Can "Closed" Google Local Listings Kill Ranking? Important New Troubleshooting Tip

[JoyHawkins]

Re: Can "Closed" Google Local Listings Kill Ranking? Important New Troubleshooting Ti

Linda,

That wouldn't work because I don't think there would be any way the parent company would allow it. If an insurance agent leaves, for example, it's usually because they moved into management (working for corporate) or got fired (they didn't get their contract renewed due to not selling enough) or they went to work somewhere else for another company.

Most of the time the clients/policyholders belong to the parent company so you would wouldn't see an agent leaving company 1 and going to company 2 and taking their client base with them. The customers stay with the company that insured them.

Plus I don't think there is any way I could talk the agent leaving into listing their cell number on Google. Most of them don't even list their cell on their website.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Re: Can "Closed" Google Local Listings Kill Ranking? Important New Troubleshooting Ti

Oh well, just a thought.

 

[Rich Owings]

Re: Can "Closed" Google Local Listings Kill Ranking? Important New Troubleshooting Ti

Anyway, please start a new thread in "Help" for this one so we don't take this important general thread off topic going back and forth troubleshooting a single case. And we'll try to help you there.

Will do. Definitely don't want to get you off-topic!

 

[JoshuaMackens]

Re: Can "Closed" Google Local Listings Kill Ranking? Important New Troubleshooting Ti

Joy,

I wasn't able to reply on the blog. It looks like the captcha is down or I messed up or something.

Either way...

Great post.

You mentioned "The only way to get this done is to use RAP or contact the Google My Business team via email."

Did you mean contact the GMB via email through the troubleshooter? Or is there an email option I've missed?

 

[JoyHawkins]

Re: Can "Closed" Google Local Listings Kill Ranking? Important New Troubleshooting Ti

Yeah via email through the troubleshooter They don't have a direct email address.

 

[Brian Barwig]

Re: Can "Closed" Google Local Listings Kill Ranking? Important New Troubleshooting Ti

Thanks for the ideas and info Joy and Linda. I actually called Google about this yesterday and they would not remove the listing. It is very doubtful I can get a phone number change on the site as well, especially with a cell.

Looks like those listings are on GMaps for a long time. Unfortunate.

 

[JoshuaMackens]

Re: Can "Closed" Google Local Listings Kill Ranking? Important New Troubleshooting Ti

Yeah via email through the troubleshooter They don't have a direct email address.

Purrrrrrfect.

 

[Margaret Ornsby]

Re: Can "Closed" Google Local Listings Kill Ranking? Important New Troubleshooting Ti

May I can add two tips to your process Linda?

When searching by phone number, be sure to use the "normalised" format for the phone number. EG not 30355512 and not 303-555-1212, rather (303) 555-1212. Don't know why it seems to matter...

Step 3 - Search by partial business name and region. Any partial matches will show in the dropdown as you type, and you can find listings that won't always show when searching by the full company name. This has been particularly useful with practice/practitioner situations.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Re: Can "Closed" Google Local Listings Kill Ranking? Important New Troubleshooting Ti

Both great points Margaret!

I harp on the phone format so much I guess I assumed folks know to use standard phone format, but you are totally right, should try that format 1st and I should have mentioned. But in the dupe discovery post, which is the other post I think someone mentioned they found a listing when searching with dashes that didn't show with standard format.

Your 2nd tip I had not thought about although I've noticed it and had it come in handy. Just never thought to spell it out and you are totally right. Good one!

I'll copy your tips over to the dupe discovery post too.

 

[Margaret Ornsby]

Re: Can "Closed" Google Local Listings Kill Ranking? Important New Troubleshooting Ti

Thanks for the tip on the phone number *not* using the native format. Will add that to my checklist - haven't had success finding pages that way but will include it just in case it turns some thing up.
Ya never know...

 

[JoshuaMackens]

Re: Can "Closed" Google Local Listings Kill Ranking? Important New Troubleshooting Ti

Is there any update to this?

