Last night, Google Maps has updated their local pages quality guidelines, and Jade Wang from the Google team posted the news in the Google Forums saying:
“We’ve updated and clarified our quality guidelines for local pages. Please read the new version here, and, as always, feel free to contact our support team with any specific questions about your account.”
Fortunately, for those who wish to compare the new to the old, some local SEO experts checked out the old guidelines and compared them to the updated guidelines. If you’re interested, you can check out the old guideline over here.
Mike Blumenthal documented the “obvious changes” including:
- Descriptors of any sort are NOT allowed
- Categories should be the more specific category and NOT the overarching, general category
- Increased name and category consistency amongst multi location chains
- Two or more brands at the same location must pick one name
- If Different departments are to have their own page they must have unique categories
- Practitioner’s pages, in multi location practices should have their name only and not the name of the practice
- Solo Practitioners only can use the format of Practice: Practitioner
- Virtual Offices are NOT allowed unless staffed.
Despite all the rules, will Google Maps have the man power and resources to enforce them?