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Slice hijacks Google Maps listings with their own websites that mimic local pizzeria websites. For example: Mario's Pizza in Dorchester, Massachusetts The Goo

Slice hijacks Google Maps listings with their own websites that mimic local pizzeria websites. For example: Mario's Pizza in Dorchester, Massachusetts The Google Maps listing [1] links to https://www.mariospizzeriadorchester.com/ https://www.mariospizzeriadorchester.com/ , which is a site owned and operated by Slice. The ACTUAL Mario's Pizza site is https://www.pizzabymario.com/ https://www.pizzabymario.com/ . This "growth hack" was previously discussed on HN: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16824992 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16824992 [1] https://www.google.com/maps/place/Mario%E2%80%99s+Pizzeria,+197+Humboldt+Ave,+Boston,+MA+02121/@42.3130031,-71.0897931,17z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x89e37b0a4d75e7bd:0xe3d0c651dc5a72b https://www.google.com/maps/place/Mario%E2%80%99s+Pizzeria,+...

hef19898 6y ago
So another "tech" start-up using (VC?) money to outby competitors and others on SEO and marketing. And pretty sneaky, registering duplicat websites for pizzerias in order to divert traffic and a take 20% share for that "service". EDIT: The pitch they used to get pizzerias on board has nothing to do with the "growth hack" described in OP's link.
yvoschaap 6y ago
The Google search results do show the owner' site as #1. https://seobrowse.com/share/25c8f9129eaea94bf34531dd780a9438028e9636407f4bd05ac28e69ee2d161f@2x.png https://seobrowse.com/share/25c8f9129eaea94bf34531dd780a9438... But if you look at the right sidebar under Menu and Order, you get all the Valley players who are trying to get a cut from the order... Update: wow this is even worse. Slice is "verified" by Google as owner and abuses this by posting their coupons as "news" in the sidebar (look at "Mario's on Google" part lower down). https://support.google.com/knowledgepanel/answer/7534902?hl=en https://support.google.com/knowledgepanel/answer/7534902?hl=...
- yvoschaap 6y ago
  Looked into what tricks they are doing in a short write-up here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23348815 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23348815
  - kevingadd 6y ago
    Sucks that it seems like it got flagged off the front page almost immediately, thanks for doing the research and writing it up. I'm surprised to see just how aggressive Slice is about this, they must believe the upside outweighs any associated risks from being caught. Wouldn't be the first startup I've seen try to play games like this with Google though...
    - yvoschaap 6y ago
      I'll try again: https://news.ycombinator.com/edit?id=23349819 https://news.ycombinator.com/edit?id=23349819
desigooner 6y ago
This may be a bit off-topic but their pizza is actually pretty decent by Boston standards.
oftenwrong 6y ago
UPDATE: looks like Google finally accepted the website change, which had been pending for many months at least. I must assume these posts had something to do with it.

hef19898 6y ago

So another "tech" start-up using (VC?) money to outby competitors and others on SEO and marketing. And pretty sneaky, registering duplicat websites for pizzerias in order to divert traffic and a take 20% share for that "service". EDIT: The pitch they used to get pizzerias on board has nothing to do with the "growth hack" described in OP's link.

yvoschaap 6y ago

The Google search results do show the owner' site as #1. https://seobrowse.com/share/25c8f9129eaea94bf34531dd780a9438028e9636407f4bd05ac28e69ee2d161f@2x.png https://seobrowse.com/share/25c8f9129eaea94bf34531dd780a9438... But if you look at the right sidebar under Menu and Order, you get all the Valley players who are trying to get a cut from the order... Update: wow this is even worse. Slice is "verified" by Google as owner and abuses this by posting their coupons as "news" in the sidebar (look at "Mario's on Google" part lower down). https://support.google.com/knowledgepanel/answer/7534902?hl=en https://support.google.com/knowledgepanel/answer/7534902?hl=...

yvoschaap 6y ago
Looked into what tricks they are doing in a short write-up here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23348815 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23348815
- kevingadd 6y ago
  Sucks that it seems like it got flagged off the front page almost immediately, thanks for doing the research and writing it up. I'm surprised to see just how aggressive Slice is about this, they must believe the upside outweighs any associated risks from being caught. Wouldn't be the first startup I've seen try to play games like this with Google though...
  - yvoschaap 6y ago
    I'll try again: https://news.ycombinator.com/edit?id=23349819 https://news.ycombinator.com/edit?id=23349819

desigooner 6y ago

This may be a bit off-topic but their pizza is actually pretty decent by Boston standards.

oftenwrong 6y ago

UPDATE: looks like Google finally accepted the website change, which had been pending for many months at least. I must assume these posts had something to do with it.