Having to search online for local businesses is becoming a right pain-in-the ass, especially if you have a local business in Irvine Scotland that is. It’s got to the stage where I just couldn’t hold back anymore and sent a letter to the local press, see what happens with it …

Here’s what I sent :

I’m not 100% sure if anyone within your office follows what the search engine Google. But lately there has been an influx of american .com websites invading our own google.co.uk data centre.

Anyway to cut a long story short, Google have basically placed more emphasis for the .com sites and when do a ‘local search’ within Google, outwith the Google Map Pack of sites, normally located at the top of the page, the organic listings is littered with businesses from Irvine, CA, US.

Why is this important, well try a few examples and you’ll see…

plumber Irvine
painter Irvine
electrician irvine
gas engineers irvine
car mechanic irvine
hairdresser irvine

etc…

Not exactly local listings and not very helpful for local businesses when Google crunches local businesses for a local search query into a ten pack map search.

Just thought you might like to know how Google is treating local businesses in Irvine.

All the best,

Paul

Small businesses are being treated as a joke, if you think getting listed in the ten pack map search at the top of the page is hard, then think again, it is easy to abuse and spam.