Google Local Result - wrong decription
-
A client's description in their Google Places result is incorrect. It looks as though it may have been cached several months ago with incorrect data.
Note: By description I am referring to the text that appears directly under the URL and directly above the "places page" link on a results page, not the local listing "description".
Any suggestions as to how this can be fixed? All the information on their local page is correct. The website's meta-description is correct. The organic results listing has the correct description. Any tips would be awesome.
Thanks,
Jason -
Under normal circumstances, the meta descriptions will change quite dynamically as Google crawls your site. It also changes dynamically depending on the query.
But, I've head and read that in certain Google local searches, you can throw these expectations out the window. I found this especially disheartening thread over at Google Places support forum where other users are experiencing similar frustrations.
Apparently Google Local caches their snippets differently, and at this time there seems to be no valid solution for correcting it.
If anyone stumbling upon this thread has come across a solution, please share in the comments.
-
Thanks Miriam - any further tips would be greatly appreciated.
-
Hi Jason,
If that is the source of the snippet, then the business is more or less stuck with waiting for Google to update its cache. How frequently Google does this for a given site is dependent on many factors. I'm the Local SEO Associate here in Q&A but I'm going to ask one of our excellent traditional SEOs to stop by to speak to you about the cache. Hang in there!
Miriam
-
Can you send me a private message with your url and the description you keep getting?
-
By incorrect, I mean that the content has the wrong information about the business. It looks like it is serving up a very old meta description tag.
-
I believe it is pulling in an old description meta tag that was on the homepage months ago. The description tag was updated ages ago - though I can't seem to get Google to re-cache it....
-
That's the description of my super ugly website lol. Anyway, that description was pulled from my website, and I've only been able to get text from my website to be generated there. Is there someplace on your website that would be issuing the content that you don't like? My header, which I've requested my developer change for a long time, gets pulled in every so often. It reads something like:
Cars, Trucks, Vehicles, Chevy, Toyota, Bozeman Cars, Bozeman Trucks
I would open up your code, and try do a search for some of the words you are looking for. You might find it hidden somewhere.
-
Hi Jason,
Thank you for coming to Q&A to ask your question. Can you please define precisely what you mean by 'incorrect'? It doesn't match what?
At any rate, first step for you is to do a search in the Google for the text of the description to see if you can find out where it is coming from (someplace on the site, from a third party site) etc. Google takes its text from more than one place, so discovering the origin of what you are seeing is going to be your first move. Please come back and update us on what you find.
Miriam
-
Yes, the text in the circled area is the text I need to update. Thanks for posting the image.
-
Do you mean the area circled in the file I attached?
Got a burning SEO question?
Subscribe to Moz Pro to gain full access to Q&A, answer questions, and ask your own.
Browse Questions
Explore more categories
-
Moz Tools
Chat with the community about the Moz tools.
-
SEO Tactics
Discuss the SEO process with fellow marketers
-
Community
Discuss industry events, jobs, and news!
-
Digital Marketing
Chat about tactics outside of SEO
-
Research & Trends
Dive into research and trends in the search industry.
-
Support
Connect on product support and feature requests.
Related Questions
-
Phone Numbers in Local Campaigns
Hi Mozzers, I have a both an 800 number and a local number for a local business client, with both featured on the site. Which number should I feature on the Google places, Google+ and local citations — the local number, the 800 number, or both? Any help appreciated.
