Going around in circles with Google Places to Google Plus Local.

[Caroline Consol]

Hey everyone, I hope you can help and in return, I will offer support where I can on issues I have already worked out. Here's my problem:

I have 36 individual listings on Google Places that have been doing well in the rankings for a long time and are all complete, accurate listings with photos and web links. Every single one of them was verified by a PIN that was sent to each one of the 36 premises last year.

A few days ago when checking on my listings by typing relevant keywords into Google, I noticed our listings were either not showing at all or were showing as an inaccurate, incomplete Google Plus Local listing with none of the information that is in Google Places.

I search for the businesses via Google Plus Local and click on 'Manage this page' and it takes me back to my old complete Google places listing.

I'm totally fine with change and all I want is for all of our businesses to display a complete listing when people search for them. How can I make the new Google Plus listings complete when to edit it, I'm taken back to an already complete Google Places listing that is not showing on Google any more.

This loop is driving me insane!

 

[Cleaner44]

Personally if they are brick & mortar I now prefer to merge them to the Google+ page and make sure everything is complete there. It is a new set of data and Google responds well to the merge listings. If you do it, pay special attention to the Categories.

 

[Caroline Consol]

That sounds fab but I can't find a way to do that! Every time I try to do anything, I'm taken to my old Google places listings.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Hi Caroline,

Merging is probably not advisable in your situation. It sounds like these listings are all for one company, is that right? If so, you can't merge.

It also sounds like there are data issues or possibly some of these became unclaimed. If there are data problems you also can't merge. So we need to just focus right now on the places side of things to see what's up.

This can get REALLY complicated, so in order for us to give the best advice we need more info.

1) Are these all for the same company OR are you an agency and these are all indiv clients?

2) Please give link to 1 or 2 of the listings that are live and tell us what data is wrong.

3) Please give screenshot of locations screen in your dashboard. And edit screen for one of the live listings you link to that's incorrect so we can see what's inside vs what's live.

FYI I'm out part of day due to major computer crash and need to go get my new PC so will answer when I can or one of our other helpful members will help you.

 

[Caroline Consol]

Hi Linda,

Firstly, thank you so much. I am blown away by your willingness to help and will do everything I can to support this local community.

In answer to your questions, the 36 listings are all for the same company but to represent each one of our shops that are in different areas. I am the Marketing Manager for the whole UK company and solely responsible for these listings.

In this link - https://plus.google.com/112576528062911783541/about?gl=uk&hl=en you'll see there is minimal information and no photos etc and yet when I try to add information, it takes me to my Google places account where the info is already complete.

Here is another example: https://plus.google.com/109922925506304107321/about?gl=uk&hl=en Again, minimal info that if I try to change am taken back to Google places where the info is already complete with photos etc.

On top of this, I also have listings like this: https://plus.google.com/105790155539392617320/about?gl=uk&hl=en which show the same basic information as an exact duplicate although my Google Places listings only show 1 of each shop.

I have attached a print screen view of part of my Google Places account and another view of the edit screen so you can see what I mean!

Again, thanks very much for your help, by far the most helpful on the entire web.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Crazed trying to get out of here to get PCs. Couple quick observations.

DO NOT MAKE ANY CHANGES based on anyone's advice yet. This is complicated and the kind of case that should be a 2 hour consult. It requires a deep dive and I can't go that deep going back and forth on a forum thread. There are NUMEROUS issues.

Again what I'm about to give you is QUICK observations - don't make any changes as it's VERY complicated.

1) Names appear to be keyword stuffed which is the #1 reason for suspended listings. iF the name is Consol then you can't add Tanning Salon to it.

2) This one: https://plus.google.com/109922925506304107321/about?gl=uk&hl=en
42 London Rd Portsmouth Porthmouth, Portsmouth - That address can't be right can it? Is that how it is in dash?

3) I can't read the screen shots, but since I'm not doing deep dive consulting, I think just seeing a couple listings is enough to tell me part of the story. But if you get a chance it would help to see them. Can you crop in to the important parts? That would make the parts I need to see bigger and readable.

4) Is there a red suspended banner at top of dash on locations screen? I can't see that screen shot. Are any pending review or rejected or anything???

Because those bare listings look dead or suspended or something to me. BUT again I can't see the screenshot of the listing to compare what's inside.

Leaving to pick up PCs, then under gun to get new PCs up and working as this one keeps crashing too. So in crisis mode and may not be able to get back to this thread til tonight.

 

[Caroline Consol]

Hi Linda,

Sounds like you are having a nightmare with PC problems

I recently added the words 'Tanning Salon' onto the end of the compnay name because I thought it might help us to come up in the listings as nobody searches for Consol. I saw it in a Tutorial a few weeks ago where a dentist had added 'Dentist' after finding nobody clicked on his ad. It worked wonders for him but perhaps I should change it back?

