Google plus integration

[Ralph]

I have a client where Google appears to be in the process of integrating Google+ local, Google+ pages and Google maps. The editing page format has been changed. Now in the category section you can only select from Google's list rather than in the past we could add our own keywords phrases for 4 of the 5 categories. Also,it now appears that we can add as many categories as we wish as long it's from Google's suggestion list.

On the top Google+ local site there is a message that says "Your edits should appear on search maps and other Google properties soon".

Can somebody please give me an insight on what's going on!

 

[Colan Nielsen]

Hi Ralph,

It's hard to know exactly what you are referring to without links and screenshots.

I think you are experiencing an automatic upgrade from the old dashboard to the new dashboard, is that correct?

 

[Linda Buquet]

Hi Ralph and welcome to the community.

That could be Colan.

But this part sounds like Google+ to me: "Your edits should appear on search maps and other Google properties soon"

Ralph if you can post a link and dashboard screenshots I'll move this down to the help forum and then we can help you more.

 

[Ralph]

Here's a link to the site along with 3 screen shots, any help with this is greatly appreciated
Ralph
https://plus.google.com/b/100376466879893639206/100376466879893639206/about

 

[Colan Nielsen]

Hi Ralph,

That's a merged Local G+ page. Basically a G+ business page/G+ Local page hybrid.

Can you try and insert the screenshots again. I don't think they attached.

 

[Ralph]

Sorry about that here they are

Ralph

 

[Linda Buquet]

Thanks Ralph for the links and screenshots.

That's also a hidden address SAB which is not supposed to merge yet.

So to be sure I'm clear, are you saying you never created a G+ page.
You never verified it or tried to merge it with the G+ Local page?
You think Google just automatically upgraded it?

If I have that all right, could you check with client and ask him to check to see if he got an email from Google or anything and if so to forward to you so you can post it here so we can try to figure out what's up?

 

[Ralph]

Thank you for your quick response. I have asked the owner of northern mechanical if he or anyone else had set up a Google plus page etc. he told me no he had not did anything with the site and in fact he doesn't know who's originally set up the site.

Up to this week I have not been able to edit the information on this account. Last week I had a phone conversation with a Google representative and she told me there was another party who had also claimed and verified this account, all she would tell me is that it came from a URL atlive.com. She sent an email asking them to relinquish ownership and apparently they did because now I can access and edit the account.

I hope this helps, very frustrating.

Ralph

 

[Linda Buquet]

OK so now I'm really confused. Originally it sounded like your main concern was that the page changed to G+.

Now it sounds like there was a multiple owner problem. By chance did this G+ change happen right after you talked to the Google rep? Did they say anything about upgrading you?

How did you end up even editing in G+ or thinking it got upgraded? If you did not know there was a G+ page, you would still be logging into the Places dash and would not even see the G+ dashboard. I would think if you didn't even know there was a G+ page you'd still be editing in the Places dashboard.

Sorry but this stuff gets uber complicated. Could you briefly explain in order the chain of events?

 

[Ralph]

OK I believe the multiple ownership problem has been resolved

I did not see any change with my clients Google+ site after I talked with the Google rep.

My questions are this, is this the new dashboard format Google+ local sites as shown in the screenshot? Is it Google's plan to intergrate all Google+ local, Google plus page and Google maps with the same information and will all current site be upgraded to this format? If it is we adapt.

I originally was contacted by by this client to optimize his Google+ local site. The first thing that I did was change the website URL to a new website that he had commissioned from somebody else. The site then had to be verified which we did do. After verification I was not able to access to edit the site. That's when I called the Google rep

The site always had the multicolor header which makes me believe that the site had already been integrated with Google+ page when the client contacted me.

Hope this helps

Ralph

 

[Colan Nielsen]

The site always had the multicolor header which makes me believe that the site had already been integrated with Google+ page when the client contacted me.

Yes, the multicolour cover photo is the default cover photo for a G+ Business page or a merged Local G+ page.

A pure G+ Local page has a map as the cover photo.

 

[Ralph]

Is my post considered Closed? I have not received an answer to my questions.

My questions are this, is this the new dashboard format Google+ local sites as shown in the screenshot? Is it Google's plan to intergrate all Google+ local, Google plus page and Google maps with the same information and will all current site be upgraded to this format? If it is we adapt.

Again thanks for your help.
Ralph

 

[Linda Buquet]

Is my post considered Closed? I have not received an answer to my questions.

No not closed. But I have had a major family medical emergency so am backed up trying to help everyone here, try to keep up with paid client needs and care for family as best I can. So apologize for the delay. (Plus it was only yesterday you asked...)

Others that reply here have full time jobs. We are all volunteers here, working for free to help others, as we can.

Plus the specific question was not clear to me because we didn't initially have enough info and had to go back and forth.

My questions are this, is this the new dashboard format Google+ local sites as shown in the screenshot? Is it Google's plan to intergrate all Google+ local, Google plus page and Google maps with the same information and will all current site be upgraded to this format? If it is we adapt.

We still don't know WHAT happened on your listing.

The way it currently is. Someone would have had to create that G+ page and verify it to merge it with the Place page and it's unclear what happened from what you could tell us, so sounds like maybe the client or you did it without realizing you did. (Because Google makes it really confusing and it's easy to do it and not know it.)

RIGHT NOW THE WAY THINGS ARE - You can have a Place page. You can have a G+ Business page or you can merge the 2. But Google suggests waiting to take that step for right now.

So that's where we are today.

Is Google's plan to upgrade all of this to G+ format?

Not sure how anyone could answer unless they had a crystal ball or are in charge of this division at Google. The way it stands now upgrading is optional.

I have a rough idea of the some plans but can't discuss since I'm under NDA. Even when they tell me the future plans, by the time it launches it's different, because one thing is for certain - Google Local is always evolving and changing.

So no one can predict with any certainty. There have been like 8 big changes just in the past couple weeks with more on the way.

All you can do is stay on top of the changes AFTER they happen. And along the way all current marketing best practices will help you no matter what... Correct data on Google and everywhere else. Obey the guidelines. Make it easy for customers to give you a review. Optimize the website etc.