Google business not listed/found on Search/Map after merge

[jimmydoubleu]

Has anyone run into an issue of business listings that were merged, that shouldn't have been, then split just to learn that one of the listings (locations) does not show on Search (Knowledge Panel) or Map searching by exact proper name? Example: Search for Ivar's Salmon House, with or without quotes, might show as Ivar's Fish Bar (sister property). Having issues with Google understanding that problem and resolving it. They chalk it up to listing needing optimization. Listing was just fine pre-merge. And split of listings was not clean with 90% of reviews on other listing, which we assume in negatively affecting SERP.

 

[Phil Rozek]

@jimmydoubleu, that's a tricky one. For one thing, when I search for "Ivar's Salmon House" (without quotes) I pull up that restaurant's one-box / knowledge panel just fine. So it's possible there's no longer an issue.

Some customers may not pull up the right knowledge panel for Ivar's Fish Bar, though. Because it appears you've got at least a couple of locations near each other, Google usually will need to guess as to which one a given searcher wants to see (based on his or her location, mostly).

The big issue I notice is: even though the names of those restaurants are different, all GMB pages point to the same website, and that website doesn't make it clear enough (at least to Google) what each of its restaurants is called and where it's located. I'd add the NAP info of every Ivar's location to the footer.

I've found Google often makes auto-updates (and in your case maybe even that unwanted merge) based on the crawlable business info on your site. That happens more often than it used to, especially in the last few months.

 

[jimmydoubleu]

Thanks for your insight. Sorry, I was out all last week so catching up now. From a local standpoint, guests cannot find Ivar's Mukilteo Landing within the Seattle market so something has affected our local ranking or authority (again, I think the merge of the Ivar's Mukilteo Landing and Ivar's Fish Bar, then the split messed it all up). Here's what's appearing: Anonymous Ad Preview Tool

Only way to find Ivar's Mukilteo Landing, locally, is if you include the address -- but rarely does anyone search that way -- they just search by proper name.

Most of the reviews that belong to Ivar's Mukilteo Landing (about 85%) now reside on Ivar's Fish Bar page. Do reviews drive rankings so much that it would also affect Ivar's Mukilteo Landing in local search?

As far as NAP, are you advising adding each location to the footer of our brand website homepage on Ivars.com? Most of the links associated with our Google listing does direct to the specific page dedicated to Ivar's Mukilteo Landing (Ivar's Mukilteo Landing, Seafood Restaurant).

Of course the owners are frustrated that for months this has negatively impacted us but there is no clear-cut "magic" solution to remedy. Thanks again for your input.

 

[Phil Rozek]

Most of the reviews that belong to Ivar's Mukilteo Landing (about 85%) now reside on Ivar's Fish Bar page. Do reviews drive rankings so much that it would also affect Ivar's Mukilteo Landing in local search?

It depends. In general, reviews can help make one of your GMB pages way more prominent than the other - as in one location shows up (in the knowledge panel) for brand-name searches, and the other doesn't.

As far as NAP, are you advising adding each location to the footer of our brand website homepage on Ivars.com?

Yes.

 

[jimmydoubleu]

Again, thanks so much for your guidance Phil. Since we have 25 locations, a NAP to Ivars.com footer could be bulky. Would it make sense to link our GMB listings to our locations page instead (ALL LOCATIONS), or since Ivars.com is the lead landing page, that's where it should reside? Thanks!

 

[Phil Rozek]

Sure thing.

Nothing wrong with a bulky footer, in my experience. If it's a problem in this case, I'd call it a necessary evil.

Definitely wouldn't use your "All Locations" page as the GMB landing page. It doesn't have the link juice that (I presume) the homepage does, nor does it target one specific location.

 

[jimmydoubleu]

Ah yes, the ole "link juice." I get it. We'll definitely consider that option due to necessity. Thanks