Business Moves - Procedure Changes Again - Just Edit Local Listing Now

[Linda Buquet]

If you move locations, the intuitive thing to do is EDIT the details on the existing Google+ Local page. The dashboard never warned you to do it any other way, so most were never aware it was a problem.

However Google has been telling those of us who are Top Contributors, to advise businesses that they SHOULD NOT edit existing listing but need to open new and close old - for several months. This whole thing has caused lots of confusion and extra work for SMBs and consultants. So we pushed the info out hard and I've posted here about it many times. Then finally in December Google put out an official help doc about the need to close old listing and open new one. I promoted the info for Google here.

HAPPY TO SAY IT'S ALL CHANGED AGAIN for the better.
(But sorry to anyone who recently moved and did it the last way we were told to advise you.)

Now we are back to going the intuitive route. Just edit the address on the existing listing. However the outcome... what will happen after that, is unpredictable and depends on the situation.

Here is the new update Google just told us about yesterday. Jade said:

Verified business owner of a page, and is your business moving locations? Here's what you do.

Edit your address in Google Places for Business or in the Google+ page admin area, whichever you are using to manage the page. This will either make a new page or edit the address on the existing page. It may take a week or two after editing your address before you see an update. At this point, you may need to go through a verification process again. Don't worry -- this is normal.

If you see a page that's still got the old address, click on Report a problem and mark that location as closed. Provide the link to the new address or information about the new location if possible. You can find more instructions on closing a location here: Remove a listing or mark a place as closed or moved - Places for business Help

So now you can just edit the existing listing, but then I color coded the potential outcomes in Jade's statement above.

1) Edit make take on existing page OR could create a new page. May take 2 weeks to see changes.

NOTE: Watch vigilantly to see what happens. If new page IS created then I'm not certain if all your images, description and cats transfer or if you need to re-opt the page.

IMPORTANT REMINDER: If it creates a new page remember to update the map on your contact us page with the new correct CID. And if you have an email template or place on your site where you ask for reviews, remember to update that link to the new page.

2) If new page is created, then you need to find the old listing and mark it closed, indicating the new listing, as per instructions at the link in Jade's post.

Rebranding and COMPLETE name changes? In the past advice for moves also applied to complete name changes. So I assume that's the case now too. But I asked Google management for clarification about whether this new process applies to complete name changes too. Will keep you posted.

Any questions, concerns? Please share below.

 

[mborgelt]

I just happened to stumble upon a similar issue today.

For two different clients I found an old/different business at their address. They both were marked "This Place Has Closed or Relocated". Of course these old listings though marked as closed, are working like a duplicate and interfering with rankings.

I assume the best option is to verify these old businesses as the owner and have them deleted. Obviously, if the previous owner relocated then they should edit their listing accordingly. But these businesses no longer exist.

 

[Colan Nielsen]

I assume the best option is to verify these old businesses as the owner and have them deleted. Obviously, if the previous owner relocated then they should edit their listing accordingly. But these businesses no longer exist.

There's really no way to have a G+ Local listing deleted. As long as there are citations for the old business out there, the listing will remain.

Best bet is to leave them as is, marked closed. They shouldn't rank and should only be searchable by business name or phone number on the listing.

Over time the closed listings should fade away. Although I have seen a couple closed listings linger for a long time.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Yep Colan is right. Can't delete listings any more. But closing will pull them out of search unless someone looks for them by name. If they do G must feel they want the listing/reviews/previous address, still as a visible record on maps.

 

[RayH]

Hi Linda,

I saw that the most recent update on procedures to move a business on this thread was the procedures you mentioned on Feb 20 of this year. As it has been quite along time in Google world since then, I was curious if the procedures remain the same with all the changes in Maps.

Is the best route still to simply update the existing listing with the new address and then mark any other listings that show the address as Moved or Permanently closed with the new listing link information?

Thank you so much!

 

[Colan Nielsen]

Is the best route still to simply update the existing listing with the new address and then mark any other listings that show the address as Moved or Permanently closed with the new listing link information?

Indeed it is, yes.

What do you mean by "mark any other listings that show the address as Moved or Permanently closed with the new listing link information?"?

 

[RayH]

Indeed it is, yes.

What do you mean by "mark any other listings that show the address as Moved or Permanently closed with the new listing link information?"?

Just this portion of the original post:

2) If new page is created, then you need to find the old listing and mark it closed, indicating the new listing, as per instructions at the link in Jade's post.

 

[Colan Nielsen]

Got it. Thanks for clarifying.

 

[Kristen]

Rebranding and COMPLETE name changes? In the past advice for moves also applied to complete name changes. So I assume that's the case now too. But I asked Google management for clarification about whether this new process applies to complete name changes too. Will keep you posted.

We have a client who has moved to a new location, but there was some keyword stuffing in the business name of their old listing (KEYWORD + Business name).

Since it's been a few months since the last update on this thread, is the correct procedure simply to update the address AND business name of the current listing?

 

[tcusimano]

Is it safe for me to assume that by only changing the suite number of my address that Google will edit the address on my existing Google Local page instead of making a new listing?

 

[Colan Nielsen]

Is it safe for me to assume that by only changing the suite number of my address that Google will edit the address on my existing Google Local page instead of making a new listing?

I'd say that's a safe assumption.