Linda, I know you and many others on the forum have the ear of the Google Local department. Surely this is a huge issue that needs to be addressed?

As time goes on, it gets worse. Businesses close, new ones open in the same location and the problem gets worse, and worse, and worse.

Any info on Google Local's response?

 

[JoyHawkins]

Re: Can "Closed" Google Local Listings Kill Ranking? Important New Troubleshooting Ti

I've brought up several issues related to this but usually Google won't comment much on things related to ranking.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Re: Can "Closed" Google Local Listings Kill Ranking? Important New Troubleshooting Ti

They are aware. I don't think they are buying that this is a problem. Like Joy said, they won't really comment on things they see as ranking related.

If you have a blatant case where it's obvious a closed listing is the problem, please post it.
Maybe if we get more examples...

 

[JoshuaMackens]

Re: Can "Closed" Google Local Listings Kill Ranking? Important New Troubleshooting Ti

I'll be actively looking.

I've got one now that I think is an issue but can't prove it. Has a single practitioner dupe which may be the reason for the ranking issue.

 

[Maginot]

Re: Can "Closed" Google Local Listings Kill Ranking? Important New Troubleshooting Ti

Absolutely.

I had one client (restaurant) whose location got bought and bulldozed like 6 years ago. Since then they are 2 blocks down. So "1234 22nd St" vs "2345 24th St" and the existence of the permanently closed listing splits the views because it was higher than the new location.

The old location had a different phone number so I couldnt merely claim it and update the NAP. So if someone is trying to call in an order or find the place because they are meeting folks, not only will they be S.O.L. if they make that call, it reflects poorly on the business. The whole point of googlemaps is to connect people with goods/services with a level a accuracy, right?


Does google leave it up because they *hope* the business owner will discover that people have marked their business closed and then they will eventually claim it?

 

[Margaret Ornsby]

Re: Can "Closed" Google Local Listings Kill Ranking? Important New Troubleshooting Ti

Not trying to be snarky here, rather trying to understand the mindset going on in G.
I have a client I think is in this boat - almost identical to Joy's "case #2" from her article.

If we say the listing "should" show in the pack, the mindset now is "it's a ranking issue and not our problem"?

If that's right, then this is going to be a tough one to get fixed. Ultimately you could say everything on Google is about ranking, including Adwords!

 

[steven]

Re: Can "Closed" Google Local Listings Kill Ranking? Important New Troubleshooting Ti

ok, I think I missed something. When I find a practitioner who is no longer attached to a practice and is now showing as closed, what do I do to fix the problem?

 

[Linda Buquet]

Re: Can "Closed" Google Local Listings Kill Ranking? Important New Troubleshooting Ti

Hi Steven,

You didn't miss it. I don't know that there is a good solution.

Technically if a practitioner leaves then you should close their listing. However, we were just letting you know we've noticed this seems to cause ranking problems.

Are you pretty sure a closed dupe is hurting ranking? Or did you just notice one and wonder what to do?

I'd suggest using my minimizing dupes strategy before closing a listing to see if that would help mitigate problems. But if it's already closed, you can't edit the listing.

Let's see if Joy has any ideas. I think she's gotten a listing re-opened so she could make edits, but that's cuz she has connections at Map Maker I think.

 

[steven]

Re: Can "Closed" Google Local Listings Kill Ranking? Important New Troubleshooting Ti

Can't prove that it's hurting rankings, but I did close a listing for an old practitioner back when I first started up with a client. So, when I read this, I was just wondering if there was anything I should do differently...

 

[Linda Buquet]

Re: Can "Closed" Google Local Listings Kill Ranking? Important New Troubleshooting Ti

Ya in future I'd try to minimize 1st, then wait a couple weeks, then close.

Hmmm, can't minimize by linking to internal page like bio because they are gone.
Maybe just try removing link???