Unclaimed Listings Cause Untold Damage

Consumers can leave negative reviews about your business on websites you didn’t even know existed

In 2009, Google launched Google Places, a listing and profile of every “place” in the world. To date, there are over 80 million businesses and organizations worldwide that Google has cataloged. What you may not know, is that there are many unclaimed listings can be causing damage without your business knowing.

Like any aggregated data, errors can occur. To manage and update your information so it’s correct, Google has developed a semi-convoluted process to allow companies to gain access to their listing by “claiming” it.

I’m sure this process, in part, is why nearly 90 percent of Google Places listings remain unclaimed. Unfortunately, unclaimed or not, consumers can still post reviews on your page for others to read—for better or for worse.

The image below shows two negative reviews on an unclaimed Places page that the business owner is most likely unaware.

Beside Google Places (now Google+ Local), there are hundred of local search directories where consumers can leave comments and reviews about you. Now more than ever, it’s important to take control of your online business information and monitor what others are saying about you online—before the damage is done.

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