Google ranking SAB at wrong address, but ONLY when address is hidden (not Kansas bug!)

[JS Girard]

We have a client that's validated on the North Shore of Montreal. This is a home address, so we did the reasonable thing and hid it. For a while this worked just fine. In June a duplicate with a shown address in Laval was found, but then disappeared after a suggestion, so we didn't think anything of it.

Except suddenly the client's rankings dropped off the face of the planet for Bois-des-Filion (where she is located). This was extremely puzzling as there was little competition, especially at her amount of reviews. It turned out that she was now being ranked as though she was validated at the Laval address (!!). So we went, "okay, let's revalidate her in Bois-de-Filion and that should fix this."

Right? Wrong.

Ever since the revalidation she ranks in Bois-des-filion, but only if the address is shown. The moment we hide it she ranks only at the Laval address. It's easily the most ridiculous piece of Google tomfoolery I've seen so far. Google French Support was perfectly incompetent. English Google Support hasn't yet bothered answering my explanations (it's been a week).

I'm getting a little desperate here. Anyone has any advice?

 

[keyserholiday]

We have a client that's validated on the North Shore of Montreal. This is a home address, so we did the reasonable thing and hid it. For a while this worked just fine. In June a duplicate with a shown address in Laval was found, but then disappeared after a suggestion, so we didn't think anything of it.

Except suddenly the client's rankings dropped off the face of the planet for Bois-des-Filion (where she is located). This was extremely puzzling as there was little competition, especially at her amount of reviews. It turned out that she was now being ranked as though she was validated at the Laval address (!!). So we went, "okay, let's revalidate her in Bois-de-Filion and that should fix this."

Right? Wrong.

Ever since the revalidation she ranks in Bois-des-filion, but only if the address is shown. The moment we hide it she ranks only at the Laval address. It's easily the most ridiculous piece of Google tomfoolery I've seen so far. Google French Support was perfectly incompetent. English Google Support hasn't yet bothered answering my explanations (it's been a week).

I'm getting a little desperate here. Anyone has any advice?

There is an issue on the backend with Google. I had a similar case where the business was originally created in Pennsylvania and they moved to Florida. Google only ranked them in Pennsylvania. You need to contact Google and explain the issue in full detail. Don't let them tell you it's an SEO issue or that they can't assist with ranking issues. Tell them an engineer needs to fix it. Use this form

 

[JS Girard]

There is an issue on the backend with Google. I had a similar case where the business was originally created in Pennsylvania and they moved to Florida. Google only ranked them in Pennsylvania. You need to contact Google and explain the issue in full detail. Don't let them tell you it's an SEO issue or that they can't assist with ranking issues. Tell them an engineer needs to fix it. Use this form

I'll give the original report another week before using this form. To be honest, I am worried when I do I'll just get one of those auto "Use the original ticket you already have opened, dumbass" auto messages *sigh*.

For completeness' sake, here's the explanation I gave in response to the useless auto answer:

None of this represents a solution to our problem. We have a profile that is registered at [CENSORED]. As long as the address is visible it ranks normally for the Bois-des-Filion area.

However, as soon as we hide the address (as we ought to because this is a residential address), the profile stops ranking at Bois-des-Filion and starts ranking at [CENSORED] instead!

We have revalidated the address via postcard in July and have done this hiding-showing of the address back and forth several times since then and this issue still persists.

 

[JS Girard]

I love arguing with advice that clearly no relation to the problem. They're telling to get more reviews (there are already 50 reviews, all answered).

I request your understanding of the fact that we have guidelines in place to be able to standardize our procedure and policies.

Apparently, those guidelines involve literally not reading a single word of what I've been repeatedly saying. (Either that or as you implied earlier, the basic helpline just plain wasn't the appropriate remedy here.)

Apparently, any mention of the fact that the GBP "doesn't show" triggers a kneejerk do-not-help-give-tutorial-101-instead reflex. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to explain that an address is wrong, but only when that address is not visible, without talking about the fact that GBP is not visible in the correct location. This is a frickin catch-22.

 

[keyserholiday]

I love arguing with advice that clearly no relation to the problem. They're telling to get more reviews (there are already 50 reviews, all answered).

Apparently, those guidelines involve literally not reading a single word of what I've been repeatedly saying. (Either that or as you implied earlier, the basic helpline just plain wasn't the appropriate remedy here.)

Apparently, any mention of the fact that the GBP "doesn't show" triggers a kneejerk do-not-help-give-tutorial-101-instead reflex. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to explain that an address is wrong, but only when that address is not visible, without talking about the fact that GBP is not visible in the correct location. This is a frickin catch-22.

Go post in the help forum and include the case id.

 

[JS Girard]

Looks like someone with functional neurons finally had a gander at the ticket:

As per your description, we understand that you are concerned about the profile is shown on the incorrect address after removing the address from your business profile, I apologize for the inconvenience caused, however, I would like to inform you that it will take some time after removing the address from your profile to completely removing from the google search and maps.

I'll keep my fingers crossed and monitor the situation clsoely.

 

[JS Girard]

Oh, now this is a MASTERFUL demonstration of artificial idiocy (can't have artificial "intelligence" without artificial idiots).

What I said:

The problem is NOT the address not showing

• Business is verified at [CENSORED].
• As long as the address is visible. Everything is peachy. Client is showing in Bois-des-Filion.
• But it's a residential address. According to Google's own rules, it's supposed to be hidden.
• So we hide it.
• But when the address is hidden, the GBP acts exactly as though the address were at 1620 Bd de l'Avenir, Laval, QC H7S 2N4 (see screen captures)
• That's the problem. We have to hide the address because of Google's rules, but Google uses a different address when we hide it.

The problem only goes away if we directly violate Google's rules. Is Google Support straight up telling us to literally not follow Google's own rules here???

the answer I got:

I understand your concern that different businesses are showing at residential address and I could see that you don't have access for the business profiles, hence I request you to send feedback for the profiles showing wrong location on google maps. Please follow the below steps:

*to the tune of American idiot* I wanna be an American idiot~

And now just t make the client doesn't even rank at the Laval address anymore!