A story that emerges at the SEO Refugee Forums speaks volumes about the power of Google Maps in the natural/universal search results. A florist company in Denver is currently ranking #1 for their key terms in the natural organic listings. They have also invested over $100,000 in Google AdWords over three years.
The problem is that now that Google Universal search includes maps in the results, they're not showing up on the listings for whatever reason. Instead, the competition is. They claim that it has "shut down their business overnight." The owner is desperate and is trying every possible angle:
We are now less than 1 week from Christmas, our busiest time of year, and critical weakness in the "algorithm" for maps has bankrupted my company.....
PLEASE HELP us. I realize we are nothing to you, but my family is losing everything.
It's scary how important Google Maps are now that people are going to desperate measures to keep their businesses and families alive. But it truly shows the power of Google and their technology.
For the sake of this business owner, I hope that someone at Google lists this company in Google Maps. I don't think they deserve to be shafted.
Forum discussion continues at SEO Refugee Forums.
