I've embarked on a mission to update many out of sync local directories for a local brick-n-mortar business. I'm finding that this can be pretty twisted with local service A feeding B, C the master of D, etc. For example citysearch fed by yp. What a trail! Visting getlisted.org is helpful for a central source to identify whether the business is owned or not.
So, anyway, Google Places, Google Maps, Google * is also rather entertaining. I managed to get the business claimed, successful PIN verification, and edited the profile. I'm seeing some really odd results.
In editing the profile I updated the description, categories, added 10 new pictures and a video. Feels good. Then I signed out, googled until I got to the places listing and selected it. I had a genuine positive review so I signed up for a Google Plus account and got that submitted.
All this took several days - and I'm growing balder.
Back to google, signed out several days later I check in on the listing. In the google search results it's there still occuping the 6th places position; in this view I move the cursor over the business and an abbreviate profile with one picture displays on the right side of the page with "see photos". I click on see photos and it takes me to a plus.google.com page and not the photos I updated. No where can I find the video.
Going back to the listing I click on Review and it takes me to another google plus page (About). It displays one category of the 5 I selected, unfortunately the one I selected last, least relevant, is the one displayed.
Summary: On this About page the latest review is good, business direction accurate, category messed, wrong pictures and no video.
Q) Does this stuff get intermittently updated according to some phase of the moon?
Q) Aside from a good description, new pics and video, are there any other influencing factors that will help push the listing up the totem pole?
Q) Do reviews factor in?