Image & Video Optimization | | waynekolenchuk0 -
Consolidating mulitple Google+ Local pages with one Google+ Page
Hello All, I have trawled the internet, but can seem to find the answer to this question: "How will Google integrate multiple Google+ Local pages with one Google+ Page?" A bit of background to this. I work for a company that started online, but has since moved into retail stores. We currently have 14 stores around the UK. Now each of these stores has a Google+ Local page which were automatically converted over from the old style Google Places pages. I have read that these pages should be integrated with our regular Google+ account. All of the examples I have read about seem to relate to offline businesses that have moved into online, rather than online business that have moved into physical retails stores. And these examples are just one store, one Googe+ Local listing & one Google+ business page. That seems simple enough... but what about multiple locations?! Do I just need to sit on my hands and see what happens? Or are there things I can be doing now? Cheers for any help! Rich
Image & Video Optimization | | JBGlobalSEO0 -
Google Knowledge Graph - change bio image
I have a client who is a well known personality in a particular niche that I've done some general event and design work for, but he hasn't had interest in SEO or social help until this point. He is very displeased by the image that was chosen for his Google Knowledge Graph result when you search his name. The issue isn't due to a poor photo, but rather due to the site it links through to. Google has chosen to use a bio image for his Knowledge Graph result which links to an "anti-" site. This site is opposed to the organization he leads. If you click on the image, it sends you to an image result page backed by an article which is full of misinformation and overall negativity about this individual. The source is also listed under the image on the Knowledge Graph result, a source he doesn't believe deserves any publicity, especially in conjunction with his name. So, what best practices might you suggest should be employed to go about getting Google to choose a replacement image for his Knowledge Base bio? Optimize his own bio page and bio image on his website? Get an image on his Wikipedia page? Create a G+ page with the bio image? Integrate the rel author syntax into his articles pointing back to his bio page? He doesn't want this to become a public matter, so he's against posting the issue to Google's Help Boards or reporting it in a public fashion. I'm not sure what should be the best first steps and top priorities for him and am hoping the SEOmoz team is starting to see some trends with Knowledge Graph. Let me know your thoughts when you can. Thanks so much! iLqNW iLqNW.png
Image & Video Optimization | | windturbines2 -
Should You Geotag Pages For Local SEO?
If so can where do I insert the geo tag? I want to do this for a landing page in a different city, and i've simply put the Geo tag in this landing page. Is this right? Help, NEWBIE!!!
Image & Video Optimization | | Buzzwords0 -
Local listing | Virtual office
Hi Miriam (and all Local SEO mozers), I read a couple of your answers where you advice people in different situations not to consider a virtual office when creating their Google Places listing and I would like to know if you would apply the same advice in my case. This is the scenario: I have a client who's in the limousine service in Orlando, he just bought the URL and registered the business with the City using a "virtual office" in Orlando. This virtual office provides him a physical address, local area phone number, 411 listing, a listing for the businesses in that building and an office to have his meetings. This is the part where it gets confusing when I read your answers and I will give you an example. You said here:
Image & Video Optimization | | echo1
_The requirements in order to qualify for a Google Place Page are that you have: __1. A legal business name__2. A local area code phone number__3. A physical street address (not a P.O. box or virtual office) to which customers either come to do business with you or from which your employees depart in order to serve customers at their locations (think chimney sweep, landscaper, etc.)_Number 3 says "A physical street address (not a P.O. box or virtual office) to which customers either come to do business with you".
My client is going to rent one of those virtual offices, which does have a physical address, on as-needed basis. This office actually does exist. Why would Google have anything against it?
One of the reasons why he chose that location is because he is running the business from home and he does not want the clients to see it.
Another reason is the image he wants to create for his company by having a different address where he can hold meetings and such. The phone number will be either a local land-line or a local cell phone number, in any case, it will be a _local area code phone number. _
So this is where we stand: he dispatches the cars from home (he does not have a garage, the cars stay with the drivers 24 hours) but he meets his clients and business partners at the other address. There is nothing fake about it, he does have a legal business name, a local area code number and a real place where customers come to do business with. Which address should I use for his Google Places listing?0 -
Can or should you use a residential address for Google places?
My first thought is no. But I am definitely looking for some loopholes. If there is any way to make this work, please share your thoughts.
Image & Video Optimization | | itrogers0 -
Will hosted videos be indexed and pulled into search results if a video sitemap is submitted, but the video itself is in an iframe?
We're working with a client to create and submit a video site map. All of their videos are on separate pages, with unique copy, etc. The problem is that the videos may have to be within an iframe. Will this be an issue with regards to being included in video and universal search results? Or will the video site map take care of it? While we're on the topic of video site maps, does anyone know conclusively what the best thumbnail size is? Google has conflicting information, one resource says 160 x 120, and another says 120 x 90. Thanks in advance!
Image & Video Optimization | | RedDoor580 -
Will linking to my citation sources help google recognize them / credit my places account?
Or will those sources be discounted by google then similar to how google discounts link exchanges? I have noticed some pages, like mapquest, don't really have a directory, so google might not be aware of their content unless it is linked too??? In this type of a case, would it help to link to mapquest's search results? then the citation will get picked up by google? Example: http://www.mapquest.com/?hk=6-i30tP49i
Image & Video Optimization | | adriandg0