Google+ Company Verification Help
-
I am in a huge Google+ pickle. Backstory:
- Client's past marketing manager set up a Google+ Company Page with their old work email as the username - that marketing manager is now gone
- Client also moved into a new unit within their building, therefor keeping the same address but a different suite #
- Client's President (my point of contact) created a new (unverified) Google+ Company Page for the new address & suite #
If I verify the correct Google+ Company Page, does this overwrite the old one with the incorrect suite #? Or will I still need to dig up their old company page login to transfer ownership?
Also, does anyone have any helpful beginner articles on setting up Google+ Company Pages for businesses with multiple locations?
Thanks!
-
You don't want duplicate or near duplicates in the same account for sure. Last I checked, that's a violation of The Googles terms of service. Naturally you want everything to be as accurate as possible.
I would probably Report the old, inaccurate listing as closed and verify the new listing with the correct information at roughly the same time. Then hustle and update all of the top tier listings with the old suite number. And when I say Top Tier, I mean pretty much anything Moz Local would feed if/when you have an account. Then I would prioritize top listings by some combination of city and category. There are probably also some 'hidden gems' that show well for your client's geo/keyword combinations.
If you use Moz Local to do the job, make sure you submit the new NAP.
-
Thanks! This was super helpful.
I'm stumped on the best order for the following:
- Verify the correct business listing
- Try to uncover the old business listing and merge the two accounts
If I verify the business listing first, is that going to hurt any other efforts?
-
Just for the benefit of this discussion, Google now is allowing for automatic verification if the site has a verified GWT account.
Details below:
** Instant verification**
You may be instantly verified to manage your business if you’ve already verified your business’s website with Google Webmaster Tools.
Make sure you’re signed in to Google My Business with the same account you used to verify your site with Webmaster Tools. Note that some business categories may not be eligible for instant verification.
Once you’ve verified, you may see a banner asking you to review your information and make any final changes.
Click Done editing when you’re certain everything is up to date.
Note that you won’t be able to update the business’s name until the verification process is complete.
-
Is there some reason you can't access the old marketing manager's email? You could just get permission from the head honcho and have your IT let you in. Also, you would be surprised how easy it is to get into things when you simply ask for it. Maybe the old marketing manager would be receptive?
Either way, you still have near duplicate listings. It sounds like you have a larger job ahead of you than you know. I'm not envious, but I do feel your pain. Some of this information may be a little out of date, but this is pretty close to what you're dealing with. Report a Problem link will be your frenemy from now on.
Plug in your business name and ZIP here to get quick overview of the damage.
You should start here for the basics. It's pretty comprehensive, but you will eventually want to get into theory and trends.
-
You have to locate all instances of the NAP ( especially phone number), delete extra pages and make 100% all other listings reflect the current / new address.
Google will keep both on file and this will limit your client's site from the highest ranking. So, locate and eliminate/ merge / correct all G+ listings and it should be set to rights.
This is a great place to get hands on information and tips http://localsearchforum.catalystemarketing.com/
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
-
Has anyone tried using AMP links in Google Business Listings?
We have a client with multiple locations, and Google Business listings for each location. We've also created AMP pages for each of those location landing pages, and they're ranking on page one of their main queries, just below the local pack. We're wondering if anyone has tried pointing a GMB website listing at an AMP page, or if there are considerations to keep in mind before testing it out. So far, we've discussed whether to use the AMP url (amp.domain.com) or the Google viewer url (google.com/amp/s/amp.domain.com), and potential concerns for desktop users.
Local Listings | | WompM0 -
How Does Google Consider a Business Name as Duplicate?
Hi, A problem about local business listings of one of my clients is confusing to me! The correct business name is: "Thomas Frank, DDS" This is how his business name appears in different local business listing sites: Dr Thomas W Frank, DDS Dr. Thomas Frank DDS Frank Thomas DDS Cosmetic Implant Laser Dentistry Frank Thomas W DDS ,... Do you think Google assumes these business names duplicate and wrong and they need to be updated by me? Which ones exactly? Or they are OK and it won't result to increase in his ranks? I should mention that everything else in his listings are OK but the business name. Thank you in advance for your kind helps,
Local Listings | | alihus0 -
Google My Business URL Choice
Hi guys, we have a national chain hardware store hardware store as a client. We built them a new website, and now they want us to do local SEO to help them rank better. We are debating for GMB whether to promote our new website URL or use the location page on the national hardware site. Most similar stores seem to promote the location page on the national site, but the client just spent money on having us build them a new website. What gives our client the best chance of ranking better?
Local Listings | | JohnWeb120 -
Google not finding my site
I built a website, http://deeprootshgc.com. I submitted the site to google and have set up analytics. When I search for the site, deep roots home and garden center, I get their facebook page, manta and everything but the actual URL. Any thoughts?
Local Listings | | MarkBolin1 -
Google Map Disappeared
We had a client call and report that the information in the right-hand map of the SERp for their company name was presenting inaccurate information. I immediately reported the issue through Google and two days later it was fixed and the information was appearing correctly! The following week, we created a Google My Business page for the same client to help boost their presence. Now, when typing in the same general query as we did for the previous-mentioned work, the map is not showing up at all! The map does appear when I type the company name with city and state, but not only the company name as before. The listing has been verified with the Google postcard code, etc. Any insight or work arounds on this would be immensely appreciated!!
Local Listings | | BehrDesign0 -
Merging Google Place Accounts to Merge Reviews for same Company
Hi Everybody If you have 2 Google Place Listings (Local Listings) 1 with 1 Location and 1 with another Location, is there anyway to merge the 2 Accounts. 1 of them has lots of Reviews and the other contains some Reviews so Ideally there would be 1 Account which merges all Reviews into 1 Account Multiple Locations can then be added into the 1 Account. Any Ideas Thanks Adam
Local Listings | | AMG1000 -
Why is my location info on google+ correct in one state, but wrong in another?
One search was performed from Oklahoma, and one from California where the business is located. The Google maps data is wrong in CA, but correct in OK. The wrong info is the old business name that closed two years ago. I've written Google twice asking them to remove it from Google Maps, but they write back and say no. http://d.pr/i/KbIN http://d.pr/i/Gce9 Thanks for any input, I appreciate it.
Local Listings | | marshalllj0 -
Google Places Australia - Categorisation Issue
Hey guys, I know that this doesn't quite fall under this community, but I thought I'd ask anyway. I've got a client currently who is an Electrician. They're primarily electricians that offer a lot of services, such as air conditioning installations, LED lighting, Solar Panel & heaps more, currently I'm trying to properly categorise the Google Places listing. I'm looking at other Google Places listings in the "Electricians Melbourne" type searches & many of them have Electrician as a category. However, when I attempt to do this, I'm unable to get the same result.
Local Listings | | KBB_Digital
Has anyone else seen this, or know why I can't get Electrician as a category & when others are?0