Can't Get a Postcard or Call - How to Verify?

[Digitaldar]

This is a getting verified question as opposed to a ranking question.

I have a client with 3 out of 9 unverified listings. For all three cases, at least the client is now the owner There was a business name change and with that came a change of phone numbers.

The business is a school (post secondary) and the unverified listings are for remote locations. In each case, the school shares a physical building with another business - e.g. a highschool (but the highschool and college are entirely separate entities with different names and phone numbers).

There are no employees currently on the campus to receive a postcard. The highschool does not ever let my client know that a postcard has arrived. We keep sending postcards and hear nothing back.

The phone number for all locations is the same and has an auto attendant that cannot be disabled (at least not by my marketing contacts) therefore verifying by phone is not possible.

I am thinking:
- have mail redirected temporarily
- get a new phone number temporarily (it's possible than when we go to change the number we may not be forced to re-verify)? I think there is an app for getting temporary numbers?

Any other suggestions? Thank you!

 

[StephanieNewton]

Hey @Digitaldar! Firstly, can I ask what you mean by the locations being "remote"?

If there's no one from your client's business on-site to receive a postcard, are you marking your client's business as closed at this time?

I'd suggest that you ensure someone from your client's business is available to answer the phone if that's the number you're listing on their GMB. Otherwise it could be considered inaccurate information.

It seems to me that there's no workaround to this (if I'm understanding the question correctly that is), but your client just needs to have employees at the location during specified opening hours and that you need someone to be answering the phone during specified opening hours, too. If your client isn't doing those things it could be going against Google's guidelines anyway as far as I'm understanding the situation.

 

[Digitaldar]

@StephanieNewton I believe that only teachers are on site - I'll need to confirm (e.g. there are no admin staff). The phone number is used by the entire college (multiple locations) - when you call, you have to hit a button to get directed to a specific department or location. This is common if not the norm these days.

I am almost at the point of agreeing with you

 

[StephanieNewton]

Oh, I see! Thanks for clarifying, @Digitaldar.

No easy options come to mind, unfortunately, aside from a) having admin staff on-site, or b) setting up direct phone lines for each department. I take it you don't have the option to verify by email?

I imagine the workarounds you've suggested would be successful, but it does feel a bit misleading if the accurate information isn't being displayed on GMB.

I can't say I've ever had to verify a school though, so perhaps someone else will have some more hot tips for you that I haven't thought of!

Best of luck

 

[chadkimball]

call google and explain, If you give them the info they need, they can verify it over the phone with you

 

[Digitaldar]

call google and explain, If you give them the info they need, they can verify it over the phone with you

Thanks @chadkimball I tried calling the phone number that is in Google Ads and pressed the appropriate button for GMB... they basically told me (automated) to create a GMB account LOL Any tips on getting through to a human?

 

[chadkimball]

if you're logged into google, this link should get you to the page to request a callback from them immediately, Let me know if it doesnt work:

Sign in - Google Accounts