My address is wrong on Google Maps - How to fix an address (with no street number) on Google Maps

[steviephil]

Hi folks, hoping you can help me with this one.

My client's GBP listing is in the correct place - no issues there.

However, the building it's based in has its own marker (it's not a GBP listing but seemingly a standard address listing), but it's in the wrong place.

I tried following Google's "Fix a missing address or wrong pin location" guidance, but the "Suggest an edit" button doesn't appear where the screenshot shows. For this particular address marker, it just shows the city name and the "Add a label" button - that's it.

As a workaround, I tried right-clicking on the map, selecting "Report a data problem", then "Wrong pin location or address", and then entering the address in there and using the "Edit map location" option to move the pin where it should be. But if I hit the 'Submit' button, I get this error message: "It looks like you haven't entered a street number." - The location doesn't have a street number.

I feel like we're stuck. What can we do? Is there another process to sort this out, or someone at Google Maps who we can direct it to? (I know GBP has a support team who do email/phone/chat support, but is there one for non-GBP / more general Google Maps stuff?)

Also, out of interest... If we get these aligned, are we likely to see a rankings boost? Does Google use the data in this way, and therefore a discrepancy between the two (address marker location vs GBP marker location) could harm its rankings? I'm just curious to know if we should expect a rankings boost after this (just in Google Maps, obviously).

Thanks!

 

[JoyHawkins]

I would post a thread on the Google Maps forum and be sure to list the details of the address and building that are mapped incorrectly.

If we get these aligned, are we likely to see a rankings boost?

Based on my experience, no.

 

[JS Girard]

It depends on the exact form of the address (which is highly unclear from your post, tbh). We had a pin with a blank address "X county" instead of the city, and we thought it was fine 'cause it was within city limit and we were going to hide it. Spoiler: it was not. It only came out for searches using the county name, not the city, we had to revalidate via postcard to get a proper address, then re-hide it.

 

[steviephil]

It depends on the exact form of the address (which is highly unclear from your post, tbh).

Could you explain what you mean by "exact form of the address"? If you could expand on what you mean then I can elaborate while keeping the example anonymous.

 

[JS Girard]

The adress we were dealing with read literally just "Foobar county". I suspect a more precise address (Say, Alice Street, Brian, Foobar County) would not have triggered the issues we encountered.

On further reading, it sounds like you have a case of a nonstandard address (i.e. the correct address literally includes no house number) and are running headfirst into the falsehoods programmers believe about addresses. Is that the situation?

 

[steviephil]

The adress we were dealing with read literally just "Foobar county". I suspect a more precise address (Say, Alice Street, Brian, Foobar County) would not have triggered the issues we encountered.

On further reading, it sounds like you have a case of a nonstandard address (i.e. the correct address literally includes no house number) and are running headfirst into the falsehoods programmers believe about addresses. Is that the situation?

Thanks for clarifying.

Yes, the address is literally just showing as BuildingName House, City - and that's it. Rather than e.g. BuildingName House, Alice Street, City, PostCode. Very odd.

RE: your falsehoods point, that's absolutely right. The building doesn't have a street/house number, and yet Google believes that is has to have if they're going to allow an edit attempt. So we're stuck.

I haven't done it yet but I think I've move forward with Joy's point about the Maps forum post.

 

[steviephil]

I would post a thread on the Google Maps forum and be sure to list the details of the address and building that are mapped incorrectly.


Based on my experience, no.

Thanks @JoyHawkins. I tried what you suggested a few days ago - Map marker for business building (not a GBP listing) in the wrong place, won't let me edit - Google Maps Community - but there's been no reply. Is there anything more I can do to take it further? Anyone else I can try speaking to beyond posting the post? Thanks!

 

[JoyHawkins]

I'll ping one of the Product Experts on that forum to see if they can reply.

 

[steviephil]

I'll ping one of the Product Experts on that forum to see if they can reply.

Thank you @JoyHawkins - that's incredible. Really appreciated.

 

[steviephil]

Hi @JoyHawkins. Sorry to ping you again but there's been no response to that Google Maps Help post (link above). What happens next, if anything? Is there anything more I can do/try, or at this point am I stuck? Sorry to burden you with it but really appreciate your help. Thanks.

 

[JoyHawkins]

Try replying to the thread to bump it.

 

[steviephil]

Try replying to the thread to bump it.

Ahh good idea - I'll try that. Thanks.