said local.com had nothing to do with Yext. Now they are sharing documents and reporting that they are, in fact, partner businesses.
Well no wonder things went south fast!
To add to the joys, one of my clients unwittingly had his business' profile taken hostage. It seems to trace back to eLocalProfiles.com. They created a landing page and YouTube video, unathorized, went live with it, then started creating profiles all over the web with it...basically forcing him to pay eLocal/ elocalprofiles to get any ownership of the content, leads, etc. They have yet to ever respond.
Other companies are doing similar programs, each with a pay-per-call program. Thus, instead of driving traffic to his website and/or getting free calls to his company based on solid SEO and/or directory listings, he is having to pay random companies for leads on phone numbers he never authorized.
Now, I've just found that another company has taken over his Google Business Places web link and profile.
The web is not a friendly place these days.
If you, too, need to write "clear" notes to some offenders that we are dealing with, here are a few contact names and addresses. I find that contacting the "General Counsel" is usually effective.
LocalSplash.com
3540 Howard Way | Costa Mesa, CA 92626
RelevantAds
3540 Howard Way | Costa Mesa, CA 92626
eLocal Listing
28765 Single Oak Drive, Suite 250
Temecula, CA 92590
Local Corporation7555 Irvine Center DriveIrvine, CA 92618
Yext Office
75 9th Ave, 8th Fl
New York, NY, 10011
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Before I ever recommend or 'let' my clients use a new service, I test it with my own business.
I am glad I do, as none of my clients should have to face the nightmare I am facing from testing Local.com.
There are a number of businesses claiming to help you with your SEO by getting you listed on a lot of different directories. These directory listings are supposed to help you with your Search Engine Optimization, and make it easy for people to find your business.
Some of the services are Yext, CityGrid and Local.com.
Yext I do not recommend.
CityGrid I do not recommend, esp. as they are actually doing a pay-per-click, like Search Engine Marketing (like Google ads), but in what is supposed to be the free or "organic/natural" area. This goes completely against Google's model...and Google knows this is happening. I anticipate it won't be long before the punishment of CityGrid begins. I don't want my clients caught up in that, nor do I want them to pay for what is supposed to be free.
My main message today is to share that I would suggest everyone to AVOID LOCAL.COM.
​After putting together wrong information about my business, not using the information I repeatedly provided to them and very strong objections to their placeholder images and the request that they, in fact, use the images I repeatedly provided to them...against my explicit direction, they went live with the wrong information and the bad pictures.
After calling them on this, I would get one story after another, but they have all proven false.
We Will Rebuild
Years spent building our online presence has been undone in a matter of moments by Local.com.
We will rebuild. Better. Stronger. Faster.
Better us than you.
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Thanks to Google Alerts, I saw that a YouTube video and a directory listing were made about my client...with the wrong phone number. Upon digging deeper, I learned that YellowBook hires elocalprofiles to create directory listings and videos for clients...using the phone number that YellowBook uses to track (and charge) calls to their customers.
I've been uncomfortable from the start with customers and potential customers not having my client's real phone number. But if it's just in the phone book (and, possibly, at Yellowbook.com), I was willing to let it go, if it was actually generating sales.
This, however, is unacceptable and, I would argue, unethical.
My client invests in SEO. We work hard to be consistent and to have profiles and listings, legitimate link building - we even have a new video plan ready to be launched. Yellowbook does NOT have my client's authorization to post web pages or create listings or videos or anything on his behalf. Especially, when it is providing contradictory information (the phone number) which gets cached, limits our ability to post profiles on these same directories AND will cost him money if anyone calls via that number. And if he cancels his arrangement with Yellowbook? Folks have a phone number that goes to another company...even one of his competitors.
When I called elocalprofiles.com, the customer service person initially said he couldn't do anything, as Yellowbook had contracted the service. After repeatedly explaining why that wasn't good enough, he said he'd 'make a request' to have the page taken down or the number corrected to my client's actual phone number.
How can a company be allowed to create profiles and listings for a company they don't own, with wrong information, for the purpose of making money for themselves, and the actual business owner not have any rights to have the information taken down, corrected and to have to fight to have the customer service person say 'I'll see if we can do anything?'
(For Technorati followers, this claim code should look familiar BRTKR67MUADA. Don't know what I'm talking about? Don't worry about it!)
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A Passion for Lists
H. Allen Smith (1907-1976), noted American journalist, once said, “The human animal differs from the lesser primates in his passion for lists”.
I would have to agree – we do love our lists! Some of us have bucket lists, a lot of them still in progress. Or you can buy a readymade bucket list like 1000 Places to Visit Before you Die. There are all sorts of books with lists and even a series called the Book of Lists. Also there are wildly popular online lists like Craig’s List or Angie’s List.
We make lists when we go shopping for groceries or Christmas presents. We make a list when we are planning a long vacation. When we are peeved we make mental lists of what we think is wrong with our partner in life or business.
I have a list of social media apps, platforms, and widgets that I would like to try out and put to use. I want to see what’s worth keeping and what should be crossed off. This list is dynamic because I will be watching out for new things to add to it.
My blog, The Social Media List, will be about each app, platform, or widget that I check out. It will be from my viewpoint as a social media hobbyist (who still has a lot to learn).
Maybe you would like to follow along and learn with me.
This starts a new and improved series from guest blogger, Judy Szewczyk. She will be exploring a variety of social media platforms, what they are and how to use them. Follow her at clearlyderby.blogspot.com.
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Like many of you, I have a number of Google Alerts set to keep track of what's being said about my clients around the internet. In addition, using Google Alerts can be a great way to keep track of when pages of a website are indexed by Google! When a new page goes live, with the keywords you set when you established the alert, you will receive an alert that those keywords appeared. By the web address listed, you can track when different pages of your site have actually been indexed by Google.
It's a nice extra tracking feature that can help you interpret your analytics and other activity.
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It breaks my heart. It also makes me mad.
What sort of webdesigner in his or her right mind would sabotage a business by building a client's website entirely in Flash?
I mean, beautiful websites, sure. BUT, and hear me:
SEARCH ENGINES CAN'T READ THEM!
which means
SEARCH ENGINES CAN'T FIND THEM
which means
SEARCH ENGINES CAN'T SHOW THEM
which means
PEOPLE WON'T FIND YOU!
Can I be clearer?
Oh, and the obvious component that anyone using a Mac product (iPhone, iPad, Safari browser on a Mac laptop or desktop) won't see anything.
I thought most people were aware of these issues, but when I received a chamber notice for a new business opening locally whose brand new website was built in flash, I realized many just don't know.
If you look at websites that have templates, many attractive websites are built in flash. But why bother, when it's useless to even have a website if it's entirely built in flash.
Is it okay to use flash in parts of your website? Yes.
In or as your navigation? NO!
As the infrastructure for your entire website? NO!
Businesses need websites - they act like a business card on the web, with core contact information. They fill the role phone directories used to play. They are the main place where businesses get to tell THEIR story, their benefits and their features.
They are the home base to which other references to them on the web will be directed.
What if someone is trying to find a business that does what you do. If your site is built in flash - you've just lost business.
What is someone is ready to purchase and needs directions and hours of your business? If your site is built in flash - you've just lost business.
There are many good options for websites, whether custom developed or templates, static, dynamic, content management system or blog based.
If you have questions, please contact me. Even if you don't hire us, it's just too painful and maddening to see good, honest people swindled by crooks (in my opinion) who take money from people who build sites which serve no purpose but to look pretty to the owner, as no one else will EVER see it.
Contact us today! We can provide a no obligation review of your website and/or website needs and make a recommendation that fits your budget, timeline and objectives.
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