The latest new clarification to the Google Places guidelines is that your listings page cannot contain any URLs that redirect to other URLs.
Jade Wang, Google Maps support representative, added the clarification to the Google Business Help forums yesterday explaining that while redirects are not allowed, tracking parameters are.
Jade said:
We do not allow URLs that allow redirection, though adding tracking parameters to your regular URL for the business or the business location is allowed.
The examples she gave are:
- Not Allowed: Walmart.stor.es/
which later direct user to http://www.walmart.com. - Allowed: http://www.walmart.com/
This new clarification comes after two other clarifications including:
- Practitioners & Departments Get Special Google Maps Listing Guidelines
- Google Updates Maps Review Spam Algorithms
Forum discussion at Google Business Help.