Confused and Frustrated with the Dashboard and SERPS

[Positiveim]

Hi all,

Ok where do I start?

I set up a G+ Local page for a client a few weeks ago and verified it. Yesterday i searched for the business name in Google (see screenshot 1), and 2 listings are showing. Both say Google + Page. The top one is the one I set up and the 2nd one has the business name misspelled.




The top listing takes me to the G+ Local Page I set up. The other takes me to the Places Dashboard via "manage this page" where I find 3 listings! (see screenshot 2)- 1 verified G+ Local page and 2 unverified "Listings". The 2nd unverified is the misspelling.



So, what is going on and what should be appearing in the serps? I want to edit the misspelling but that is the one that also appears when searching for Dentists in that area so i don't want to lose the ranking.

Why is the unverified listing appearing, rather than the verified and complete G+ Local page?

Why are there 3 listings in the Dashboard instead of 2 and which of the unverified do I verify and should i delete one of them?

A lot of questions but hopefully someone can help. I'm seeing similar things for a number of clients.

 

[Margaret Ornsby]

Hi Positiveim,

If it helps, you're not alone.
I'm seeing this sort of thing all over the place too.
AFAIK, this is all part of the transition going on within G local on the way to whatever it's going to end up as.

I think to clear this kind of thing up takes an iterative approach.

In other words, get listings right in one area, then move onto the other areas - always checking to make sure the corrections you've already made don't get mucked up along the way.

• Is the website right? - NAP, microcode, etc.
• Is mapmaker right?
• Is G+business right?
• Is G Places right?
• Are citations right?

And after you make a round of changes, give the systems time to lock the changes in.
As i'm cleaning up listings, sometimes it only takes a couple of days to reflect the changes - other times weeks.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Hi Positiveim, thanks for the screenshots.

Live links help us to investigate, so here they are: http://goo.gl/maps/f2NBR

The top one is claimed and merged with Google+.

So I assume that's the top one in screenshot 2 of dash???

1st of all NEVER click manage this page to get into a listing dashboard. It can create problems and sometimes results in you accidentally claiming dupes, which may be what happened here.

You are going to need to take several steps. 1st you need to get the dupes out of the dashboard as it's a violation to have more than one listing claimed per location. Then you'll need to report the live dupes to Google and ask them to remove.

Looks like this is the new dash... So remove those other listings - there is a brand new option. Please see this post for screenshot of where to find it.

How to remove listings from the new Google Places dashboard

However that says "remove this listing". AND it cannot be undone. I assume that screen shot had only one listing. I also ASSUME if you have 3 it will ask you which one you want to remove? But again this is brand new feature and I don't have a dash with multiple listings to be able to check what happens. So click remove and see what options it gives you. If it does not look like you can specify which ones or something looks odd, take screen shot to show us, back out and don't do it.

Assuming that option works and you can delete the 2 from dash.

Then just find the live listing with the typo I linked to above. Go right on the listing. Click report a problem and tell Google it's a dupe.

 

[Colan Nielsen]

However that says "remove this listing". AND it cannot be undone. I assume that screen shot had only one listing. I also ASSUME if you have 3 it will ask you which one you want to remove? But again this is brand new feature and I don't have a dash with multiple listings to be able to check what happens. So click remove and see what options it gives you. If it does not look like you can specify which ones or something looks odd, take screen shot to show us, back out and don't do it.

Assuming that option works and you can delete the 2 from dash.

Then just find the live listing with the typo I linked to above. Go right on the listing. Click report a problem and tell Google it's a dupe.

Great advice Linda. And yes, you can select the specific listings that you want to delete and do them individually.

 

[Positiveim]

Thanks for all the help guys.

However that says "remove this listing". AND it cannot be undone. I assume that screen shot had only one listing. I also ASSUME if you have 3 it will ask you which one you want to remove?

Linda, you don't get this option at the top level of the dash. You need to click the edit button next to the listing you want to remove, then click the gear icon to get the remove option.

So to summarize...

Remove listing 2 in the dash.
Report 3 as a dupe of 1

??

Thanks
Nick

 

[Linda Buquet]

Linda, you don't get this option at the top level of the dash. You need to click the edit button next to the listing you want to remove, then click the gear icon to get the remove option.

Thanks, that makes sense.

Remove listing 2 in the dash.
Report 3 as a dupe of 1

"1st you need to get the dupes out of the dashboard as it's a violation to have more than one listing claimed per location."

Sorry was not more clear, best to remove both from dash.

Since they are not verified, they likely won't cause a problem, but best to clear them out.

Then any that are live on maps report as dupe right on the listing. (Either edit details or report a problem.)

#2 probably won't show on maps since it's same NAP, will just merge or already has.

#3 Shows up since different spelling, so report that one.

NEXT: Google never makes anything up. If it's a typo someone entered it that way somewhere on the web. If Google keeps finding it, she may keep bringing that dupe back. So find and correct on any authority sites.

