Places stuck for months in "Pending" state

[Brian Alaway]

Hey Linda,
Posting here as requested. Places listing has been stuck in "Pending" for months. Notified Google support, they said they were referring to Engineering but couldn't give me a time frame for resolution. That was a few weeks ago. And of course because I jumped the gun with the G+ place, that was eventually but only recently disabled as well. This is for a Service Area Business with hidden address. Ideas or suggestions welcome.

Thanks, Brian.
brianalawayconsulting.com

 

[Linda Buquet]

Thanks for posting down here Brian.

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.

Need more info though...

Is it still live? Please post link. (Sometimes pending stay live and sometimes not).

If not live, what industry?

Was address hidden all along OR were you penalized because was not hidden.

When you say you talked to support I assume you did troubleshooter?
And how long ago was last reply and what did it say?

 

[Brian Alaway]

Thanks Linda, no rush, after months I'm used to waiting
No live link. Honestly was so long ago, don't even remember industry.
It was hidden for as long as I can remember.
I'll try to dig up the reply.

 

[Linda Buquet]

"Honestly was so long ago, don't even remember industry."

You don't remember the industry? You made it sound like this was your listing, so I'm confused.

But you know the address was hidden for a long time? Due to comment at Mike's I thought it sounded like you thought the listing was nuked for hidden address. But they don't usually put you in pending for hidden address violations, normally that's for other problems on the listing.

If you want to post screen shot of dashboard I can check to see what the violation or problem might be. Sometimes all you have to do is fix the problem and pending lifts. If you want to post dash, I need grab of the locations screen and the edit screen.

Thanks, Linda

 

[Brian Alaway]

Sorry for the confusion. When I first listed on Places, my business was purely a Computer Support Services business. Over the years it changed. I added Web Services/Marketing and my website reflected both. However, I no longer advertise for Computer Services although I still retain some clients for that. I removed the Computer Services offering from my website. As I made these changes, I updated the Places categories.

Originally the address (UPS store) was not hidden. But I changed that long ago and didn't see any negative repercussions. The listing was live and as of August of last year I actually had an Adwords ad targeting my Places page. I paused that ad, got involved in projects and when I went back to look at the Places listing, noticed that it was not live but Pending review. I doubt that it's the hidden address but really have no clue. Maybe Google is confused by the morphing nature of my business/website/categories? Or maybe it was the Google+ page? see attached

As I recall, I contacted Google through the Places support and spoke via phone. After looking at my listing, the rep said that he was sending it to Engineering for review but couldn't give me a time frame for resolution. That was a around 3-4 weeks ago give or take. Guess I could call them again?

Thanks, Brian

 

[Linda Buquet]

Originally the address (UPS store) was not hidden. But I changed that long ago and didn't see any negative repercussions.

You can't have a UPS address. But that if you get caught you normally get suspended for or deleted. Also sometimes capping every word like you have in description will trigger pending review, just like bad spelling or punctuation will.

So I'm guessing one or both tripped a filter that booted you in the Q for review, so you went into pending. BUT since support said they sent it to engineering maybe there is a technical issue on the back end as well. Maybe the tech issue caused listing to be stuck instead of moving through the review process.

If I were you I would move location to your home address if that's were you actually do business. You need to delete from dash. Open new Place page and start over. (I'd do it in a brand new account in case yours has a glitch or bad mojo. Then you need to mark this one on maps as closed/moved.

Instructions about closing/moving below.

http://localsearchforum.catalystema...-finally-releases-how-move-local-listing.html

http://localsearchforum.catalystema...ness-moved-feature-google-local-listings.html

On new listing write natural sentences don't KW stuff or use all caps in description.

 

[Colan Nielsen]

Originally the address (UPS store) was not hidden. But I changed that long ago and didn't see any negative repercussions.

Thanks, Brian

Hi Brian,

Even if you hide the address, you can be penalized for using a UPS address for your Google Places listing. Are you using a UPS address still?

 

[Linda Buquet]

Oh he said "Originally the address (UPS store) was not hidden. But I changed that long ago and didn't see any negative repercussions"

I thought he meant he changed it, as in HIDING it.

