Google+ currently DOES support hidden addresses?

[AvalancheSearch]

We noticed yesterday that many of our clients with hidden addresses are now able to get a verified G+ page through the Places dashboard.

Anyone else have any insight on this? Are they classified as "Local" pages, or just verified "Business" pages?

[MiriamEllis]

Hi Avalanche,

If it happened automatically, then it does sound like part of the automatic upgrade. I do, however, recommend that you investigate and resolve the business title inconsistency. Google's guidelines specifically forbid anything but the legal business name or DBA in that field. If an internal edit doesn't work, I'd go through the troubleshooter:

https://support.google.com/places/

Hit the red 'contact us' button to begin documenting the problem, which is quite a serious one, both because of Google's guidelines and the fact that citation consistency is considered to be one of the top local ranking factors.

Hope this helps!

[AvalancheSearch]

We're not too worried about the wrong name right now, as Google thinks that it's a neighborhood. The service area is correct. We're pretty sure it will resolve itself once reported enough times.

The merging action happened automatically. Here is another one https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/115095730384671234906/115095730384671234906/about

All I had to do is go into the places dashboard and it had created the G+ Local page, already verified.

[MiriamEllis]

Hi AvalancheSearch,

Thanks for the link. That looks like a merged, verified Google+ Local page, as it has both reviews and social features. Interesting. Are you saying that this change to the type of Google+ Local page you have happened only last Friday?

There is currently a major upgrade going on in which all old Google Place Pages will be upgraded to the new Google+ Local dashboard. SABs have been advised for some time not to merge their social and local pages. See: http://localsearchforum.catalystemarketing.com/google-business-pages/12261-there-way-verify-service-area-google-plus.html

Did you take merging action? Or are you saying this happened automatically?

Also see: http://localsearchforum.catalystemarketing.com/google-local-important/9928-google-begins-auto-upgrade-g-local-listings.html

And:

http://productforums.google.com/forum/#!msg/business/I0Royu8V9x8/-vc1j0CD_74J

The wrong name on your business may be problematic. Can you figure out where it's coming from?

[AvalancheSearch]

https://plus.google.com/b/108665495185264150824/108665495185264150824/posts

If you look at this page, the address is hidden. Only the city is showing. It's a weird name/not sure why that happened. This was done through the places dashboard on Friday.

[customerparadigm.com]

The simple answer is that Google Places allow you to designate service-area businesses, such as a lawn care company that goes to people's homes or businesses.  Most of these businesses are run out of someone's house or have a PO Box.

A Google+ Page, though, does not allow you to "hide" your address.

The confusion, though, is that a few months ago, Google started allowing you to merge Google+ Pages into Google Places pages.  I work with these all the time, and I still find it confusing.

According to this Google Product Forum:
http://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/google-plus-discuss/YEoxcSdOWGI
... you are not supposed to create a Google+ Page for a Service Area business that has a hidden address.

Google+ Pages do not support hidden addresses.

A service area business is also not available for Google Business Photos (think street view photos inside a business).  That's only for a buiness where you can have customers come into a store or a physical location.

Instead, you should create a Google Places listing, from the new Places Dashbaord, and add your service area into it.

This forum has a bit more detail as well:
http://productforums.google.com/forum/#!category-topic/business/I0Royu8V9x8

I hope this helps!
Thanks,
-- Jeff