Google+ Company Verification Help

[BopDesign]

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!

[Travis_Bailey]

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.

[BopDesign]

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?

[SEO5Team]

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.

Google + Verification

[Travis_Bailey]

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.

[TammyWood]

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/