Bizarre with the Portsmouth one, just checked it in the dashboard and no, it's correct in there!

The red banner at the top is simply one of our new shops that is waiting for a PIN to be entered but I haven't received it yet so it is pending. There is also one review above that that simply says 'The information provided isn't eligible for verification.' I have no idea what to do with this one too as all information is correct and no different from the others. Again, all listings were showing fine before Google Plus Local took over.

Will absolutely help out where I can to others on this site that ask questions I know the answers too! Again, thanks so much.

 

[Cleaner44]

Hi Linda,

Sounds like you are having a nightmare with PC problems

I recently added the words 'Tanning Salon' onto the end of the compnay name because I thought it might help us to come up in the listings as nobody searches for Consol. I saw it in a Tutorial a few weeks ago where a dentist had added 'Dentist' after finding nobody clicked on his ad. It worked wonders for him but perhaps I should change it back?

Bizarre with the Portsmouth one, just checked it in the dashboard and no, it's correct in there!

The red banner at the top is simply one of our new shops that is waiting for a PIN to be entered but I haven't received it yet so it is pending. There is also one review above that that simply says 'The information provided isn't eligible for verification.' I have no idea what to do with this one too as all information is correct and no different from the others. Again, all listings were showing fine before Google Plus Local took over.

Will absolutely help out where I can to others on this site that ask questions I know the answers too! Again, thanks so much.

I did not see any reference to your listings being suspended in the original post, I only saw your statement that you had complete and accurate listings. Adding the words Tanning Salon to the Business Name means that your listings are not accurate for sure and that is a violation of the Google Guidelines. Your Category is Tanning Salon which is accurate.

I'm sure Linda can help you find any other details that are inaccurate. Once you have 100% accurate data on the inside Dashboad, the next challenge is getting that info to show on the outside listing. Given how buggy Google Places is, it can be frustrating, but I doubt you can find a better resource than Linda for solving it.

 

[Linda Buquet]

I recently added the words 'Tanning Salon' onto the end of the compnay name because I thought it might help us to come up in the listings as nobody searches for Consol. I saw it in a Tutorial a few weeks ago where a dentist had added 'Dentist' after finding nobody clicked on his ad. It worked wonders for him but perhaps I should change it back?

True no one will search for you by name if they don't know you, but Tanning Salon in the categories is what will make you show up in search when someone searches for City + Tanning Salon.

Again adding KWs if they aren't part of the actual name will get you suspended AND it also messes up your citations which can hurt rankings. So that just needs to be fixed period.

The other problems with each indiv listing, well again, this is much more complicated than what's normally workable in a forum. It could take hours and I just dont have that many volunteer hours to spare because I'm trying to help everyone here AND at the Google forum so can only spend so much time on any one case. Please see this post: http://localsearchforum.catalystema...linda-limited-availability-forum-support.html

I'll try to help when I can, but it will take forever doing it this way. You'll need to one at a time give me the link to the live page that has problems. Then in same post you need to do a screen shot of edit screen CROPPED TIGHTER to the data I need to see, so it's big enough for me to even read it. Then as I get time I'll try to help.

But please realize I'm spread thin trying to help lots of folks, need to help my paying consulting clients and a big priority is to get my 2 new PCs set up and functional.

 

[Bruce Bird]

Caroline,
Try Snagit (Snagit, Mac and Windows screen capture software from TechSmith) to make quick, clear screen captures and videos and avoid having to attach images to email and support forum tickets.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Thanks Bruce! Snagit rocks.

But another option I sometimes like better that's totally free is: Awesome Screenshot. Just add to your browser and you can do quick shots, even annotate, blur, add text and arrows and save image that you may need to share later.

Another good free option is Jing: http://www.techsmith.com/jing.html

 

[Caroline Consol]

Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions. Linda, I absolutely understand and do not expect you to spwend your time helping me and my 36 stagnant listings! I will begin by removing the word 'tanning salon' from each listing and then I will take screen shots of every single edit screen and save them in a folder and send over just one at a time. Perhaps if I can ascertain what the issue is with just one, I can correct all the others myself. Thanks again.

 

[Caroline Consol]

Hi Linda,

Here's the screen shot of our Basingstoke shop on the edit screen and I can't even see it when I type it Tanning Salon, Basingstoke in Google. I just searched for 'Consol in Basingstoke' (which nobody would do if they wanted to find a tanning place) and I found it's empty Google Plus listing with no photos or information here: https://plus.google.com/11482207236...hl=en#114822072363245850442/about?gl=uk&hl=en

Thanks