How to Make an Address Change to Claimed Google Listing (with no access to it)

[Travis Van Slooten]

I'm working with a endodontist who has a claimed Google Maps listing. My client doesn't recall claiming it but he said it's possible. Either way, he has no logins to it as it would have been claimed "a long time ago." Furthermore, he said it was likely a staff employee that set it up that is no longer with him.

My client moved his office to a neighboring city so we now have an address change (telephone number stayed the same). In addition, the listing is a practitioner listing (i.e. John Smith, DDS). We'd like it to be the name of his practice instead (i.e. Happy Smiles).

My questions are this...

1. How do I obtain ownership to a claimed listing? When I went through Google My Business I attempted to claim it and a message popped up that it was claimed already by someone else. There was a link to "Request Ownership," which I did. Is this all I have to do or are there more steps involved? It said if the current owner doesn't respond in 7 days I'll have an opportunity to claim it. I have no idea what that means.

2. Assuming I get control of the listing, can I change the business name and the address - or do I have to close this listing and create a new one?

3. If I can't get control of the current listing, what do I do? Do I just create a new listing?

Thanks,

Travis

 

[chadkimball]

Follow this, and you should be golden! Keep us posted about how it goes:

https://support.google.com/business/answer/4566671

 

[Travis Van Slooten]

Thanks Chad. I did that already so good to know I'm on the right track. I'll just sit tight now for 7 days. Any suggestions on the other questions I had - about the name change and address change?

Travis

Follow this, and you should be golden! Keep us posted about how it goes:

https://support.google.com/business/answer/4566671

 

[Scott Rawlins]

This discussion may help too.

Beyond Menu Hijacked GMB and Google Plus Account

 

[JoyHawkins]

Is there more than 1 doctor or is he the only practitioner at the practice?

 

[Travis Van Slooten]

Yes, only 1 doctor. Sorry. I should have provided that info originally.

Joy...do you have any blog posts on how to uncover duplicate listings these days (especially now that Map Maker is closed)? I want to check to be sure this client doesn't have any duplicates. No other listings come up except this one but I haven't done a deep dive yet. It's possible he has a listing for just his practice and I haven't uncovered it.

Travis

Is there more than 1 doctor or is he the only practitioner at the practice?

 

[JoyHawkins]

I wrote up detailed instructions on how to find them in the guide that is selling over at LocalU but I haven't published any yet. I will probably do one as a post for Moz next month. Before you can consolidate these 2 listings you will need to get the old one unverified first. Then you can ask GMB to mark the old one as moved to the new one. You will need to be really clear with them that this is a solo practitioner or they won't do it.

 

[Travis Van Slooten]

Thanks Joy! I'll buzz over to LocalU and check out the guide you're referring to.

Take care,

Travis