Merged Hidden Address Service Area Business - Should Not Have

[WineCountryCarpetCleaning]

NOTE from Linda: All these posts were split off from the general discussion thread about this issue here: http://localsearchforum.catalystema...area-business-w-hidden-address-important.html

Dang another set back for me I created my page on google plus to begin with (postcard verification) and then did a phone verification for a traditional google places business listing. Do you think if I delete my plus page my secondary traditional places will go away?

Really just wan't to make sure I play by the rules but it gets so complicated! Definitely do not want to get suspended.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Re: Service Area Business w/ Hidden Address - IMPORTANT UPDATE G+ Business Page Merge

Hi WineCountryCarpetCleaning,

There is a slight chance you are OK. Since you created your G+ page 1st, I'm thinking they possibly are not merged. Do you have 2 separate pages or 1 combo page?

If not crystal clear (it's confusing) please give us a link so we can check and make sure you don't take a misstep, which is easy to do these days.

 

[WineCountryCarpetCleaning]

Re: Service Area Business w/ Hidden Address - IMPORTANT UPDATE G+ Business Page Merge

I do have the two google+ buttons, but they definitely just both go to google+ pages. The one on the left that normally would go to a places page goes to my google+ page but it opens the "about" tab. The one on the right opens up the social stream "posts" tab.

With google local I never feel very secure, but in this circumstance I do feel like it might work out (fingers crossed) because I don't think they need to be merged (their is only one)

I would really hate to give up google+ because I see a lot of opportunity with the social aspect and the fact that they are indexed and linkable.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Re: Service Area Business w/ Hidden Address - IMPORTANT UPDATE G+ Business Page Merge

I do have the two google+ buttons, but they definitely just both go to google+ pages. The one on the left that normally would go to a places page goes to my google+ page but it opens the "about" tab. The one on the right opens up the social stream "posts" tab.

With google local I never feel very secure, but in this circumstance I do feel like it might work out (fingers crossed) because I don't think they need to be merged (their is only one)

I would really hate to give up google+ because I see a lot of opportunity with the social aspect and the fact that they are indexed and linkable.

Based on what you are explaining it SOUNDS like they are merged which is a problem. Thing is, if you are not in compliance and they DELETE you, you wont have anything. If you care to share I'd like to view to be sure because it's sometimes hard understand for sure based on what someone explains plus there are sometimes hidden things you would not know to look for.

 

[WineCountryCarpetCleaning]

Re: Service Area Business w/ Hidden Address - IMPORTANT UPDATE G+ Business Page Merge

I am on the ipad right now, but I will post a link when I get home. I looked into it a bit this morning and I do not think it will honestly be a problem. Even though the places page turns up two google+ links they both go the same google+ profile

 

[Linda Buquet]

Re: Service Area Business w/ Hidden Address - IMPORTANT UPDATE G+ Business Page Merge

But that's what I'm saying. It sounds like they are merged into 1 which is not allowed.

I'll be leaving soon to have Christmas with family so you can just post tomorrow.

 

[WineCountryCarpetCleaning]

Re: Service Area Business w/ Hidden Address - IMPORTANT UPDATE G+ Business Page Merge

Here is a link to the google+ page https://plus.google.com/101336389556970149790/about?hl=en i believe this is the one that comes up when you click on what would normally be the places link.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Re: Service Area Business w/ Hidden Address - IMPORTANT UPDATE G+ Business Page Merge

Yes that's definitely a merged/verified page, the type that in my 1st post Google is talking about. Since the address is hidden, as it should be, Google says you should delete the + page. To be honest, I'm not sure what happens if you don't but I wouldn't risk it.

Plus you know that since they are merged, you should not edit in the Places dash, right? Once you delete the + page though you can.

 

[WineCountryCarpetCleaning]

Re: Service Area Business w/ Hidden Address - IMPORTANT UPDATE G+ Business Page Merge

Wasn't aware of the fact that I shouldn't edit the page in places. I have definitely done that, went in and entered all of my information in the places dashboard.

Do you think my places listing will go away once I delete the plus page though? I am afraid that since I created the listing through plus, and did a phone verification for places that it will be gone when I delete the plus.

The only reason I am concerned is that it takes about a month to get the postcard and get a page verified for us (not sure why exactly but the postcards just never seem to come the first time)

 

[Linda Buquet]

Re: Service Area Business w/ Hidden Address - IMPORTANT UPDATE G+ Business Page Merge

I've never seen anyone do it backwards like you did.

The normal scenario for a BRAND NEW listing (where someone did not already have a Place page) and if it was a brick and mortar store for instance that was allowed to have a verified G+ page, all you do is set up a G+ page as local. No need to also set up a separate Place page at that point.

So everything about the way you did it was unique and kinda wrong. Should not have done verified G+ page to begin with and if you were allowed to, then did not also need to set up a Place page as well.

Normally most businesses already have a Place page 1st. They set up a G+ Page and then they merge.

In the recent cases I've seen on the G forum where we are telling people to delete the G+ page it's just fine after they do that. They are just left with the Place page and don't have to re-verify or anything.

