Not sure how I can help my client

[PaulH]

Hey folks -

Having read a lot and searching through these (awesome yet intimidating) forums, I've become even more confused at what's going on with a client's listing.

Forgive my ignorance, I know this could be a headache and/or I'm asking for more work than I understand. I appreciate any thoughts you have, I care about this guy and want him to do well.

While I haven't been hired to help with his G+ Local page, I've been working on a few minor website things for him and wanted to "flesh out" his profile a bit and also update his NAP stuff out there to help his organic site do better.

Looks like he has some problems. Bear with me

The problem as I see it: He has two pages set up for his business. One was created by him 1.5-2 years ago or so. The other more recently (maybe 8mo-to a year ago?)

Neither are indexed, but he says that at least one was showing up until about 3 weeks ago, including going from 19 reviews, to 17 then...nothing.

He has two addresses "out there" for his business. He has a service business and would have needed to hide his address, but it isn't hidden (problem, and certainly a genuine mistake on his part) on the first page.

Now, neither is indexed.

Possibly relevant circumstances/events: He says he received a call about servicing at his address approximately 3 weeks ago. I assume from Google.

At about that time he realized things were disappearing (coincidental or not).

Then obviously having two addresses listed as his address out there (and on the pages) is mostly likely causing issues (one is his home, the other his office. I told him that may be a problem for him last fall for this kind of stuff when I started working on his website).

His pages:
The first one to exist is: plus.google.com/108173781086560609746/about

The second, newer one (that I tweaked to allow for "publisher" authority to his site by adding a hyperlink to his business, etc otherwise he set it up):
plus.google.com/116231647992958674896/about

He mentioned not seeing his "map" listing page anymore. I don't know if he means not seeing one of the pages (listed above) indexed anymore (which they aren't anyway) OR not seeing a "third property" that used to exist like a maps listing different from the above two that he used to be able to see. I'd guess the map listing he means isn't different?

So, I'm confused, and probably confusing everyone else as well.

What I'm ultimately looking for: I'd like to know IF he can "come back" and be indexed and then if anyone knows what he must do or start to do to begin that process.

Delete one of the pages? Change the address in the first page to the Madison one (or would that hurt him)? Call Google with that new option to do so?

Delete both pages? Start over? Re-verify?

I know there are "merged" listings, suspensions (has he been? can you even tell?) and duplicate issues that can happen, but I don't know how I'd identify those three things if they did happen.

Yikes! That's a lot to chew on!

I appreciate any thoughts and time you experts have to give me a better idea of what to expect and what I can pass on (or even do for him.) Thank you...

 

[Linda Buquet]

Welcome Paul! Thanks for posting all the details so we can help.

Right now I'm backed up getting projects done for consultants that have hired me to help them with complicated listing issues, so I need to go play catch up. But I'll try my best to circle back around and help later tonight if I can.

In the meantime, there's a good chance other members will weigh in to try to help you as well.

 

[Phil Rozek]

Hey Paul,

A couple quick observations:

1. His Google+Local listing (https://plus.google.com/108173781086560609746/about) IS indexed. When I search for “steam plus carpet cleaning waunakee” it pops right up.

2. There does seem to be some issue with his Google+ for Business page:



The one I see in the SERP isn’t the same one you posted the link to. So there may be a third “property” floating around, as you mentioned.

He doesn’t need to delete the https://plus.google.com/116231647992958674896/posts page. But I don’t suggest you guys try to “merge” it with the Google+Local page (https://plus.google.com/108173781086560609746/about).

I have 2 suggestions:

1. Definitely “hide” the address on the Google+Local page ASAP. His listing isn’t suspended, but you don’t want it to be.

2. If the Waunakee address isn’t fake (PO box, UPS box), I’d suggest NOT changing the address on your Google+Local page (https://plus.google.com/108173781086560609746/about). I would suggest changing the address on your Google+ page (https://plus.google.com/116231647992958674896/posts) to the Waukanee address.

I think the above will help your client “keep his nose clean” in terms of Google’s rules. From what I see, I don’t think you need to deal with deleting anything or asking Google to reinstate anything.

Beyond that, it’s just a question of rankings. I don’t know how well your client ranked well before, but being Google-compliant is half the battle. If I had to hazard a guess (haven’t checked this), I’d say there’s inconsistent address info floating around out there – which of course you or he would want to clean up.

 

[PaulH]

Hi Phil - I really appreciate the time you put into checking it out for me. It was very helpful and definitely cleared things up.

His Waunakee address is is home address (I hope he wouldn't mind that being public knowledge, although he listed that himself), and the other is a real address as well, not fake, but one that he uses as an "office", and gets his mail there with his friend's approval. Although as I learn more, that may be a no-no which again, I told him that could be the case for him. Not knowing much about it, I figured as long as it wasn't a PO box, etc, he might be fine.

And as the Madison address is the address he uses on his site, and wants to make his address listing for G+ Local and all else, is this then unwise? Frowned upon? It would obviously change his whole strategy, but then I'd rather tell him that then have him get in trouble with his listings.

