Duplicate and Verified Google+ Business Pages

[mda1125]

For my first post, it should be more than a "support" request or advice but when I was surfing on my iPad last night and found this forum... I am just happy to have found it! Not sure how I didn't before but the info here is utterly mind-blowing.

My client site is ranking well and his Google+ Local page does show in the pack.

Question:

He has 2 Google+ Pages when you logon to the Google My Business Dashboard: Google My Business

2 pages. Both verified. Both the same business (different names but same NAP)

While the page he created is more fancy... there's nothing there that can't be re-created pretty quick. It's not a big deal to delete it and then modify the ranking page with the current business name and update some photos and such.

Worth calling support to see if they will merge these or just delete the newer page and then fancy up the page that Google created previously as I know it's ranking?

I hate to keep them both as it's a violation and when you do searches, sometimes one page will show in the pack, sometimes the other.. they both show on Google Maps and both are links on Google Maps.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Hi and welcome mda!

Glad the info here blew your mind. We have lots to share! Thanks for joining us!

Can you give me an example (fake if necessary) of the 2 names?

Is one a practitioner name and one a practice name, by chance?
Or is it more like Alpine Plumbing vs Alpine Plumbing & Heating?

 

[mda1125]

Sure...

A) David, Marc MD
B) Performance Medical - Marc David, MD

1st is the practitioner name (Google created this one I think) and 2nd is the local page the biz created which includes the practice name followed by the practitioner

The 2nd makes more sense to me as a human as it could include what the person specifically does...

My thought is to delete B and just update A with the newer business info including the practitioner name of course.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Thanks and glad I asked, more complicated than you realize.

1) Not a violation because a practice and a practitioner are allowed in cases like this BUT the Dr listing will usually hurt ranking and/or occasionally replace the practice in the pack. (I'll explain how to deal with it based on your answer below.)

2) You can't delete a practitioner listing as a dupe. You can delete from dash but it will still stay live on maps.

3) Any time you change NAP you usually lose ranking AND sometimes Google will mark the listing as closed and open a new one. Then ranking suffers so I would not change A.

Important Q before I tell you how to deal with this.

Is he the sole practitioner???

Does he plan to stay that way? This is really important on a couple levels so if unsure should ask if he ever plans to add a partner or associate.

 

[mda1125]

Sole Practitioner and plans to stay that way.

 

[Linda Buquet]

OK good. That's important for a couple reasons.

FYI if that was not the case, then you can't have a combo name like that. And Dr listing would have to stay live and need to be 'minimized' which is a strategy I came up with after Google decided they would no longer remove or merge Dr listings as dupes. Won't go into it since that's not the case here.

But there is a little know rule that if it's a solo practitioner then they don't need to keep 2 listings and can do a combo name like you have in B.

So if B is accurate I'd keep it as is since any change to NAP can cause problems.
Once we get rid of A so it's not competing for attention, then B rank should improve.
PLUS we are going to see if we can get support to MERGE A into B instead of just deleting it which would make B stronger.

I'd delete A from dash before you take the next step.

So if I'm on track so far and B has the correct names then Monday I'd contact Google Business phone support so you can talk to someone directly. Explain in case you get a green rep, that sole practitioners don't need to keep 2 listings, B already has both names, therefore A is a dupe. Ask if instead of deleting it they can merge it into B.

Good thing you caught me on Sunday when I have time for long answers. These days I don't have time for detailed support like this very often.

 

[mda1125]

Perfect...

So I can remove A now... and still ask support to merge that page since a deletion from the dashboard is not actually a delete from the system?

Just to clarity, A is what Google created at some point but it's never been updated by the biz owner or me. He created that 2nd page with his biz name and his legal name.

Might as well remove A, ask support to merge and hope B rises because it will be the sole page for this business.

Thanks Linda for the nice detailed answer! Appreciate it.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Ya I could tell A was a scraped dupe since his name is backwards like the Yellow Pages.

Sounds like you are set. That should work and I think is the best plan.

 

[mda1125]

Ah.... you are probably very right. Scraped from the Yellowpages. Don't get me started with that place (they have dupes of his name and he pays for a listing!!)

I'll toss out A and see if support will merge it. If not, all he loses is one old 2010 review.

And then Page B can start to get some love!

 

[mda1125]

As a close out to this... I asked Support via email to merge the listings. They replied with a very generic message... about as helpful as asking my cat for some tax advice on a wash sale.

I deleted that potentially scraped but ranking page. As you know, it just removes it form the dashboard.

About a week later I noticed 1 review from 2010 showing up on the only Google + business page. I thought I'd lose that if it wasn't merged and I gave up and deleted the page.

That triggered something because that review now shows on the proper page.

They must have merged it after it was deleted and there was some support ticket floating around somewhere.

All is well in his world.

1 personal Google + account that lists 1 Google + Page about this business with the proper NAP. He got to keep his 1 review and all his posts.