Google local
-
If you perform a search in Google maps for our company and you are not signed in, it returns our Google + page, with reviews, photos, directions and about tabs, which is fine but, when you click on any of the photos, there is a window that opens to the right where you can edit the location where the photo has been taken, a comment box, photo details and above all, right at the top, MY NAME! Why my name? This is the business page, I don't want people to see that. The snip is below.
Thanks!
-
You are welcome, Echo. Good luck!
-
Thanks Miriam!
-
Hi Echo,
If it's any consolation, when I do a search for 'echo limo chicago', you have what appears to be a quite intelligible Google+ Local page coming up here:
https://plus.google.com/102263295915484555934/about?gl=us&hl=en
Your address is properly hidden, check.
Your 30 reviews are there, as you said, so check on that, too.
I should mention that Google does not currently support merging for Google+ and Google+ Local pages for go-to-client business models (like a Limo provider), so if attempts to do that are causing any of your issues, I thought I'd mention that, though you probably already know this.
So, regarding your pending status and your that dreaded phone call from Google, here is my honest feeling on this. I think, rather than trying to get help via the Google And Your Business forum for such a complicated problem, you should hire a Local SEO (not me, because I don't specialize in complex troubleshooting). I would recommend you try to interest Mike Blumenthal in your case and see if you can book some of his time to get his advice on the whole history of your issues and attendant fallout. Alternatively, I would recommend that you sign up for Linda Buquet's Advance Places Training with the goal that what she teaches you can help you remedy this. Bring to either of these providers the total history, including your help threads in the Google And Your Business Forum, dates of alterations in the status of your account, screenshots such as you have provided here and everything else you can think of. I honestly think your issues are too complex to be resolved via volunteer help at the Google forum, and anyone is going to have to devote at least a few hours to properly investigate this issue to discover if/how it can be resolved.
I totally feel for your frustration in this. There are so many businesses out there suffering from issues where they fall through the cracks. I believe that by getting either Mike or Linda on your side on a paid basis, if they are available, you will be going to the top of the top for help.
I'd love to be able to offer a simple solution to everything here, Echo, but look at all of the work you've done on your own looking for answers. I completely agree that you've done all you know how, and without some expert help, you can't get further with this. Someone needs the time to look into this in depth and advise you well. Hope this suggestion helps, and wishing you good luck in seeking resolution.
-
I am glad that you answered because I think you are the most experienced person on Seomoz when it comes to Google Local so let me share some information with you.
" If I knew the name and location of your business, I would begin searching for anything that associates your name with the listing." I already did that but I will let you do it as well. I found my name in Angie's List and Picassa. I will upload an image at the end with all the info.
This is my main problem: 9 months ago our old Google Places account disappeared from the radar completely due to a phone call from a Google employee asking about our location. I have been trying ever since to re-instate it with no success. I read all your posts on Seomoz about this, I checked Linda's website as well, I called Google verification line twice and I am no further than I was last year. The guys at Google told me that everything looks good, I am following Google's guidelines about hiding my address due to the nature of my business and that they see the listing it has been pending for a long time and they will escalate it to Google maps team, they also told me that I should be re-instated soon. I called back a few weeks after that, spoke with somebody else and he said the same thing about re-instating my listing but this time he verified my business again (he called our office while on the phone) and a few days later a got a post card in the mail from Google, pin verification! Prior to this, I have been in touch with a Google places forum moderator, we have exchanged a few emails but after a while he did not respond anymore. The funny thing is, I was closely watching one of my biggest competitors (who was having the same problem as i had) writing on Google forums and waiting to apply whatever they would advise him. This competitor got re-instated with a help of the same moderator (Keenan) that did not reply to my emails anymore after pointing out who and when he had helped).There is more to come...Reading over and over again about this competitor that managed to raise to the first position in Google Local for a number of very searched for keywords I have started to play with Google map maker and a few days ago, I realized that my G + business local listing had been removed a long time ago. I've edited the listing and submitted it for reconsideration and a few hours later, there I was! My G+ listing was live again but Google places is still under pending. I know that Google + local shows just the location of the business based on the pin on the map, it does not influence the local SERP's in any way. The good part about this is that I got all my 30 reviews back which I have work hard for. The bad part of course is that my Google Places listing is still under Pending.
I have done everything the best I could, I researched this subject to the point where I don't know what to do anymore, I read Mike, yourself, Linda and other knowledgeable people's thoughts about the subject and I feel that I just hit a wall.
Being a member here helped me achieve great results, there is so much good information on this website that is literally impossible not to succeed if you follow it. I need to be in Google local due to the nature of my business but, there is no advantage for being on first page in Google for more than 10 strong keywords when I know that my organic listings will be below 6 or 7 local results. Isn't this ironic?
I am not even sure if what I do is the right thing anymore, can you point me in the right direction?
Thanks!
m0tOJrO b8l2CQQ x3kCXSs pBTle1B bAg6XId Q49CCIf CYx1HWL V7oZNsS 14OVXAa
-
Hi Echo1,
Wow, I've not seen this before. Apparently, Google has associated your name with your business, but as to why, I don't know. If I knew the name and location of your business, I would begin searching for anything that associates your name with the listing. I'll share this question with the other Associates to see if anyone has any leads for you. Hang in there.
Got a burning SEO question?
