Citations importance in claiming and losing or GMB listings.

[HRobinson]

Please let me know if I am asking this in the right part of the forum.

I have clients with several locations. I wonder if I need to focus more on citations to fix the issues I'm having with Google verifying my listings and losing existing locations.

#1 I have recently had situations where a Google rep has been tough. We show the location. We show outdoor pictures. We show pictures of the sign. We show a view of the sign and building from Google maps. And they still won't confirm.

I showed them the Property Appraiser listing of us as the owner, and they still won't confirm.

Then we show the entrance. And they won't confirm.

Then we have to show the lobby, and they won't confirm.

Then we show the reception, and they won't confirm.

Then we show the office door, and they will confirm.

When you talk with them, it seems they don't have any special software and are searching Google just like anybody would. This makes me wonder if I need to focus on citations.

#2 I have had other locations where we changed the services provided in that building. I need to get rid of the old listing and provide the new listing. I even have a website showing the new address and change of services. Still I have a very hard time getting the new location verified.

It used to be you could get someone on the phone and they would work with you and check the website and such but now they seem to be much tougher.

Again I'm wondering if I had a lot of citations for this new locations if the rep would have been easier on me.

#3 Duplicate listing confirmed then removed. I have a few different locations where I have two businesses in the same building. We have two different entrances, but they don't get separate mail.

I've had to show both entrances and go back and forth explaining how each is completely different with different services and hours. After sending pictures and weeks of going back and forth, I get them to provide separate listing.

But it doesn't last. Only later and twice with the same property, after assured it would not happen again they go back to duplicate listings and I lose one of my listings. (Frustrating)

I am wondering since one rep doesn't seem to talk to the other or have records of conversations and seem to just do their research with a basic search if this problem comes down to getting more citations.

For example, I had to create a Suite A and a Suite B for the duplicate listing. But did not go out of my way to create a lot of citations. Is that why it came back as duplicate? Would citations have fixed the issue?

I'm starting to wonder if I need to focus on citations first. Then on fixing verification issues.


Because without the correct citations I'm just going to be getting the runaround.

 

[JoshuaMackens]

Please let me know if I am asking this in the right part of the forum.

I have clients with several locations. I wonder if I need to focus more on citations to fix the issues I'm having with Google verifying my listings and losing existing locations.

#1 I have recently had situations where a Google rep has been tough. We show the location. We show outdoor pictures. We show pictures of the sign. We show a view of the sign and building from Google maps. And they still won't confirm.

I showed them the Property Appraiser listing of us as the owner, and they still won't confirm.

Then we show the entrance. And they won't confirm.

Then we have to show the lobby, and they won't confirm.

Then we show the reception, and they won't confirm.

Then we show the office door, and they will confirm.

When you talk with them, it seems they don't have any special software and are searching Google just like anybody would. This makes me wonder if I need to focus on citations.

#2 I have had other locations where we changed the services provided in that building. I need to get rid of the old listing and provide the new listing. I even have a website showing the new address and change of services. Still I have a very hard time getting the new location verified.

It used to be you could get someone on the phone and they would work with you and check the website and such but now they seem to be much tougher.

Again I'm wondering if I had a lot of citations for this new locations if the rep would have been easier on me.

#3 Duplicate listing confirmed then removed. I have a few different locations where I have two businesses in the same building. We have two different entrances, but they don't get separate mail.

I've had to show both entrances and go back and forth explaining how each is completely different with different services and hours. After sending pictures and weeks of going back and forth, I get them to provide separate listing.

But it doesn't last. Only later and twice with the same property, after assured it would not happen again they go back to duplicate listings and I lose one of my listings. (Frustrating)

I am wondering since one rep doesn't seem to talk to the other or have records of conversations and seem to just do their research with a basic search if this problem comes down to getting more citations.

For example, I had to create a Suite A and a Suite B for the duplicate listing. But did not go out of my way to create a lot of citations. Is that why it came back as duplicate? Would citations have fixed the issue?

I'm starting to wonder if I need to focus on citations first. Then on fixing verification issues.


Because without the correct citations I'm just going to be getting the runaround.

I doubt citations will make them believe you any further. But you do need them to rank better so I would get them for that purpose.

It just sounds like they're being tough on you verifying. Are you not doing mail verification?

 

[HRobinson]

Good to know. I was confused why a location would be fine after removed as a duplicate listing and then later to find it would back into status of duplicate listing.

Of course, they don't tell you this so I was wondering why. I thought citations might help but from what you say it is not the case.

This one, in particular, did not have mail verification. It has a separate entrance and limited hours but not a separate mail address. I did however, give it a suite to differentiate from the main entrance. I showed it on Google Maps and the entrance and interior plus a video of the services offered in this property.

This takes a couple weeks going back and forth with an overseas rep. Then eventually it is confirmed by a stateside rep and I was assured it was OK and it showed up again. Then about 6 weeks it is down again as a duplicate.

Without straight answers or solutions from the reps I was looking for another solution.

I was hoping citations would help. Thanks for looking at my question.

 

[Linda Buquet]

I'm curious what industry this was. And how much the services differ at the location where you have 2 offices at the same address.

 

[Eric Rohrback]

This business wasn't located at a regus suite type building, were they? Can you share the business to give us a little more context around the problem?

 

[HRobinson]

Sure - No it's not a Regus type at all. It's an entire complex devoted to the business.

It's a large national non-profit. (They may not know of it in India.)

The main office is there along with management offices.

There is a main retail store. Still all the mail goes to the main office.

There is on the side the outlet store. This has unique and special hours and it's own entrance.

The outlet store is the one that keeps getting removed as a duplicate. Even though I have pictures of the different entrance with a sign above and a large handicapped ramp. And a video where the local news crew came and did a video.

Another property was an apartment building the nonprofit owns for low income. It's always full and we don't promote it much. But I thought to add it. Again I was dealing with an overseas rep who said their is a lot of misrepresentation with apartments without properly staffed receptions. This was also very difficult. We had lots of pictures of the interior and the lobby but we had to send someone out there special to take more photos to get it verified.

I have had a few more that I have had issues with but not paid much attention to the citations. That's why I wondered if my problems were related to citations. To me it seemed very obvious that we were a business at these locations. I had a lot of information but didn't focus much on getting citations. So that is why I thought that is the problem.

I guess it just takes more time and due diligence. Or maybe I have been unlucky with the Google assistance. I'm glad it's not the citations.

Getting back to your question - this is definitely not a rental office building like Regus. This is a large piece of property owned by the company with many buildings on the property all owned by the Nonprofit and has been located there for more than 20 years.

 

[JoyHawkins]

I would strongly advise giving Google a video of the locations. Especially showing the entrances etc. Videos, unlike photos, can't be faked as easily. I have had lots of success getting suspensions lifted for spammy verticals using them.

 

[chadkimball]

I would strongly advise giving Google a video of the locations. Especially showing the entrances etc. Videos, unlike photos, can't be faked as easily. I have had lots of success getting suspensions lifted for spammy verticals using them.

you mean, they ask for photos, and you just take a video and send that over instead?

 

[JoyHawkins]

Exactly.

 

[HRobinson]

Thank you Joy, that's great information!

I'll try that.

Oh and Hi Chad - Nice to see you here.