Google My Business Google plus page vs. local page - is one of these a duplicate?

[Kristen]

With the new Google My Business page update, I'm not clear on whether there will still be a separate Google plus business page in addition to the local page, so I'm hoping for some clarification.

Are either of these pages a duplicate?

Google my business page
http://goo.gl/cLU5UJ

Google plus page
http://goo.gl/HSnNDl

We are trying to regain access to the local page, but if they should be one page, perhaps that is the wrong approach.

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[Colan Nielsen]

Hi Kristen,

Those pages are different.

This is the page that can appear on Google Maps and can accept reviews - https://plus.google.com/102364396843800464042/about

This page appears to be an unverified localG+ page which can't appear on Google Maps - https://plus.google.com/+Restorelogs/about

You can't merge the two pages because the Verified pages is, well, verified already.

My first thought was to convert the page with the followers to a Verified Local G+ page but that only works for Brand pages, which I am 99% sure that isn't. (https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!category-topic/business/announcements/SUYXCmExm1I)

So I would say this is the page you want top move forward with - https://plus.google.com/102364396843800464042/about

The other page can be ignored or deleted. I would see if I could reach out to the followers and ask them to follow the verified localG+ page.

Does that help?

 

[Linda Buquet]

The 2nd one is just a Google+ brand page. And looks like they are posting to it and have a few followers.

The GMB/G+ Local page looks claimed.

Did you ask them what happened? They could have created a brand page at some point, then Google upgraded their Places listing to a G+ Local page.

So the G+ page is not technically a dupe - not the kind that will hurt their ranking, since G+ pages don't rank.

But it's sort of splitting up their efforts and watering down effectiveness. Ideally they would probably do better if social, reviews and everything was all on one page instead of diversifying and splitting everything up.

There are reasons a BIG brand might want a separate brand page and G+ Local page but for a small business like this makes more sense to have everything in one place.

What to do or how to fix depends somewhat on what their goal is.

 

[Kristen]

The 2nd one is just a Google+ brand page. And looks like they are posting to it and have a few followers.

The GMB/G+ Local page looks claimed.

Did you ask them what happened? They could have created a brand page at some point, then Google upgraded their Places listing to a G+ Local page.

So the G+ page is not technically a dupe - not the kind that will hurt their ranking, since G+ pages don't rank.

But it's sort of splitting up their efforts and watering down effectiveness. Ideally they would probably do better if social, reviews and everything was all on one page instead of diversifying and splitting everything up.

There are reasons a BIG brand might want a separate brand page and G+ Local page but for a small business like this makes more sense to have everything in one place.

What to do or how to fix depends somewhat on what their goal is.

Thanks so much Colan and Linda!

Currently they don't have access to their local page, so they have been adding posts to their brand page. I don't think they realized what they were doing when all this was set up, but they now want to clean up local, so we are trying to get access to their local page.

Thanks again for your quick response and input!

Kristen

 

[Linda Buquet]

Thanks Colan, posted right over the top of you I guess so didn't see your post til now.

 

[Kristen]

My first thought was to convert the page with the followers to a Verified Local G+ page but that only works for Brand pages, which I am 99% sure that isn't. (https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!category-topic/business/announcements/SUYXCmExm1I)

Colan/Linda, if this is a brand page as Linda suggested, should we convert the page?

 

[Colan Nielsen]

I would if you want to retain the posts and followers. But I am pretty confident that's not a brand page.

 

[Kristen]

Okay, thanks Colan! We'll work on getting access to that local page and use that as the focus page.

 

[Linda Buquet]

I would if you want to retain the posts and followers. But I am pretty confident that's not a brand page.

Sorry I misspoke. I didn't mean a brand page but a regular G+ Business Page.

Yes I'd claim the G+ L page. Would be nice if they could get you the log in.

Then on the other you can just do one post saying, please follow us here and all new posts will be here and link to the G+ L page. And then have them start posting on the G+ L page instead. Then after you think you've converted all you can you can, just delete that page like Colan said. It's not like they have all that many followers but I know you hate to lose any if you can help it.

 

[Kristen]

Sorry I misspoke. I didn't mean a brand page but a regular G+ Business Page.

Yes I'd claim the G+ L page. Would be nice if they could get you the log in.

Then on the other you can just do one post saying, please follow us here and all new posts will be here and link to the G+ L page. And then have them start posting on the G+ L page instead. Then after you think you've converted all you can you can, just delete that page like Colan said. It's not like they have all that many followers but I know you hate to lose any if you can help it.

Great, thanks for the clarification Linda. We'll do just that.