If it's okay to do, should he claim that Waunakee listing (looks like he needs to verify it first maybe after all) and change it to match the Madison listing? I don't think time for the postcard, time for the changes and etc, would bother him because I warned him those things CAN take time. But the first concerns are not gaming the system in Google's eyes either.

---------- Post Merged at 05:11 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 05:10 PM ----------

Hi Phil - I really appreciate the time you put into checking it out for me. It was very helpful and definitely cleared things up.

His Waunakee address is is home address (I hope he wouldn't mind that being public knowledge, although he listed that himself), and the other is a real address as well, not fake, but one that he uses as an "office", and gets his mail there with his friend's approval. Although as I learn more, that may be a no-no which again, I told him that could be the case for him. Not knowing much about it, I figured as long as it wasn't a PO box, etc, he might be fine.

And as the Madison address is the address he uses on his site, and wants to make his address listing for G+ Local and all else, is this then unwise? Frowned upon? It would obviously change his whole strategy, but then I'd rather tell him that then have him get in trouble with his listings.

If it's okay to do, should he claim that Waunakee listing (looks like he needs to verify it first maybe after all) and change it to match the Madison listing? I don't think time for the postcard, time for the changes and etc, would bother him because I warned him those things CAN take time. But the first concerns are not gaming the system in Google's eyes either.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Yes Phil gave you some greate advice. I'll add a little to it.

Carpet cleaners are under INTENSE scrutiny and more take downs there than any industry right now. Some have been totally MIA for MONTHS. I can send you to a forum for carpet cleaners where TONS have been deleted for the same offenses. Some of those guys are talking about going out of business.

If he values his business he can not screw around with this.

1 Location only. The REAL one. And MUST hide address.

"but one that he uses as an "office", and gets his mail there with his friend's approval."

No that doesn't fly if he just gets mail there. Plus that just looks like a house too. That's why someof these guys were nuked. For setting up extra offices at friends houses or whatever just to try to rank in additional cities.

FYI if for whatever reason he does need to change address you can't just edit the address. There's a process you need to go through. Basically close the old one, open a new one and start over from scratch and not rank at all for 8 weeks.

So I agree with Phil. Keep his home address listing. Thats the Google+ Local that ranks anyway. HIDE ADRESS ASAP.

The Google+ page as Phil said, do not try to verify it. And I don't think you'll be able to edit to change address either due to a new update that won't let you edit unless you verify and you can't verfiy since address will be hidden. So it's a big catch 22. May just have to delete that one.

Hope this helps and best of luck!

 

[Phil Rozek]

@Paul

Linda stole the words right out of my writing quill!

Unless there?s a landlord knocking on the door every month, it?s not an office, and (as Linda said) it?s at risk of getting pulled, for better or for worse.

The other bottom line is you need to use one address on all your local listings: no point in using a different address for the Google+ for Business page, because it can?t rank in the Google+Local results (and probably not in the organic results, either).

The Google+ for Business page is a third wheel. Linda brings up a good point about how you can?t verify it. Even if you could verify it, Google wouldn?t let you merge it with the Google+Local page, because your client is a service-area business. I can?t think of a reason why you shouldn?t just delete it.

So if you (1) stick with the Google+Local page (https://plus.google.com/108173781086560609746/about) at the current address, (2) hide its address ASAP, (3) make sure you?re using the home/Waukanee address, and (4) nuke the Google+ page (https://plus.google.com/116231647992958674896/posts), I think your client will be in good shape.

 

[PaulH]

Thank you so much to both of you. I really appreciate it. I'm going to take your advice immediately - it's best for him.

As an aside, while I imagine it's best to change his address listed on his site to his home address, he has "Madison" in his URL and site name. He services many areas (obviously) in a wide range as well (all listed on his site), but as long as his NAP is his home address on his site and elsewhere, can he keep his site as is in your opinion? Will Google frown on him trying to rank for Madison keywords?

Again, I know you guys are busy, and get paid for consulting, so I don't want to take advantage of you. I value your time and you've been very helpful already.

Off to make some changes.

 

[Linda Buquet]

No worries on site name and trying to rank for Madison. Key is having NAP right on G+L, then having it match on site and everywhere else.

FYI, you probably know this, but no way he'll rank in local for Madison if address is Waukanee. So I would optimize home page for Waukanee which I'm sure is smaller, but it's his best chance of ranking high in local. Then do internal pages optimized for Madison to try to maybe rank for some longer tails in organic.

 

[PaulH]

I just wanted to report back that I worked with him and convinced him to see it like this, and have made all necessary changes. He is now going to be all "home" address across the board.

He was great about it, and you two just potentially saved him huge hassles (or worse) because I didn't know it could be that bad for him either. So we thank you very much and I look forward to "paying it forward" and helping someone, somewhere with the talents I DO have.

Thanks again Linda and Phil. I'm in your debt.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Awesome, happy to help and love the fact you want to pay it forward and help others here. That's what this forum is all about!