Web Tip: Fix Your Google Maps

Google Maps can be a savior of a resource. Aren't sure where that party is? Look it up. Don't know exactly where on I-10 that new store opened? Print out a map.

Unfortunately, with rapid growth and developments happening all over, Google isn't always as up to the minute as one might like. Often in the cases of newly constructed streets, buildings, subdivisions or shopping centers, Google hasn't updated their database to include the new buildings or roadways.

Most of the time, Google Maps hiccups are simply an annoyance. For businesses, though, if a map doesn't return a location or provides an incorrect one, it can be damaging for the company. Up until recently, a search for the business "Digett" at the location "Boerne, Texas" placed our office more than four miles away because Google doesn't yet recognize the fairly new street our offices are on.

Thankfully, Google is now providing a way for businesses and homeowners to change incorrect map data. By visiting here, Google will direct visitors to instructions on how to edit Google Maps.

It's a fairly easy process to modify home listings, though if an edit is an extreme move, it may take some time for Google to approve it to prevent abuse. It's slightly more complicated for businesses to make edits-- they want to confirm that you're the business owner and appropriately modifying your location-- but a task worth completing none-the-less.

We're pleased that a Find Business search for "Digett" now points to our rightful home. Consider visiting Google Maps and similar sites to confirm that your business appears in its proper location to protect people trying to visit your business.