Google is changing their Local Business Center interface. For many of you, you will start thinking, YES! finally!
Actually I like the new interface and it definitely encourages people to add more data to their business listings. In the old tabbed model you were able to just finish after entering your business details and forget about all the tabs that were actually there. With the new system you get to see all the opportunities at a glance and business owners are more likely to be triggered to enter more of their business information.
I tried and tested the Local Business Center and so far I have come to the following :
- How do I correct my incorrect marker position after I’ve added the listing?
- Where is the bulk upload feature of images like requested here
- The maps overlay in the LBc doesn’t seem to be working in Safari (for windows, or is my system just buggin? )
- Why is this still not available in Europe ??? (including the free category selection!)
- While using this interface I wasn’t asked to re-enter my PIN for my listings, maybe this is because I use bulk-upload instead of manual verification?
Also while trying to delete a listing I was presented with the following screen, which I’m a bit puzzled about, because will Google Maps remove your listings and those from trusted sources if you want them to? What about
“To geographically organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”
Or is this the useful part?
Here’s the screenshot btw (click to enlarge) :
Also, I must note that I really like the ‘verified local submitter’ idea in a comment from AmhedF back at Mike’s blog. Especially for agencies or people monitoring large accounts, it’s unbearable and a real pain having to re-verify and re-enter those PIN’s for all of your listings. There should be a better and more efficient way to fight map spam.
Update: Seems like they are having some problems using bulk-uploads in the new interface. In the meanwhile, people in desperate need of getting their business listings online use the bulk upload feature can use the work around I mentioned at Mike’s post about this at his blog:
“change the &gl parameter and/or domain to a european one, you can keep the hl in your prefered language“
I posted a similar question on google groups. It’s going to be an absolute pain since at the moment I have over 150 listings and it’s likely to rise.
It would be great if there was one “master” listing so you could upload changes such as pictures on that master listing and the changes occur in all others.
Thx Loup for commenting on my blog!
Your idea of a master listing is actually quite a good idea, didn’t even think of it in that way. This way you could use brandlogo’s etc easily. However this would still need you to do per location customization with a classic interface.
A flickr kind of interface for organizing sets or categories could be interesting as well. Single upload, drag and drop to your listings.
Let me know what you think of this idea!
Maybe a combination of both. As long as there’s some kind of interface in which one edit can be filtered down to other listings (for media at least and possibly for custom categories) Even if its a radio button that says something like “edit only for this listing” “edit for entire group”.