Subscribe to Moz Pro to gain full access to Q&A, answer questions, and ask your own.
Browse Questions
Explore more categories
-
Moz Tools
Chat with the community about the Moz tools.
-
SEO Tactics
Discuss the SEO process with fellow marketers
-
Community
Discuss industry events, jobs, and news!
-
Digital Marketing
Chat about tactics outside of SEO
-
Research & Trends
Dive into research and trends in the search industry.
-
Support
Connect on product support and feature requests.
Related Questions
-
Google instantly suspends Google+ local listing of brand new company
I just tried to create a Google+ listing for a client. It's a brand new company. As soon as I submit the listing, I get an error message: "Google has suspended your page due to quality issues." There is no content on the listing, no website, etc. Just their NAP. All I can guess is their business address or phone number is on a blacklist due to some previous tenant/owner. Does Google keep a blacklist of addresses and/or phone numbers? Any other ideas?
Image & Video Optimization | | AdamThompson0 -
Google+ Local Listing - No Physical Address
Hi everyone, I have a client who won't be renewing his lease for where he conducts his business. Instead he will be working from home. That being said, he does not wish to have his personal address details showing within his local listing. Is there any other way to still show for Google Local without a personal or business address? Is a PO box possible, other there any other alternatives? Thanks in advance. Leo
Image & Video Optimization | | nimbleo0 -
Local Listing Directories value
Hello fellow mozzers, I would like to start a discussion on whether certain local listing directories are worth it. Most people are of course familiar with Google+ Local(Google Places), Yahoo Local, Bing Local, Yelp, Hotfrog etcetera.. I know there are a lot more of these big local listing directories. I am situated in Holland and we have a lot of small local listing directories.
Image & Video Optimization | | WesleySmits
Some of these directories are not really good quality. For example:
http://dordrecht.cylex-bedrijvengids.nl/bedrijf/pizza-presto-dordrecht-12014914.html This domain is filled with ads in prominent locations. They have a domain authority of 44 and as far as i can tell there are close to 0 reviews on companies. (So not a very active community). When you perform SEO for a local business you want the business to be found in the local search results. Google goes around the web to see if the business information (contact and address information, website etcetera) is consistent on different local listing directories. The links from the directories are still links and therefor they pass a certain amount of PageRank. How much value do you think local listing directories such as the links i will provide below will add to a business? Do you think it is worth the time to find these small directory sites and fill in information about the business there or is your time better spent on other SEO activities? I would love to hear your input on this subject Links http://dordrecht.cylex-bedrijvengids.nl/bedrijf/rietveld-doe-het-zelf-j-10800715.html
http://adviesbureaus.zoekeensop.nl/0392908-parket-expertise-bureau-etten-leur/
http://www.allewinkels.net/ijzerwaren-en-gereedschap/rotterdam/henk-schell-ijzerwarenhuis/0 -
Local SEO: How to optimize for multiple cities on website
Hi, I couldn't find any reference to this, so if the answer is already here, I would appreciate a link to the answer. That said, my question is this: When a local business services a large geographic area, I wanted to know how to optimize for the multiple towns? I already have the main city in my title tags, but there are at least 40 areas that surround this town. Should I have a "Services Area" page, and place all the towns there, or should they all be in the footer? I saw this one guy - in the same niche who put all the towns in his meta keyword section - but I think that's incorrect, especially since Google doesn't look at that particular meta tag. Any help would be appreciated.
Image & Video Optimization | | jayestovall1 -
Local listing sites - are they better than directories and is there a list?
Do you guys know of any local listing sites that are better quality than general directories that still give you a link back. I know a lot of them for local citations, but I'm wondering if there is a list somewhere of ones that include a link. Thanks.
Image & Video Optimization | | BobGW0 -
Setting Up Localized City Pages and Duplicate Content issues
We are setting up landing pages on our site that will cater to specific cities, in an effort to be more relevant to the users in those cities and also capture more localized traffic. These regional pages will each have a unique paragraph at the top, but below that is a sentence or two about each product line that would be difficult to rewrite with quality more than 10 - 15 times. Would the paragraph at the top of the page be enough unique content (about 4-5 sentences)? Obviously the duplicate content wouldn't be to my advantage, but is it really necessary to rewrite the other sentences about the product lines? What's the most efficient method to complete this project in a whitehat fashion?
Image & Video Optimization | | InetAll0 -
What impact will Google removing 3rd party citations from listings have on citations being ranking factors?
So now that Google are going to remove 3rd party citations from listings, will they still carry the same weight for local rankings or will this be reduced? If so, how much and when?
Image & Video Optimization | | SteveOllington0 -
Local SEO... use 800 # or local, use full-street name or abbreviation?
Couple local SEO questions... Do you feel it’s better to submit a listing with the full type of street rather than an abbreviation? Google Places sometimes disassociates data because of small differences like this. Below is an example: Full Name: 123 Broadway Street
Image & Video Optimization | | qlkasdjfw
Abbreviation: 123 Broadway St. Also, I’m wondering if you feel it’s better to submit a local number versus an 800 number. I've modified many local listings for clients manually with an 800 number, but then there are other data sources for these same businesses that are displaying the local number. I am starting to use UBL/LocalEZE and are wondering what people have seen working best... local number or 800 number. Thanks!0