Find a few more places by searching for: "Bad version of name" "phone" (in quotes)

Hope this helps and best of luck!

 

[Positiveim]

Brilliant Linda, thanks.

One last thing - The one with the wrong spelling is the one that shows up in the serps for related search terms. Will Removing and reporting affect ranking or will it just force the correct version to be shown?

 

[Linda Buquet]

If anything at all, it could help ranking on the main listing since dupes often either knock you out of blended or down in in the SERPs. Sometimes dupes kill rankings and sometimes it does not have much impact. So just depends.

 

[Positiveim]

Linda, you've cleared up so many queries in this thread. Much appreciated.

 

[Positiveim]

Can anyone tell me how long (roughly) it takes for Google to update after edits such as a business name spelling correction is made?

 

[Linda Buquet]

I thought the one you claimed had the correct name. One of the dupes you were getting rid of was the one that was misspelled. Did something change?

 

[Positiveim]

Sorry Linda, you're right. I've completed all the business details for the correct listing and removed the dupe but it's still the dupe (misspelling) that's showing in the serps.

 

[Linda Buquet]

So you removed both from dash?

Did you report the dupe on the listing? Or did you edit it to change name? Cuz in Q above you asked about editing name.

If you are asking how long will it take if you edit the unclaimed dupe right on the listing with edit details, normally it takes a week or 2. But the right thing to do it report it as a dupe instead.

 

[Positiveim]

Ok, there were originally 3 in the dash.

#1 - correct verified listing with logo, photos, description, and correct spelling of biz name
#2 - dupe
#3 - dupe with misspelling

#2 was removed
#3 was reported as dupe of #1 and removed.

The situation now is;
Only #1 in dash.

Searching for biz name in Google returns listing with correct spelling of biz name in serps but clicking through to G+ local has misspelled name and no logo, photos etc.
https://plus.google.com/101011578517473848632/about

Searching for a related keyword phrase returns listing with incorrect spelling and the same G+ as above.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Easiest way to show the dupe is like this: http://goo.gl/maps/sFApg Then we can plainly see both.

How long ago did you report the dupe and which method did you use to report it? (Report a problem or edit details right on the listing OR troubleshooter). If troubleshooter you can reply to email you got and ask about it.

It can take 2 - 6 weeks sometimes for dupes to resolve.

WAIT:
In Map Maker, it says that typo name was CLAIMED 8/12. But when you 1st report this to us 8/9. The typo name was in dash UNverified. Then you said you deleted. So how did it get claimed?

Google Automated Places Data Copier did the edit on 8/12 and that bot COPIES data from the Place dash when you claim a listing. (Sometimes the dates are off, but again it was unclaimed and you said you deleted.)

So did you by chance, instead of doing what I recommended, verify it so you could change the name in dash? And that's why you are asking me today how long name changes take???

Or could owner or someone else have claimed that listing after you asked for help here? Cuz I'm confused by what I am seeing.

 

[Positiveim]

Hi Linda,

I've no idea why it shows a claimed date of 12/8. It was claimed back in June and the PIN added in July. The dupes may have been created at this point for whatever reason. No one else could have tried to claim it since then.

I definitely followed your instructions but it's been a difficult few weeks, so I may have done something wrong.

I guess i'm just trying to get me head round why everything now looks correct in the back end but the front end is still all over the place.

Thanks for your patience

 

[Positiveim]

Going through the process with another client, I reported the dup then tried to remove the dup listing in the dashboard as per

https://support.google.com/places/answer/183009?hl=en

However, this is the first time I've seen this screen when removing a listing.



Some of the wording is a bit intimidating! Will this just remove a listing from the dashboard or will it cause other issues?

 

[Linda Buquet]

WHAT??? OK now I'm officially bamboozled!

"Deleting... will also delete the Google account"???

That sounds like it must have been a merged G+ page? But still does not make sense because even if you just flat out delete a G+ business page - which you totally can - it does not delete your Google account.

"Still responsible for financial transactions"???

OK maybe that means if you had Adwords or AWX attached???

But "under certain circumstances my earnings won't be paid out"?????????????

WHAT??? What earnings. That makes no sense at all!

The 2nd box says "yes I want to delete my account" NOT place page but account.

==============================================

So I think something weird must be going on and you are not where you think you are.

Could you tell me exactly how you got to this page?

Need to be very specific about if you were in the old places dash or new places dash or the G+ business dash.

Colan do you have any ideas? Ever seen a screen like this or messaging like this???

 

[Positiveim]

Hey Linda, well if you're bamboozled - god help the rest of us!

I got here via the new places dashboard > All listings view.

Clicked Edit in the 2nd listing (dupe)

Scroll to the bottom of the page and clicked Remove this Listing ....



Clicked Remove Listing again...



....which takes me to the scary page...

 

[Linda Buquet]

Thanks for documenting in such detail. I think that messaging is off or something odd is going on.

I'll escalate to Google to see if they are aware and what it means.