But since you did it backwards I'm not positive what will happen. I would think the 2 pages would disconnect and the G+ page would just go away leaving the Place page BUT since I've never heard of anyone doing it the way you did, I don't think even Google could tell you for sure what will happen.

 

[WineCountryCarpetCleaning]

Re: Service Area Business w/ Hidden Address - IMPORTANT UPDATE G+ Business Page Merge

LOL, oh the trouble I get myself into. Well, I suppose the thing to do will be to erase the plus page and see what happens. I know the abys of "we do not support this location" takes longer than a month so in reality my best bet is to take my chances their.

I will spend a couple of days poking around the G plus/places forums and see if anyone has ever got into the whole thing as ass backwards as I did, and what the outcome of their situation was.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Re: Service Area Business w/ Hidden Address - IMPORTANT UPDATE G+ Business Page Merge

Do you keep changing your intro? It was one way. Next time I checked it was different. Now it's different again.

Anyway couple more tips. KW repetition in description especially repeating city in description can cause a ranking penalty. You have name repeated once, main keywords repeated 3 times and city twice.

"Wine Country Carpet Cleaning is a second generation family owned and operated carpet cleaning company located in San Luis Obispo. We proudly offer the most thorough carpet cleaning San Luis Obispo has to offer has to offer."

After you delete G+ and get to pure Place page I'd strip every one of those out. Talk about on-time service, quality work or whatever sets you apart but don't repeat name, city or KWs, ESPECIALLY because your name already repeats KW and domain repeats City + KW. It's just going to look really spammy to the algo I'm afraid.

 

[WineCountryCarpetCleaning]

Re: Service Area Business w/ Hidden Address - IMPORTANT UPDATE G+ Business Page Merge

Interesting, I will definitely change it, pretty sure I haven't changed that intro since I created the page. Possibly it is pulling metadata from the website? anyway I will take you advice and eliminate the KW in the intro. I was just reading this article (that I think you recommended in a thread) on citation spam and I imagine this would be the worst kind of that in G's opinion

Do you have any thoughts on the places/plus pages pulling the title tags from the website and using them for the name on the plus page?

 

[WineCountryCarpetCleaning]

Re: Service Area Business w/ Hidden Address - IMPORTANT UPDATE G+ Business Page Merge

Well deleted the plus page, as of right now I am getting a 404 error when I click on the "see my listing option." Hopefully it will repopulate with a places page. I just took an educated guess that it would take longer to re confirm my address than it would to get re included (especially with all the requests they are getting from the whole not hiding the address thing)

Unfortunately it looks like it may still be a lengthy process as it seems to me that it did not totally delete, I can still log in and see everything, I just can't view the actual listing.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Re: Service Area Business w/ Hidden Address - IMPORTANT UPDATE G+ Business Page Merge

The "see your listing" link often does not sync.

Here it is: https://plus.google.com/116318921423174024971/about?hl=en

What's with this listing? https://plus.google.com/109347739391684637790/about?gl=us&hl=en
Similar site, different name, different city?

 

[WineCountryCarpetCleaning]

Re: Service Area Business w/ Hidden Address - IMPORTANT UPDATE G+ Business Page Merge

That is my dads business about 30 miles north of me. I worked with/for him for the first few years and then moved down to this town and started my own business. We share some resources but for all intents and purposes two separate business actually did two DBA's separate bank accounts all that. Tried to keep the name similar as we have very good name recognition in this county.

Makes me feel better that you found that listing, I would just be overjoyed if I didn't have to wait to reverify, we are coming up to a busy season beginning in February and I would hate have the listing down. (obviously if it comes to that, it is the best thing to do)

---------- Post Merged at 05:17 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 05:14 PM ----------

Simply overjoyed! Looks like it is back, and it only has one of the google+ buttons! I am stoked I found this forum!

 

[Linda Buquet]

Re: Service Area Business w/ Hidden Address - IMPORTANT UPDATE G+ Business Page Merge

Oh YAY! Good deal!

 

[Colan Nielsen]

Re: Service Area Business w/ Hidden Address - IMPORTANT UPDATE G+ Business Page Merge

Do you have any thoughts on the places/plus pages pulling the title tags from the website and using them for the name on the plus page?

Great thread from a few months ago. All is still relevant.

http://localsearchforum.catalystema...rwriting-title-tags-local-serps-problems.html

 

[WineCountryCarpetCleaning]

Re: Service Area Business w/ Hidden Address - IMPORTANT UPDATE G+ Business Page Merge

---------- Post Merged at 07:12 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 07:11 PM ----------

oops

 

[WineCountryCarpetCleaning]

Re: Service Area Business w/ Hidden Address - IMPORTANT UPDATE G+ Business Page Merge

The "see your listing" link often does not sync.

Here it is: https://plus.google.com/116318921423174024971/about?hl=en

What's with this listing? https://plus.google.com/109347739391684637790/about?gl=us&hl=en
Similar site, different name, different city?

Linda, I just noticed my Dads places page, is not claimed and the address isn't hidden. I looked and his normal one does not seem to be around (it was claimed and the address was hidden). Should I have him claim this page and hide his address before it gets deleted or should he just wait for his to come back from wherever it went?