Google Is Using AI to Improve Business Listings — Here’s How

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Google said it would be using artificial intelligence and machine learning to build a self-updating Maps product that predicts when business hours are likely to be wrong and updates listings automatically using AI-generated predictions.

Amid COVID-19 Pandemic, Accurate Location Data Can Save Hassles and Even Lives

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Updating your location data management information to reflect new hours, store closures, different contact information or special announcements is important for business success in general. In the midst of the global Covid-19 pandemic, maintaining accurate location data can actually have vital consequences for public health.

Yet a BrandMuscle study found that less than 60% of local business owners had even claimed their online business listings, which can lead to confusion about whether businesses are open or not. 

Voice-Readiness Study Indicates Vast Majority of Businesses Fail Basic Listings Test

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It only takes listing correct and comprehensive information on Google, Yelp, and Bing for a brand or small business to earn 90% on location management solution Uberall’s voice search readiness test. Yet only 4% of the businesses in the company’s latest study, which examined the voice preparedness of 75,000 listings, had correct info on all three of those major directories.

On Google, Hyperlocal Listing Strategy is Key to Brick-and-Mortar Success

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Called “How to Survive in Google’s Local Search Ecosystem,” GMB senior product manager Steven Chen’s talk at Brandify’s annual conference emphasized the importance of a hyperlocal listing strategy in which multi-location brands empower franchisees to take ownership of their own user-facing information.

YP’s Rowe: Hybrid Print/Digital Offerings Can Reinforce Value

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The company’s chief executive, Jared Rowe, talked about where YP saw its sweet spot. In particular, he spoke of a “blended” print and digital model where publishers could move consumers “back and forth, and in between” to create more value for local businesses.

6 Local Directories Every VSB Should Be On

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Consumers are increasingly going online to research local services and products, but for very small businesses (VSBs), this trend is becoming a problem. Fifty-nine percent of VSBs still don’t have websites, with owners often citing perceived cost and lack of technical expertise as reasons why they haven’t made their way online. For business owners who […]

Street Fight Daily: More Departures Hit Clinkle, Square Accepts Bitcoin

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology
More Exec Departures Hit Payments Startup Clinkle (Recode)… Square’s Online Marketplace Starts Accepting Bitcoin(GigaOm)… Mobile Q&A App Jelly Now Lets You Ask Location-Based Questions Routed To Nearby Users (TechCrunch)…