Google + Multiple Listings Question: Acceptable or Penalization in the Making?

[bluehabit]

Currently I have 3 listings in Google + for the same business. I am a real estate investor and buy houses throughout the Dallas - Fort Worth metroplex which is very large, as a result I have google+ local listings in 3 key cities.

Locations Used in Google + Local:

• City A Personal Residence
• City B my parents house that's far North
• City C an apartment I rented out when I need to drive far East

I am currently using all 3 for a google local listing. The address as shown as hidden for all 3 since they are all personal residences in some form or fashion. Would this be acceptable to google? I have not had any problems yet but I dont want it to become a problem in the future.

Thanks everyone

 

[Colan Nielsen]

Hi bluehabit,

That would not be acceptable to Google. You can only have 1 G+ Local page per physical business location, with a few exceptions such as a Dental office and then additional listings for the dentists.

If your personal residence is your home base, you would need to use that address and hide it in your dashboard. You can set service areas for the other areas you service.

 

[bluehabit]

Thanks Colan. Whats the difference between service areas and local pages?

 

[Colan Nielsen]

A local page AKA a G+ Local page is meant to represent the actual place where your business physically exists in Google Maps. Service areas are any cities, towns...etc that are outside of your local area or home base that you also provide services in but do not have a physical business location in.

 

[bluehabit]

So if I am understanding you correctly for the other cities I can keep my listing just specify its service area oriented in the settings?

 

[Colan Nielsen]

So if I am understanding you correctly for the other cities I can keep my listing just specify its service area oriented in the settings?

You can keep 1 listing ONLY, for the main/official business location and specify service areas for the other cities in the dashboard.

I would remove the second and third listings from your account since those can get you into trouble if Google catches wind of them. If they aren't claimed in your account, you can't get in trouble for them.

As you said, you haven't had any problems yet, but sooner or later there is a good chance that Google will find out.

 

[bluehabit]

Thanks Colan.

Did I set it up correctly? I have my main address in one of the cities, shown as hidden, and I added service areas throughout the rest of DFW that I operate in, as shown in the image below. Thanks

 

[Linda Buquet]

Hi bluehabit,

Sorry I could not help you via PM earlier.

Colan is right you can only have 1 listing. Good chance Google would at some point either merge them all together into one mashed up mixed up listing or suspend them all, including your main listing that is legit.

FYI you'll likely only rank in the city your address is in. Setting a wider service area won't help you rank in all those cities. Test by searching for City 2 or 3 + your key words. See if there are any listings that are not located in that city.

Another issue is, when you set service area with multiple cities like that and hidden address, Google will put your map marker right in the center of them all. Even if it's in a field in middle of nowhere. So then folks searching maps in your own city won't see you there because your marker is out in the sticks.

Best setting IMO is your own city and 20 mile radius.

 

[bluehabit]

Thanks Linda.

I activated the PIN for my location unfortunately before we had this discussion. So it is set up wrong.

How do I go back into my account and edit my listing such that my primary residence is hidden and its set up as a service area. I went into the page for my business and I did not see anyway to edit the listing.

I may have to totally delete the account and start from scratch. Google Plus in general feels very convoluted and hard to use.

 

[Linda Buquet]

No don't delete and start over that would be a very bad move. Those settings can easily be changed.

1st let me be sure... You said "Google Plus in general feels very convoluted"

You don't mean you set up a Google+ business page right?

You set up a listing inside the Google Places dashboard, correct? That's what the screenshot looks like.

To log in and change those settings click here.

 

[bluehabit]

Thanks Linda, I found the settings to edit the listing.

However, I do not see the check box to specify "do not show my business address on my maps listing" nor the check box for service area and locations to specify "yes, this business serves customers at their locations/"

Instead this is what I see, with no option to hide my address. I am getting worried because I don't want these settings to go live and have my persona residence listed on the map.

 

[Scott Rawlins]

Just uncheck the box "I serve customers at my business address". That will ensure your address wil be hidden.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Wait bluehabit, something is off.

That top screenshot you showed above from yesterday is the OLD dashboard and does have the setting to hide address.

So since you SHOWED the old dash, I was explaining to you based on old dash.

That last screenshot you just showed from today is the NEW dashboard and things are different there.

Soooo my question is - did you by chance, by accident set up this listing in 2 different accounts? One has the old dash you 1st showed. The other has the new dash you showed today?

OR are you sure you only have one listing in one account and that account converted from the old dash to the new one overnight?

I ask because it's a violation to have 2 listings, even if in different accounts. AND because the new dash is just rolling out and I've not heard of anyone being converted yet.

Please explain in careful detail.

 

[bluehabit]

@Linda, actually when you go to activate your PIN for the first time it shows you the OLD goolge + listing setup. When I went back to edit the same information it shows the NEw google + listing setup. It is a single listing.

Just another item to toss into the bucket for my "google + is convoluted" claim.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Ok that makes sense. So in the new dashboard it's a little different. There is no button to check to hide address. Google automatically hides based on your selections.

So just like Rawly said "Just uncheck the box "I serve customers at my business address". That will ensure your address wil be hidden."

Plus below that enter your city with 20 mile radius.