A question about Google Maps business information

Factual Questions
1

I have a legal issue I’m dealing with for work and in order to proceed I need some technical direction (not legal opinion) concerning how Google Maps works in terms of the information it provides. Perhaps some of the good folk on this board know?

So here it is…

When you have opened up the Google Maps page, and then typed in a business name or an address, you might get a number of hits which show up on the maps as little red balloons, ranked in descending order as “A”, “B”, “C” etc. Clicking on one of these balloons brings up a window over the map with some information about the business, often including a website address for the business.

My question is this - Who supplies Google Maps with this website information for each business? I don’t think it is the business owner themselves because I know of at least one case where they’ve got it completely wrong :stuck_out_tongue:

Is it just data-mined from website registration databases?

Thanks all in advance!

2

I don’t know where the wrong info would come from, but you CAN submit your info as a business owner.

You use Google Places. In my experience, they take all your info and then either send a post card to the address or place a phone call to the phone number. The postcard/call contains a validation code and your listing isn’t valid until you submit it.

3

From here:

4

Thanks guys (gals)　that’s a good place for me to start researching!