New Business - Start off with Places For Business Listings or Google+ Local Page?

[Susan Walsh]

Hi,

We have a client with very little online exposure. They are a new service area business, a cleaning company and have NO Google Places (Places for Business) or Google+ Local listing. Should we start the listing in Places For Business Places for Business ? Google Or, create a Google+ Account and then a Google+ Local Page?

They want to show-up in Google's search results, MAPs, Google+ and on mobile. I believe we need to create the Places for Business listing first and then if they want a Google+ Local page, create that afterwards, but want to reconfirm.

Thanks!!
Susan

 

[Linda Buquet]

Hi Susan,

Yes should always start with a Place page.

At this point I would not create a G+ page separately. Google has been advising against that for a long time.

Google is in process of upgrading all Place pages to G+ Business pages so I'd wait for that if you can. If client can't wait, if you get the G+ widget in the new Places dash, you could do it that way. But if they are such late adopters I would think they could wait a little longer.

 

[Susan Walsh]

Hi Linda,

Thanks for the quick reply! We will go through Places for Business to create the listing and wait for Google to upgrade to a Google+ Business page.

Best regards!!
Susan

 

[Linda Buquet]

The good new Susan, is that if it's a new clean listing I think upgrades are happening pretty fast. It's the older problematic listings that are so slow.

 

[Susan Walsh]

That's what we are hoping on this one Linda - all of our older listings have finally upgraded to the new dashboard - it seemed to be all at once after Google's last update.

Thanks again!
Susan

 

[Susan Walsh]

Hi again Linda,

When I go Places for Business and enter the phone number the business is not found because it is new. It then brings me into what looks like the Old Dashboard to enter in the business information and then Submit. Attached is a screen grab.

When does the new business see the new dashboard? After it is verified?

Sorry to be a pain - I thought new listing would see the new dashboard right away like they do if they create a Google+ Local page within Google+.

Thanks,
Susan

 

[Linda Buquet]

I'm not sure Susan cuz I don't set up new listings any more. But I do believe all new listings get new dash, so it must happen after you pin it. I assume anyway. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Michael S. Doran]

The only time I come accross the old dashboard for a new listing is if that email was used for a listing in the past and it had the old dashboard. I would be willing to bet that if you did the process with a brand new email address, you would get the new dashboard. In my opinion it is well worth it to get the new dashboard.

 

[Susan Walsh]

Hi Linda,

It's been a long time since we have done a brand new listing too. I think you're right though, I'll know today after we go through it with the Client. They want to see the process.

Thanks!
Susan

---------- Post Merged at 05:13 AM ---------- Previous Post was at 05:10 AM ----------

Hi Michael,

Thanks. As I mentioned to Linda it's been a long time since we have added a new listing. We are going to walk the client through it today. I'll let all know on the forum if they get the new dashboard. I think they will.

I appreciate your input on the email address - it will be a new email.

Thanks!
Susan

 

[Susan Walsh]

Hi Linda and Michael,

We met with our new client today and created a new Google account for him to use for Places for Business (Google+ Local). When we did this it created a new Gmail which he is going to use for Google Local and Citation building Everything went smoothly and I noticed that we were in the New Dashboard. We entered his business information and are now awaiting the PIN. He has the New Dashboard when we login to Places for Business.

I thought it was odd because yesterday when I logged into Places for Business it brought me to the old dashboard look in which you searched for your business by phone, the old way. I was using a Gmail that I created specifically for testing - it was created in 2012.

I've done some further testing, deleted all cookies, used Chrome and Safari, and have come up with this result:

1. Using a Gmail created in 2012 brings me to the old dashboard - image is attached yesterday.

2. Using a new Gmail I created in Oct 2013 for my daughter, going to Places for Business and Login in with that email, starts you off in the new Dashboard. Attached is a screen grab of the Places for Business screen to search for your business - not by phone number, but the new way, in the new dashboard.

Has anyone run into problems using an older Gmail when creating a Places for Business listing? Perhaps, you need a new Gmail when creating a Places for Business listing if you want the new dashboard and how new does it have to me?

Thanks,
Susan

 

[Colan Nielsen]

I would be willing to bet that if you did the process with a brand new email address, you would get the new dashboard.

Michael is right on the money. Newly created Google accounts will automatically have the new Google Places dashboard.

A Google account created back in 2012 will most likely have the old dashboard, unless Google has updated it as part of the many waves of upgrades.

 

[Matthew Newman]

It's a good thing your were using a new email address to set this up. If you used the one you were in to take that first screenshot, you most likely would have been stuck in the old dashboard until Google decided to upgrade you. Plus, if Google had that listing marked as claimed, you would have started a duel ownership without knowing, which is causing problems as these old listings are finally getting upgraded.

 

[Susan Walsh]

Hi Matthew,

The old email is one I use for testing - there were no listing associated with it. Since we usually claim a listing, not create a new listing, I wanted to make sure the instructions were correct. We were training our client along with creating the listing.

Since the old email brought me into the old dashboard, the question now is, what is too old an email or Google account?

We had planned to create a new Google Account for the client, but were waiting to meet in persona to see if he wanted to use a company email or a gmail. As you said, it's a good thing we were using a new email.

Local Search Forum, Blumenthal's Blog and Local Visibility System are the top places I trust. You would not believe what's out there on creating a new listing. So many people start within Google+, not Places for Business. That's why I come here - it's where the experts give great and correct advice. I'm getting there, but Local is not our only focus. Somedays it's hard to keep up!

I hope others read that using an old Google Account to create a new Places for Business listing is going to cause them trouble.

Thank you!
Susan

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Hi Colan,

I just replied to Matthew. We don't have too many clients that want a new listing, but I create ScreenSteps lessons, so I want the lesson to be correct. This one has been a learning experience.

I asked Matthew, how old is an old email or Google Account? What if a client did have an older gmail. I'll make note in my ScreenSteps lesson to be sure the email is new and have a snapshot of the correct dashboard - where they should be.

Thanks and have a great weekend!
Susan

 

[Colan Nielsen]

I think it's also important to remember that Google puts trust into email addresses that are on the companies domain. So you have to consider that too.

Plus with all the issues currently with dual claimed listings and Google starting to pick one over the other, having the places page claimed in a company email will factor in big time .

Sent from my XT1058 using Tapatalk

 

[Matthew Newman]

Sorry for the huge delay, Susan. The email notification somehow got sent to the spam folder :/

"Old" as far as it is concerned with the dashboard, would be before April of 2013, when the new dashboard was first released. I believe that all Google accounts set up after that will have the new dashboard.

Now there is still a chance that an email created before that time will get the new dash. From my very limited testing, it seems like if an account was not used to to access Google Places at all before April, then you will get the new dashboard. Otherwise, it may be stuck in the old.

Hope this helps!

- Matthew Newman