spammers hijack top florist Google local listings

What started out as a report of weirdness in some Google Local florist listings has turned into a story of how a group of spammers could hijack the local identities of some of the largest, most respected florists in the US – including Lehrer’s and Veldkamp’s of Denver, Podesta Baldocchi and Church Street Flowers of San Francisco, Starbright Floral Design of New York City, Phoenix Flower Shops and numerous other major city floral operations.

On Friday morning an alert San Diego FlowerChat member noticed that two of the Google Local Ten Pack listings for his city had abruptly changed. Instead of displaying the names and details of the real shops, Che Bella and Rosita’s Flower Shop, the listings sported ‘Convenient Flowers’ and ‘Amazing Flowers’ and the links pointed to URLs which then redirected (via affiliate links) to national floral affiliate reseller companies.

The hijacks were reported in Google’s Maps Group Spam Report thread.

Mike Blumenthal, of Understanding Google Maps and Yahoo Local Search spotted the posts and then gave me a ‘heads up’ on how the spammers did it:

1) They could only change unclaimed listings and did so via the ‘Edit’ links.

2) Some time in late August, under a variety of different user identities, the affiliate(s) began changing the names, addresses, phone numbers and URLs - and in some cases, adding user reviews which included the “new” business names. (The timeline and changes can be viewed on each listing via Google Maps by clicking on the company name, selecting ‘Edit’ in the pop-up balloon, and then clicking ‘View History’.)

The positions at or near the top of local search as well as the now stolen user reviews were preserved – but all of the traffic was directed to the affiliate links. Florists weren’t alerted by phone because most of the listed numbers had been changed.

The florists with whom I spoke did not realize their listings had been hijacked until the information had populated into Universal Search and was seen on the main Google search page.

One shop owner who tried to reclaim her listing was unable to get anywhere because she couldn’t validate by phone nor receive a postcard - since both the phone number and address had been changed.

The good news is that in some cases, by simply re-editing a listing and reverting the details back to the original information, the correct store details can be restored. (Although it will take time for the data to re-populate to the Ten Pack.)

But that hasn’t worked for everyone. Michael of Church Street Flowers was able to restore his domain name, but is still stuck with a bad phone number and the affiliate’s phony business name. He started the process of claiming his listing Friday afternoon so there may be a lock on the data at the moment. Four ‘users reviews’ for the phony florist were also added to his page, and that may complicate the name change as well.

My advice to anyone who got hijacked is to change back the data in the exact reverse order in which it was first changed. If it was modified over 3 or 4 steps, try doing the same in reverse. Once corrected, claim the listing immediately.

For more information about claiming local search listings read the Florist SEO Blog. Do it now or you business could be the next victim.

Since all these changes were made by hand, and not some bulk upload, finding and reverting them will be a tedious challenge. I’m hoping the Maps team will take a look at the user IDs and activity and give these florists any help they can.

Needless to say, Google’s method of allowing users to change legitimate company data is seriously flawed, but I ultimately hold the floral companies who offer incentives for this behavior - the resellers and the floral wire services – responsible. Their lack of enforcing their own Terms of Service makes all legitimate local florists prey, not partners.

Oddly enough, it was an affiliate of a 1-800-Flowers affiliate reseller that hijacked one of 1-800-Flowers' top franchisees, Veldkamp’s. Maybe this latest episode in deceptive wire service affiliates will finally be a wake-up call.

Source:  FlowerChat

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stake your claim - verify your online identity

Deceptive listing practices have expanded to the Internet with reports of several florists having their shops' identity hijacked by spammers.

"What started out as a report of weirdness in some Google Local florist listings has turned into a story of how a group of spammers could hijack the local identities of some of the largest, most respected florists in the U.S.," Cathy Hillen-Rulloda, owner of Avante Gardens in Anaheim, Calif., wrote in a Sept. 13 posting on her blog.

Listings such as those on Google's "Local 10-Pack" are especially vulnerable because they allow anyone to edit the contact information for that business. The 10-Pack is a list of the top businesses for a given category, including flowers or florists in a certain city. Google compiles the list using a complicated algorithm of factors, including the number of customer reviews.

Through a variety of different user identities, con artists and dishonest business owners have changed the names, addresses, phone numbers and URLs of real florists and redirected unsuspecting consumers to national floral affiliate reseller companies. Any positive user reviews attached to the original listing are then transferred to the deceptive listing.

The best way to safeguard your reputation is to "claim your business" on Google, according to Hillen-Rulloda. There is actually a "claim your business" option, which appears next to the names of the businesses on the 10-Pack. Once you make the claim, no one else can edit your listing. If you don't take this step, anyone has the option to edit details of your business listing.

If your business listing already has been hijacked, you can correct the data. Just make sure you claim your listing once you've made all the adjustments.

Google representatives have been alerted about the manipulations and are vetting the system to see where improvements can be made. Hillen-Rulloda appreciates "the fact that [Google] did acknowledge and understands how important this is for small business."

Source:  SAF

balancing inventory

Unsold merchandise tests retailers in good economic times and bad

Pity the retailer.  If he doesn’t have it, he can’t sell it. But if he orders it and nobody buys it, that’s even worse.

Inventory planning can be challenging in any financial climate. But when consumer spending dries up, small retailers are forced to make even savvier decisions about what and how much to order. They simply can’t afford to sink money into inventory that isn’t selling.

An August survey of 189 retailers found only 14 percent plan to add to their inventories while 26 percent plan reductions, said William Dunkelberg, chief economist for the National Federation of Independent Business.  The Washington, D.C.-based non-profit small-business association last week released members’ inventory plans, which are considered a reflection of business owners’ confidence in the economy.

What they’re doing is selling items already in stock but not reordering, Dunkelberg said.  The Philadelphia-based economist explained that businesses don’t get any value from holding inventory because they’re either paying interest on money borrowed to buy the goods or losing interest they’d be paid on their own money if they invested it elsewhere.  Inventory levels are a leading indicator of an economic recovery because as soon as consumer spending increases, retailers will need to bulk up orders and inventories again, he said.  Many types of retailers are responding to weak consumer spending, which fell 0.4 percent in July, after factoring in inflation. The Commerce Department reported July’s spending activity on Aug. 29.

Florist have become more strategic in the past five months about the fresh flowers they buy.  Shop owners no longer fill coolers with ready-made fresh arrangements in hope that a customer will walk in and buy them. Now, more customers call and place fresh flower orders. Orders received by 11 a.m. can be ready the same day after you receive the requested flowers from a local floral wholesaler. Orders received later are ready the next day.  Stocks is reduced by about 30 percent fewer fresh flowers as a result.  People really do appreciate the freshness and the ability to order specific flowers and colors.  With a florist, it takes a long time before you have a customer base built to count on for clearing that inventory on a regular basis.

Some small retailers are holding their own, but they cite special circumstances.  It’s a constant balancing act for retailers.  There’s a lot of money tied up in inventory anytime, that’s the nature of the game, mastering that game is challenging.  It’s not easy being a small retailer today – if it ever was.

flowers scents - the pathway to nicer dreams

Flowers have always been a joy to the eye and soul but German scientists now say they are also a blessing for our sleep, as their scent can lead to sweeter dreams. And it is no longer a secret that sweet dreams have a huge impact on the quality of our sleep, feeling way much rested whenever dreaming something that pleases us.