How to hijack listings on Google Local via SemPortland:

How to knock your competitor(s) off the top of the Local Search Listings and replace their listings with yours even if they’ve already claimed their listing.

Here’s a fun one.  First, you go to Google’s Local Business Center and attempt to claim the listings of your competition.  Google will let you go through the process but without confirmation, all your work is moot.  At the end, you get the option of choosing whether to “confirm” your information via telephone or postcard.  Choose postcard.  When you input the information that’s used to generate the mailing label, make sure you get the label to say “Attn: xxxxxx” and use a name that people will most certainly remember.

You wait a few days and then send your spouse / significant other to each location with the following story:

“My husband was here a few days ago.  He lost his wallet and he thinks this is where he lost it.  Has anybody turned in a missing wallet?”
“I don’t think so.  What was your husband’s name?”
“John Holmes.”
“Yeah, sure it is.  Really?”
“Really.  His name is John Holmes.  You have a problem with that?”
“Well, nobody has turned in a missing wallet.”
“May I leave you my card and if you find his wallet, will you call me?”
“Sure thing.”

Now, you’ve spent $5 at VistaPrint to get a bunch of cards printed up with her name (Katie Holmes), address and phone number (best to use a disposable Google Voice number).  She leaves her card and gets a card from the person at the business.  It’s unlikely that she’ll get a call back…but leaving the card gets them to remember her for when she calls back in a few days…

“This is Katie Holmes and I’m calling to see if you’ve found my husband’s wallet.”
“Nobody’s turned in the wallet.  But the darnedest happened.  We got a postcard here addressed to him from Google?”
“Really.  Can you read to me what it says?”
“Sure…”

You’re now in control of your competitor’s local business listing to do with as you wish :.)

Of course you could just intercept the postcard or even the phone call, instead of relying on someone to read you the postcard over the phone.