Recommender Systems in Context

Ilya Kats
June 19, 2018

How Google determines ranking

Relevance
Distance
Prominence
- General popularity
- Web presence

How to improve ranking

Enter complete data
- Address in USPO format
- Phone
- Meaningul description
Verify location (phone, emails, postcard, etc.)
Keep information accurate, especially hours
Interact with customers, especially by responding to reviews
SEO best practices apply

Other considerations

Quantity of citations
Search volume
Directories and best-of lists
Wikipedia (?)

Attacks

Fake reviews (https://goo.gl/maps/SfQuq5deRAA2)
Fake listings (intercepting FBI calls using Google Maps)

New features "For you"

Googler Maps labels (Demo)

https://www.google.com/maps

References

Google My Business Help. Improve your local ranking on Google. https://support.google.com/business/answer/7091?hl=en

Taylor Kerns. Google Maps to get more personal with new 'For you'tab, place recommendations. May 8, 2018. https://www.androidpolice.com/2018/05/08/google-maps-get-personal-new-tab-place-recommendations/

Barry Schwartz. How Does Google Maps Decide to Show Labels?. September 2, 2010. https://www.seroundtable.com/archives/022839.html

Nitasha Tiku. How a Hacker Intercepted FBI and Secret Service Calls with Google Maps. February 27, 2014. http://valleywag.gawker.com/how-a-hacker-intercepted-fbi-and-secret-service-calls-w-1531334747

Jillian D'Onfro. These online volunteers fight fake reviews, ghost listings and other scams on Google Maps - and say the problem's getting worse. April 13, 2018. https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/13/google-maps-spam-fighters.html

Google Maps. Bikini Atoll Reviews. https://goo.gl/maps/SgDMPUsVdGy