Today’s Question

What small-business owners think.

“Help! My business is listed ‘PERMANENTLY CLOSED’ on Google Maps even though it has always been open! Help!”

This type of message, according to a New York Times article by David Segal — “Closed, Says Google, But Shops’ Signs Say Open” — is becoming increasingly common. As Mr. Segal reported:

On Google Places, a typical listing has the address of a business, a description provided by the owner and links to photos, reviews and Google Maps. It also has a section titled “Report a problem” and one of the problems to report is “this place is permanently closed.” If enough users click it, the business is labeled “reportedly closed” and later, pending a review by Google, “permanently closed.” Google was tight-lipped about its review methods and would not discuss them.

Have any of you had this experience? Any advice on dealing with Google? (Here’s our small-business guide to managing your online reputation.)

Article source: http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=93c8c741218daf49159fe01909fe092c