How to Detect VERIFIED STATUS on Google+ Local pages?

[Linda Buquet]

HOW do you detect verified listing status on the New Google+ Local pages?

I’m getting this question a lot so thought I’d share something I discovered.
As you likely know the new style Place pages no longer show verification status.

To see if a listing is verified, simply click the manage this page button.

IF the listing is VERIFIED it will go to the page that just has the phone # look up field.

Note: IF you are already logged into an account that has a Place page (like your own account). If you click a DIFFERENT listing that's already claimed - it will take you to the dash you are logged into instead of the phone look up field. So again that confirms the listing is verified, even though it's taking you to your own dashboard.

If the listing is UNVERIFIED it will take you to the type of page that shows a map and gives you 3 options to either: Add, Edit, or Suspend Listing.

UPDATE 10/15 This technique used to work pretty consistently but now it sometimes does not.
So I think Google changed something or it's just flaky.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Forgot to mention, once pages are upgraded to G+ Business pages, there will be a little check mark by name, so it's easy to see if the page is verified.

 

[Marc Simcox]

Linda,

This is a very timely post, I was just discussing this issue with my boss yesterday and we were trying to figure out if some of the competitors for an international client that we were working with were claimed or not.

I just tested your method, when I searched for the specific name of a Dr. Client we have(this is all tied to Google's stance on not removing Dr's listings YAY). I noticed that a competitor came up when I did the search so I thought what the heck I'll test to see if this is a way to find the unverified listing.

The competitor does appear to be unverified, and when I clicked on the manage this listing button I get the Add, Edit, or Suspend Listing Page, But If I click on my clients Manage this listing button I also get the same thing. And I know for a fact that his is claimed.

All of this was done under my person Google+ profile, not the profile that we used to claim the listing for the client.

Did I do this correctly?

Marc

 

[Linda Buquet]

Hi Marc,

Glad this info came in handy.

Couple potential issues.

1) There are problems and a couple scenarios where a listing can be claimed in dash, but yet show as UNverified live. Often it will still show owner images and description so totally LOOK claimed BUT there is a problem and it has become UNverified.

This happened with the old Place pages too but was just easier to see.

Most often when I see this happen it's due to what I call a SPLIT listing. The claimed Place page splits in half and becomes unclaimed. The new dupe takes over. So this often results in LOST reviews, since reviews are tied in part to CID.

Did you record his original CID? Do you know if the current listing is a different CID? Have you checked for a dupe?

(Just consulted with an ad agency yesterday, helping them with a client that has one like this. It was so scrambled and convoluted I had to get the head of Google Places support involved. These cases get really complicated, aren't normal dupes and cause all kinds of weird problems.)

2) Try logging into his account. Then click manage page and see if it goes to your dashboard.

Let me know what happens and we'll go from there.

 

[Marc Simcox]

Thanks Linda for pointing me in the right direction.

I think I figured out the issue. The Doctor's listing is Suspended in the dashboard, and I believe that is why its taking me to the Add, Edit, or Suspend listing page.

Now here's the kicker. That profile is ranked #1 in his market. It's cannibalized all of the citations we created, mainly because I believe that the citations all have his name attached to them somewhere, but the business name is the focus of the NAP, and not the Dr's Name.

I am in the process of doing(or at least trying to convince the client) your recommendations of the changes for practitioners.

Thanks,
Marc

 

[Linda Buquet]

I'd proceed carefully if it's ranking that high.

When you say suspended - do you mean Google suspended the listing or you or owner suspended as in deleted?

This sounds a little complicated and my instructions for minimizing Dr. dupes don't apply in every case. As I said (or hope I said). Each situation is different and needs to be carefully evaluated.

I'd do extensive NAP research before doing anything else.

 

[JoyHawkins]

Linda - this is awesome!! I've been wondering this myself for the last few weeks. Thanks so much for sharing. I was just looking for the "from the owner" business description, but this is much better.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Linda - this is awesome!! I've been wondering this myself for the last few weeks. Thanks so much for sharing. I was just looking for the "from the owner" business description, but this is much better.

Well and BEWARE - like I said a lot of crippled listings that have become UNverified, still show the owner verified description for awhile - even cats and pics. So really best to click manage and check.

OHHHH just realized something else I forgot to mention. Going to add as an update to original post.

 

[Marc Simcox]

I wholeheartedly agree with you on this.

The listing is suspended by my hand. in an attempt to get his practice listing to be the #1 position.

I have done lots of looking into it and the profiles are exactly the same. The ONLY difference is the name which WAS <Client Practice Name>: <Practitioner Name> This was later "changed" by google in the search results to just be his name (The dashboard still shows the name I created). this is why I believe that the only reason that this is ranking is because of his name being the contact everywhere.

