Google local

[echo1]

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!

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[MiriamEllis]

You are welcome, Echo. Good luck!

[echo1]

Thanks Miriam!

[MiriamEllis]

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.

[echo1]

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!

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[MiriamEllis]

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.