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Search Engine Land is in the midst of Local Search Week. I came across an interesting post Yahoo Local Now Features "User Denigrated Content" by Mike Blumenthal. He goes on to explain how Yahoo is giving a little too much power to the user.
The new Yahoo Local is making a strong attempt at encouraging user input and content about local businesses with reviews, soliciting and actually reading end user suggestions for improvements and even allowing users to add business level details to specific records.
He was able to knock off a flower shop by using simple tactics. This type of powers can be scary especially if your business relies on the internet.
I was awed by my new found god like "powers" and that the record was removed with such rapidity. I felt like I had found a solution for all of the real florists in the world in their "battle" against fake local businesses. Had I discovered the path to florist nirhvana or had I uncovered a pandora's box?
I would have to agree with Mike this opens so many issues. Black hatters should love this right now! To be given the capability to flag Yahoo to tell them that a store is closed so they take the listing down both in Yahoo Local and search result. This practice by Yahoo gives the user a little too much power. As Mike says, “it defiantly raise a number of questions!”
• Was 4 notations all it took to remove a business?
• Did Yahoo give more importance to members than non members?
• Was geo-location of the user input a consideration? (how would I know the NY business was closed if I was in LA?)
• Can I so notate any business in the country and thus tag them?
• Was there additional verification before the business was removed?
• Would typical viewers ever really take the time to tag businesses as closed?
• Would this become a tool for black hat endeavors?
I thought Yahoo was smarter than this. I sure hope they do other verifications before the listing is removed. In the end, is my business liable to my competitor simply by submitting a red flag without Yahoo asking me directly before they take my listing down? Please say it isn’t so Yahoo!
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