Google Maps Spam Fighting - Edits Not Approved - Solution?

[JoshuaMackens]

Are there any solutions to get edits approved that are "pending" or "not applied"?

For "pending" would it help if others with authority in Maps also made the same edit?

For "not applied", what should we do?

Also, random question, I've read that your local guide level/points do help you get edits approved more and also read they don't. What's the truth?

@JoyHawkins @BenFisher

 

[JoyHawkins]

Hey Joshua,

You should send them in via the Redressal form.

For the local guides question, see this article: 7 Little Known Things About Google Local Guides & Editing Listings on Google Maps - Sterling Sky Inc

 

[BenFisher]

Heya Joshua,
Redressal is the way to go like Joy said. If it is for name stuffing suggesting an edit first is a good idea. Having a few trusted editors make the same edit is good too.
Level and points do not help, the quality of your edits are what matter most.

 

[JoshuaMackens]

Got it, I read in one of your articles that as per a Google clarification you should no longer submit for name spam but suggest an edit. And then the other article mentioned the same Google clarification but that you should try to suggest an edit first and then if that doesn't work, escalate.

So I will do that.

Thanks guys!

Also, one last question, do you not receive points for editing names anymore? I'm still at my normal point value after editing a ton of names and getting them approved.

 

[BenFisher]

You sure do get points, 5 I think

 

[JoshuaMackens]

That's what I thought. Maybe it just updates slowly or I didn't pay enough attention. I'll keep a better lookout!

 

[Contractor]

I am having a problem and I believe it might be because I have used the redressal form with my same Google account that I use for my business. I report other plumbers who are have their home address listed on Google and they never get taken down. I submit pictures of the house with the labelled van in the driveway. I submit screenshots of the state tax records showing that address to be a single family residence only, along with the owner's name being the same as the company name. A plumber is clearly a service area business. But the listing remains.

Even worse, there is another SAB plumbing company company that has 5 different listing on Google Local, each showing an address. One is their real shop, the other 4 are the employees home and one is a mosque. I submitted lots of evidences showing that each one is not the business, that they are not open for business, etc. But they are all still up there.

I read in a a great article by one of the members here that I was not supposed to submit the images where the redressal form asks for images (I'm not sure if that is why nothing is happening) so maybe that is where I went wrong. Or maybe Google just disregards everything from me since I am competition.

What do I do? make up a fake account to submit it? Just to be clear, these are all blatant violations that I am talking about, I am not trying to attack all competitors for no reason, I just want a level playing field.

 

[JoyHawkins]

@DontBiteUrNails can you clarify if the listings are verified or not?

Also, do you have some of the Case IDs you've submitted that weren't acted on?

 

[Contractor]

Hi Joy. All of the listings are verified. I do not have the case IDs :-(

 

[JoyHawkins]

I'd suggest sending them again. This time record the Case IDs and if they don't get fixed in a month, post on the GMB forum (with the case IDs) and ask if someone can take a look into why nothing is happening.

 

[Contractor]

Ok, I will do that. But first I just want to mention that this will be the 3rd time I am reporting them. Should I use a different Google account? Could this start to hurt my own rankings?

 

[JoyHawkins]

The account you send the Redressal Form from shouldn't have any impact on how they process the report. It also wouldn't affect your ranking.

 

[Contractor]

I am going to try this again. Hopefully it works this time, but I have little faith since it didn't work the other times and the SAB companies that put their home address up are still listed.

I have a question about using the redressal form. I can't find the article now, but I remember it saying not the submit pictures into the picture submittal form on the Redressal form. How should I submit them? I have pictures of the house from Google Maps. Also pictures of screenshots showing that the address is a single family dwelling and not a business/commercial address. Etc.

 

[BenFisher]

Submitting a picture on the redressal form only allows for one upload. Use a spreadsheet, and link to the picture as a shortened link.

 

[Contractor]

Submitting a picture on the redressal form only allows for one upload. Use a spreadsheet, and link to the picture as a shortened link.

Hi Ben, thanks for the reply.

This is where I get confused, and for multiple reasons. As far as the image upload, it allows you to upload many images, I have uploaded 10 in some cases. There is only 1 upload button, but as soon as you upload 1 image another upload button appears for an additional image.

As far as a spreadsheet, which format? I use a Mac computer with "Numbers" spreadsheet app, I wonder if they would be able to open it?

I would have to host the images online, does it matter where? I guess I would have to purchase a hosting account somewhere, as I would not want to use my company's website for this purpose.

And then I am also curious about the shortened link part. How do I do that?

I am sorry for all of these questions, I know they make me seem like an uber noob. But I would like this to work. I also wonder about all the submittals that Google must receive in which the people submitted the images via the via upload button that they put there that seems like it's for that purpose.

 

[JoyHawkins]

I just put everything in Google Drive, which is free, and then link to the folder. As long as you make sure the settings are set so that anyone with the link can view it, you should be set.

 

[Contractor]

I just put everything in Google Drive, which is free, and then link to the folder. As long as you make sure the settings are set so that anyone with the link can view it, you should be set.

Ok, that is straight forward. So let's say I am reporting a clearly service area business (plumbing company) that lists a home address.

For "Identify the content on Google Maps that you claim might lead to fraudulent activity." I choose "Address"

File Upload I do not choose anything.

For "Please explain in detail why you believe the content on the above URLs is malicious to be on Google Maps. *" I explain that it is a home address and is not open for customers to go to. And then I just post a link to the google Drive Folder with a screenshot from Google Street View of the house (showing it is clearly a house with no signage) and a screenshot of the tax webpage showing it is a single family dwelling and not commercial.

Then the listing should be taken down?

Just to be clear, I am not doing this to attack small businesses who made a mistake and listed their address in their profile. I want to do this to the large businesses that uses it's employee's homes to make multiple GMB listings in various towns.

 

[Michael S. Doran]

Question of the Day:
Why does Google even offer the Suggest an Edit feature when they just ignore easy and obvious suggested fixes?

 

[JoyHawkins]

@DontBiteUrNails yep that's correct.

@Michael S. Doran I get edits approved all the time but there are lots of nuances. Some categories are locked so edits automatically deny etc.

 

[Contractor]

In my experience, edits for businesses that are unclaimed stick often while edits for claimed businesses don't seem to stick much.

One of my first edits was for an electrical contractor that I marked as closed. Within minutes it was closed on Google, I was almost scared at how much power I had!

It was an old guy who passed away. he had some reviews but the man never claimed the listing.

But then I edited a business that had a name like "Electrical services townname zipcode panel replacement generator installation blah blah" and it wasn't approved. None of them are.