Hi all,

So, one of our client is a hotel chain named let's say "hotel" so their website is hotel.com.

On google, if you do a research with their name and Houston or new jersey for example, a different hotel with a similar name appear under the local business listing. Their listing is correct for address, phone number etc....but our client's website is listed there, They don't have a hotel in those cities so they get a lot of reservation forms coming from those cities.

How can I correct them ? I was thinking about claiming the listing, removing the website and having the owner to confirm it with the PIN number. I called them. They have no idea what google map is, they barely know what a computer is. They won't do it because they think I'm trying to scam them.

I also contacted
Contact NAVTEQ

Contact TeleAtlas

as Google suggest on their help page but their info is just about street, zip number etc...they have nothing to do with the website that shows up so I don't think they'll do anything.

I edited it under google map but it still shows the same thing.

Any suggestions?

I see that you have SEO links in your sig, but you are asking about local listing SEO. I find this interesting.

If they are your client and they think that you are trying to scam them then you have more serious issues than their Google Maps problem..

a different hotel with a similar name appear under the local business listing. Their listing is correct for address, phone number etc....but our client's website is listed there,

The way I read it it is the other hotel who think they are being "scammed", not the client.

Ah, that could be the case.. I probably wouldn't let someone handle my Google Maps location either.. Perhaps a nice phone call or letter explaining to them what they can do themselves would be helpful.. But if it's a major chain, forget it.. It's hard enough to just get paid by them for work you actually do.. (been there, done that, have the uncollected invoices to prove it)

So, the problem is that people are seeing the name and address for some random hotel yet the web link is to your client?? I suppose I can see the problem from a customer service POV.. People wanting a hotel, think yours will be what they want, then find out that they can't stay there.. Never mind that it's Google's fault, they blame your client..

Could make an interesting questions for the Maps team..

Originally Posted by Feydakin

Ah, that could be the case.. I probably wouldn't let someone handle my Google Maps location either.. Perhaps a nice phone call or letter explaining to them what they can do themselves would be helpful.. But if it's a major chain, forget it.. It's hard enough to just get paid by them for work you actually do.. (been there, done that, have the uncollected invoices to prove it)

So, the problem is that people are seeing the name and address for some random hotel yet the web link is to your client?? I suppose I can see the problem from a customer service POV.. People wanting a hotel, think yours will be what they want, then find out that they can't stay there.. Never mind that it's Google's fault, they blame your client..

Could make an interesting questions for the Maps team..

Yes, that's exatcly what the problem is. It shows a random hotel with its address, phone number and my client's website. So people trying to book this hotel end up booking my client's hotel from a city where they don't have one.
Plus they have terrible reviews so I don't want these hotels to be connected with my client's website.

I've tried to call these hotels. No luck there. They barely speak any english even though the hotels are located in the states. They don't understand what I'm saying, they have never heard of google map. I took control of their listing, got rid of the website. Called them to tell them that G would give them a call and they will have to enter a 4 digit number xxxx. They said: ok, no problem, no problem. Google called, they never entered the digit.

As i said in my first post, I also contacted Contact NAVTEQ and Contact TeleAtlas (the addresses "provider" but they don't handle the websites shown, only the addresses & phone number. I have edited the information in G-map but no luck so far (maybe they need some time to verify the editing, although the editing shows on my computer. It might be a "personal" editing option)

I don't really know what to do next.

Originally Posted by Local SEO

I see that you have SEO links in your sig, but you are asking about local listing SEO. I find this interesting.

Good for you

I see you have SEO sig links to so instead of posting that useless answer for the sake of a useless link drop, you could have actually answered my question IF you know the answer. As you claim anyone with an SEO sig link should know it, I believe it won't be a problem!