The client and I have talked at length about this and he is prepared and understands that there will be a period where his listing will not be #1

the big issue here is that his practice has 41 reviews and his practitioner listing has 15 reviews, which we would like to get migrated but I realize that isnt going to happen with Google's stance with regards to not removing Dr's listings.

Thanks for all of your help,
Marc

 

[rossicone]

Verified in Multiple Accounts

Hi Linda!

Do you know if there is a way to find out if your verified listing is verified in another Google account as well?

Thanks,
Rachel

 

[Linda Buquet]

Hi Rachel,

Well there are telltale signs, like more than 5 cats or if data in dash does not match live. BUT those inconsistencies can just be for other reasons too.

This blog post is somewhat related and may give you some clues or at least clues you into other problems that can come up if a listing has multiple owners.

Missing Google+ Local AKA Google Places Images? Check for Dual Ownership or Hidden Merged Suspended Listing

If I suspect another listing, I really hammer the client to try to find it. But sometimes you can't find it OR in the case of a previous SEO maybe can find it but can't access it. Then you have to get support involved. I explain what to do in the last paragraph of that post.

"HOW TO FIX? You may wonder - How do I fix it if I do find there are multiple owners and I can't get access to the other listing to clean it up and remove it? (For instance if a previous SEO did it.) IF there is any incorrect info on the listing, like live address does not match what's in dash - then you can use the incorrect data troubleshooter to report the incorrect info. THEN after you get the reply from support, email them back and ask them to UNverify any owners of the account other than the account you are using."

 

[Dialady]

Linda, can you share how to change to profile picture in the new Google+Local pages? I haven't found a way to access it from the Google Places dashboard

Thanks!

Theresa

 

[Linda Buquet]

Hi Theresa,

Image uploads have been buggy and there is a 30 day delay or more on new images showing up.

But as far as I know changing the profile image is the same. There is still no way to re-order or replace images. So if you want a different profile image you need to re-do all the images and because I believe it's still the 1st image that will show as the main profile image.

 

[Dialady]

Hi Theresa,

Image uploads have been buggy and there is a 30 day delay or more on new images showing up.

But as far as I know changing the profile image is the same. There is still no way to re-order or replace images. So if you want a different profile image you need to re-do all the images and because I believe it's still the 1st image that will show as the main profile image.

Great! That is what I was seeing once we claimed a new page as well, but it has been taking quite a bit. Plus the images don't always scale well to the profile image. will keep in mind that the first image should be the logo. Google+Local makes Facebook look easy . . .LOL

Thanks for the help

Theresa

 

[geoseo]

Hi,

is this information still valid?
I have tried suggested steps by Linda with an account that has not claimed any Google+ Local pages. Wether the page is claimed or not I land on the phonelookup page.
If the account has claimed Google+ Local pages previously it takes you to the dashboard page as stated.
Do you have suggestions on how to determine claimed pages?
Do you think Google is going to 'hide' this information for Google+ Local pages?

thanks!

 

[Dialady]

Yes, still having issues. About the only way to consistently know you have verified the page is to see the verification in the Google Places panel. Seems like Google is working on the Review side of the page rather than rest of it.

Theresa

 

[geoseo]

Hi Theresa,
thanks for your reply.

As for
"About the only way to consistently know you have verified the page is to see the verification in the Google Places panel."

what about other businesses I do not own in Google Places? At the moment there's no other way to discover whether they have been verified or not and it looks like Google does not want to show this information again.

thanks!

 

[Linda Buquet]

Hi guys,

My technique used to work pretty consistently but now it sometimes does not, so I think Google changed something or it's just flaky.

"Do you think Google is going to 'hide' this information for Google+ Local pages?"

Well once you merge with G+ or once all G+L pages are upgraded to the new full G+ pages then you'll see the check mark, an obvious sign a page is verified.

So don't think it's going away, just think they don't tend to fix things or put energy into old platforms that are going away because their energy is on finishing the new one.

 

[Eric Rohrback]

I decided to bring this thread back up again, because I'm trying to find a easier way to tell if a page is verified or not. Does anyone know if there is an indicator in the source code of a +local page which would tell whether the page is verified or not? How can some of the tools (bright-local for instance) tell whether the google+local page has been claimed or not?

 

[Colan Nielsen]

Hi ESR,

There isn't any trick that is 100% accurate. I still use the trick that Linda mentioned in the first post on this thread. It still seems pretty accurate to me.

Whether or not the listing has a business description, photos, and more than one category can help with the detection as well.