Separate Email for Separate G+Local Listing?

[rayvensoft]

Client decided to keep restaurant and catering businesses completely separate, so he's gotten a suite number and a separate landline.

He already set up and claimed the restaurant G+Local/Places page using his personal gmail address.

I need to set up the catering G+Local page, but of course he's not crazy about giving me the login to his personal gmail account. But maybe, since they're completely separate businesses, I really should go set up hiscateringbusiness@gmail.com and start fresh with the catering page?

I also have an email address, contact@hiscateringbusiness.com, but it seems like Google never likes these.

How do you recommend that I set up the catering G+Local pages? (This would also presumably be for Analytics and Webmaster Tools for the domain too.)

Should I just start fresh? Can I even do it with a non-gmail account? Or will Google slap him for two unmerged accounts, even though they're for separate businesses?

(I've looked all over the place and it looks like that it's still true that he can't just change the email associated with the restaurant G+ page... no?)

Thank you!

[Chris.Menke]

I can say that I've "claimed", maybe, a couple dozen businesses for clients over the years using my account--just as anyone else can.  The Google Places for Business is just a dashboard where you can claim and request updates for a business record and and a place where Google can keep the person who requested the changes informed of the status of that change.

When you "claim" a business, what you're really doing is telling google that you claim you're authorized to make changes and that when google sends the PIN by phone or mail to the company's phone number or address, that someone at the company is going to share that PIN with you so that you can enter it in the dashboard and make the changes take effect.

If you did accomplished all that, then the next day, you got fired, someone else (or the business owner) would simply be able to go their own dashboard add the business, make any changes were needed, and wait for the validation PIN to be sent by phone or mail, enter the PIN into their dashboard, and then what ever changes they made would take effect.

Business pages don't belong to accounts, they're tied directly to the name address and phone number of the business itself.

[MiriamEllis]

Hi Raymond,

You write:

I also have an email address, contact@hiscateringbusiness.com, but it seems like Google never likes these.

In fact, using a domain name email address is the BEST method. I'm not sure what you read that indicated that Google doesn't like these types of email addresses, because they are, in fact, the most trusted address.

Never claim a client's Google local business listing under your own account. Everything should belong to them and they must trust you to access these accounts. Remind them that they can always change their password at the end of your contract.

And, as with everything else we discussed regarding differentiating the two businesses, yes, you should be using completely separate logins for the two different businesses. Everything, right down to the email address, should be different, as the client has decided he is operating two different businesses.

[rayvensoft]

Lightbulb half-lit...

Google+Local pages aren't assigned to a Google account? I'm still confused. Then why would they have said the thing about thinking about which Google Account you are using when you make a G+ page and that you may want to share it in the future...?

(I do appreciate your continued help!)

[Chris.Menke]

It's just a tip-there's not real reason to need to share the account.

Remember, after you add the company and make changes to it and have verified that you are allowed to make changes, any other other person can update that same business page by going through the same process--your client, your neighbor, me-- Their changes will just have to be verified with a post card or a phone call to the business.

Businesses are not assigned to an Google account, they're assigned to the business name, address and phone number. Any account can update the business information but it has to be verified by means of  google communicating directly to the address or phone number before the change is implemented.

[rayvensoft]

Call me slow, but it seems to me that if the Google Places for Business sign-up page says, "Tip: Before you create a business listing, think about which Google Account you are using. In the future, you may want to share this account with other people at your business," then I don't want to create a new Places page for my client's business under MY personal account, right?

The lightbulb ain't lightin' yet, sorry....

PS Maybe I didn't make clear: I just want to be able to sign them up for the Places page and manage it, Analytics, and WMTs for that same related domain. But the client owns and I want him to retain that ownership. Does that make sense?

[Chris.Menke]

Just go to Google Places for Business while logged into your Google account, follow the directions to add a business , make changes to it, get it verified via a phone call to the business (that you set them up for in advance) (it takes place in a matter of seconds) , or via a post card. and you're done!

[rayvensoft]

Thanks, Chris, for the response, which prompts a few more questions:

1. You have these other companies in your dashboard because they gave you Manager rights? Or rather, how did you get them to be in your dashboard?

2. In my scenario above, I don't really need to touch the client's restaurant site too much, but I do need to start from scratch on his catering one, which he's decided to keep totally separate (different name, different address, different phone, different social media, etc.).

To set up his Google+Local page for this second, separate business, which way is most advantageous?:

A. Set him up a separate gmail account, set up the G+Local page for his business under that, as well as the Analytics and WMTs? or

B. Is there a way that from his primary/original email he could give me access to set up this second place, short of giving me the login to his peronsal email account? (Will being "Manager"of the first do it?)

Appreciative.

[Chris.Menke]

The business name, address and telephone number belong to the entity.  Changes to the information or claiming the business are verified via a google phone call to the company's phone number or a postcard sent to the company's address. Anyone can make changes or cliam to a places page but the changes are not actually implemented until they are verified by the business via a phone call or postcard.

So, if you make the changes or claim a business while logged into YOUR google account, that company will forever show up in your Google places dashboard (until you delete it)--even if someone else makes changes to it from their account in the future.  I have, for example, many, many companies that show in my dashboard.  Each of them I've coordinated with to set up or revise their places page.  I make the changes, prepare them to be ready to get the automated phone call with the PIN (it happens in less than 20 seconds) or to be on the lookout for the postcard with the PIN (takes about two weeks) and when they get the PIN, they give it to me, I enter it into my dashboard, and the changes take effect.  You don't need to be in the client's google account to do this