Best Way to Tell if a G+ Business Page has been Merged with the G+ Local Page or Not

[JoyHawkins]

I get confused sometimes looking at G+ pages because I can't tell if it's just a Google+ Business page or if the local listing has merged with it and it's now a combination of the 2. The first thing I always look for to distinguish it is the reviews (if they are present, it is a Business + Local page).

Here's an example: Extreme Martial Arts MMA - Jiu Jitsu - Google+

At the top, it has a little icon saying it's a verified local business. My question is if that is an indication of it being a local + business page merge, where are the reviews or the option to leave a review?

I have difficulty explaining this to clients lol.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Hi Joy,

You can verify any business page, even if not a local business and that gives you the check mark. But in that case either they never had a Place page, so there was not a G+ Local page to merge OR the merge didn't work right which has been happening too.

I searched and they DO have a G+ L page, so not sure if the merge didn't work or if the user somehow elected to verify the business page but not merge and keep them separate.

 

[JoyHawkins]

So is reviews the best way to tell then? They look so similar lol.

The crazy thing is the example I gave was one of the first businesses to get the merge (Unify your Business’s Presence on Google Maps and Google Plus Silver Square). I guess something is screwed up w/ their page.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Well ya, sorry didn't answer the Q. Yes reviews is the easiest indicator. Plus the formatting of the "about" page is different.

Here is my bare, un-optmized but merged G+L page. Compare "about" section and you'll see the differences.

 

[dean_ss]

So is reviews the best way to tell then? They look so similar lol.

The crazy thing is the example I gave was one of the first businesses to get the merge (Unify your Business’s Presence on Google Maps and Google Plus Silver Square). I guess something is screwed up w/ their page.

We actually haven't had any problems merging google accounts. We aren't able to merge ours yet since our G+ page wasn't set up as 'Local'. We have, however, merged accounts for 3 clients with no problems so far.

On the subject matter, I'd say the best way to tell for sure that a page has been merged is the 'verified' check symbol.

 

[JoyHawkins]

@Dean...but Linda just replied saying "You can verify any business page, even if not a local business and that gives you the check mark."

 

[Linda Buquet]

@Dean...but Linda just replied saying "You can verify any business page, even if not a local business and that gives you the check mark."

Here are examples of that. Look at all the official Google City Pages. They are local pages, BUT not set up in local category - just G+ Business pages. And they all have the verified check mark.

List of Official Google+ City Pages

So you can have a regular G+ Business page and verify it to prove it's an official company page.

It's just if it's a LOCAL G+ Business page and there is a matching G+ Local (Place Page) that they merge.

(At least those are my thoughts BUT like all of you, all this G+ stuff is still new to me and I'm learning as I go along, like everyone else.)

 

[dean_ss]

You're right, the city pages have the checkmark. Hovering over it says verified name though.

I'm not sure how you can go about verifying the page if it's not local (to get verified name for instance). I have a few pages I've set up that aren't local, and I can't find any way to 'verify' them. Are there certain prerequisites, other than using the local category of course, that they would have to be set up as?

 

[Linda Buquet]

Here are a couple help links. Don't have time to really research more and as you know all this G+ stuff is gray and often not spelled out well.

Profile and page verification badges - Google+ Help
(For verifying profile pages)

Google+ page verification request - Google+ Help
(Just found this, not sure what use case it's for.)

 

[JoyHawkins]

I think I found the answer:

"This feature is only available toPublic Figures, Celebrities, Brands and people have been added to large amount of Circles.

If you are looking to apply to get your Google+ profile verified, than unfortunately there is no method to get your profile verified. The only way to get verified is to get added in large amount of circles (I don't know what amount is Large for Google+). If you have been added in large amount of Circle, than Google may reach to you to get your profile name verified. It is a manual process, so you can't apply for it."
Google Plus Blog: Get Your Profile Name Verified On Google Plus - Google+ Tips and Tricks, Google+ Hacks, Google+ Hangouts, Google+ Circles, Facebook Tips and Tricks, Facebook Hacks

 

[Simon James]

If you right click on the page to see the source code and then search for "Verified local business" you will find that on a merged Local G+ page there are two Div classes: 'Pua a-f-e Lra JB' and 'Rr sU Ora a-f-e qU' (whatever those mean)
...whereas on other pages there are none.

 

[dean_ss]

Thanks Linda and Joy.

Simon, that's a little obscure. How did you figure that out

 

[Simon James]

Nerdy force of habit.
Almost anything displayed on a webpage has its origins detailed in the source code. So most pages I land on, I have a look at the source code and the "Inspect Element" function.

 

[JoyHawkins]

I'm liking this Simon guy. Great idea!!

 

[Linda Buquet]

Here's a thread I've worked on at the G forum where G+ Business pages were being verified BUT did not properly merge with the Place page.

Problem when merging Google+ Business Page and Google+ Local Page

 

[JoyHawkins]

Very helpful thread Linda! That article I posted might be out-dated because it looks like you can request verification here: Google+ page verification request - Google+ Help

I can't believe Google would make the process that manual!!! Seems like a ton of work for them.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Joy I also posted that manual verification page above too. (2nd link, post #9.)

BUT want to be sure no one gets confused. That is NOT how to merge/verify a G+ Local page. In fact read the top carefully it's only for certain situations and just for G+ Business Page or Profiles pages, not for local businesses I don't think.

 

[JoyHawkins]

Linda, whoops I didn't realize that was the same page lol.

You're right, it's not to verify a local page, but it looks like it might be the response to dean's question:

I'm not sure how you can go about verifying the page if it's not local (to get verified name for instance). I have a few pages I've set up that aren't local, and I can't find any way to 'verify' them. Are there certain prerequisites, other than using the local category of course, that they would have to be set up as?