SLP results not accurate

[Christian]

https://www.floeintl.com/dealer-locations/

Initial search radius in SLP is set to 2,000 miles to show 2 results. It is set this way to show the closest possibly matches to a search. The problem is – searching some cities/states show no results even though we have stores in the searched area (for example: Walker, MN; Fergus Falls, MN). However, stores ARE located near these cities by either typing the city name as all one word (FergusFalls, MN or BattleLake, MN) or by entering the zip code only (56484 for Walker, MN & 56537 for Fergus Falls, MN). Some cities do not show anything even if just the zip code is entered (56515 for Battle Lake, MN). Any idea what’s going on? This isn’t the case for every city/state – it’s pretty much random. This has been an issue on our SLP for the past year. I’ve ignored it up to this point but now I’m getting bugged more & more about it.

[Cici]

Please provide your plugin environement when posting in forums, It helps us to see what versions oand which plugin or add-ons you are using.

 

I do not have insight into your settings etc since you are using the WPSLP self managed site. so it is impossible to direct you to a solution or to see if you have any locations entered incorrectly or if Google is returning and changing randomly.

 

You might want to refer to the recent articles posted by the developer that sheds some light on the above Google logic.

https://www.storelocatorplus.com/google-maps-api-returning-inaccurate-results/

and another example:

 

https://www.storelocatorplus.com/where-is-toronto-ontario/

This is nothing new, we reported similar a year ago

https://www.storelocatorplus.com/location-position-and-accuracy/

 

 

[Christian]

SLP, Experience, Power, Premier – all 5.0.1

Let’s try to at least deal with the first issue. If a city is made of two names, why does a customer sometimes have to type the name with no space, such as internationalfalls, mn or elpaso, tx.  Yet “new orleans, la” works with or without a space?

I don’t remember this ever being an issue with SLP before.

[Cici]

SLP has not changed anything in the way a search is done. None of the updates to versions have changed the way a search is done.

When I visited your site I saw retrurned the same exact results whether I typed in El Paso as two words or as one, if I did not select a category I saw two dealers within the miles radius.

There are other elements coming into play in your site when a search is done. Not sure if it is coming from your theme or another plugin.  there are errors coming back from Google GET .gtm.js?id=GTM-KG3DZ7F:415 GET https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/conversion_async.js net::ERR_BLOCKED_BY_CLIENT

ob @ gtm.js?id=GTM-KG3DZ7F:415

W @ gtm.js?id=GTM-KG3DZ7F:504

(anonymous) @ gtm.js?id=GTM-KG3DZ7F:514

Uc @ gtm.js?id=GTM-KG3DZ7F:439

h @ gtm.js?id=GTM-KG3DZ7F:456

(anonymous) @ gtm.js?id=GTM-KG3DZ7F:379

(anonymous) @ gtm.js?id=GTM-KG3DZ7F:457

(anonymous) @ gtm.js?id=GTM-KG3DZ7F:456

ff @ gtm.js?id=GTM-KG3DZ7F:466

gf @ gtm.js?id=GTM-KG3DZ7F:467

setTimeout (async)

E @ gtm.js?id=GTM-KG3DZ7F:416

hf @ gtm.js?id=GTM-KG3DZ7F:468

Bi.Gf @ gtm.js?id=GTM-KG3DZ7F:572

(anonymous) @ gtm.js?id=GTM-KG3DZ7F:573

(anonymous) @ gtm.js?id=GTM-KG3DZ7F:575

gtm.js?id=GTM-KG3DZ7F:415 GET https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/conversion_async.js net::ERR_BLOCKED_BY_CLIENT

ob @ gtm.js?id=GTM-KG3DZ7F:415

W @ gtm.js?id=GTM-KG3DZ7F:504

h @ gtm.js?id=GTM-KG3DZ7F:557

Uc @ gtm.js?id=GTM-KG3DZ7F:439

h @ gtm.js?id=GTM-KG3DZ7F:456

(anonymous) @ gtm.js?id=GTM-KG3DZ7F:379

(anonymous) @ gtm.js?id=GTM-KG3DZ7F:457

(anonymous) @ gtm.js?id=GTM-KG3DZ7F:456

ff @ gtm.js?id=GTM-KG3DZ7F:466

a.push @ gtm.js?id=GTM-KG3DZ7F:468

(anonymous) @ gtm.js?id=GTM-KG3DZ7F:468

setTimeout (async)

E @ gtm.js?id=GTM-KG3DZ7F:416

Pd @ gtm.js?id=GTM-KG3DZ7F:451

[Cici]

I apologize,  I answered your second question and had to go back and read the first question since they are two different queries and concerns of yours.  I do not see the issue as far as how SLP is working, You introduced a new issue when you referred to typing in the name differently , as opposed to not seeing results when a correct city was typed in with no zip code

When I typed in Walker, Minnesota I saw two results, it took a few seconds to load though, you must have a lot of locations ,  see screenshot:.

How Google recognizes whether it is a city name or a state abbreviation shouldn’t matter but  sometimes they want more info and unless you have turned on show address guess or some other SLP Premier search enhancements we have no control over what is returned by Google under WPSLP and I do not see any issues with how SLP is working on your site.

When I typed in  just the state Minnesota into search box it returned two locations.:

 

Mills Detail & Trailer Sales
1916 Albert Avenue South
Park Rapids, MN 56470
United States
Directions 

L & M Fleet Supply
1307 1st Street East
Park Rapids, MN 56470
United States
Directions Website

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[Cici]

Just as an update. See the latest news article. Also have been checking the Google support issue tracker to see when they are going to fess up or fix their latest guffaws.  Google admits to their  geocoding and other errors  when using the APIs and then provides a canned response….

See Issue trackers in Google  API support

https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/118392622

[Christian]

Thank you.

[Cici]

Christian,

The developer just found an issue with the way WP changed the ouput when spaces and commas included.

 

Update to version SLP 5.0.3 and that should fix the spaces in your address, I just tested on my site and it works. There is also an update coming for Premier.

 

Let us know if that fixed the  “name as all one word ” issue .

[Christian]

Thanks much. The 5.0.3 update of SLP fixed the search issues we were having.

[Cici]

Awesome, thx for letting us know!

[Author]

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