But just checked on maps and that looks like it's already his home address.
SO YAY! Skip the moving closing part.

I would just edit description. You can't just do a string of capped KWs like that. Need to be English sentences and DON'T use all the same KWs from your cats. In fact just to pull this out of pending,
do a very bland description without KWs. "We offer personalize, on-time service and listen to your needs"
type of thing...

Edit desc. Then click submit. Then POKE (click edit again and don't change anything, then click submit.) If this is NOT a real engineering problem, good chance that will pull it out of pending.

 

[Brian Alaway]

Thanks Linda, edited and poked. We'll see.

Once that's resolved, what do you recommend for the Google+ disabled page. Wait for their response to my review request - not likely to change due to the hidden address?
Can't even delete the page.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Even if you COULD verify/merge Mike, I and even Jade from Google say best to wait. Still too buggy. In your case you can't due to hidden address. So I'd just forget it for now.

Please keep us posted and let us know if it pops out of pending.

 

[Brian Alaway]

One last thing then I'll leave you alone. I would like to setup a new Google+ Brand page for a new service that I'm offering using just my name. Do you think that would fly given the current situation with the other disabled Places/G+ page? Thanks.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Sorry not sure on that. I don't deal much with pure G+ issues, only local.

 

[Brian Alaway]

Hi Linda,

It's been several weeks since making your recommended changes and so far ... nothing. Still stuck in "Pending review" mode. I go in a few times a week and Edit/Submit just to poke them but I think they're ignoring me.

What are the consequences, if any of just deleting the listing. Without a commercial address I don't really see the advantage of being listed as "Local". I know you've said that others with a hidden address get ranked in the 7 box but honestly, I think they are the exception to the rule. If I delete my Google+ disabled page plus the Places listing, I could just start clean with a non-local page in Google+ and avoid all the Places/Local+ mess. But I'm not sure if that would help or hurt my business relationship with Google going forward? Your thoughts?

Thanks,
Brian

 

[Brian Alaway]

Unstuck finally! Came so close to deleting this week but didn't. So I just logged in to Places to do my daily poke and ..... it's active! Unbelievable .. after months and months and months. Still no clue why but thanks for the help getting out of Pending jail.

 

[Colan Nielsen]

Congratulations Brian! That's great news!

 

[Linda Buquet]

Yay Brian, congrats.

I go in a few times a week and Edit/Submit just to poke them but I think they're ignoring me.

FYI Brian AND anyone else that may read this.

OVER poking is bad. When we say POKE we mean poke once. Then it's a good idea to poke once a month on a regular basis. But if you have a problem poking daily does not help. "THEY" are not listening or ignoring you. It's an automated process.

I think every time you poke, it just sends you BACK TO THE END OF THE LINE to start over in the review Q. Basically you are waiting in line for your turn to be reviewed. If you click edit that tells the automated process, you've changed something and you start over in the cycle. (I suspect but don't know for sure.)

I've seen users with problems say - every morning when I get up I poke it twice just for good measure to try to fix it. I think that's possibly the worst thing you can do.

Just for future reference. Spread the word.

 

[Brian Alaway]

Good to know about the over poking but having been at the back of the line for months not sure it made any difference one way or the other? The thing that's most frustrating dealing with anything Google is they keep everything a mystery. Like I said originally over on Mike's thread, tell me what the hell is wrong, I'll fix it and we can all move on. I'm convinced it's part of their philosophy to never provide any direct support (unless one considers some vague email response which they may or may not get, real support. I don't.) By the way, I noticed that I'm able to edit my Places listing through Google+ Local. Now why would they allow that when I'm a SAB?

 

[Linda Buquet]

By the way, I noticed that I'm able to edit my Places listing through Google+ Local. Now why would they allow that when I'm a SAB?

Sorry that does not make sense to me. Can you clarify?

Google+ Local is the listing you edit in the Places dashboard. You said your listing is back, so you SHOULD be able to edit there. Even if SAB.

Are you talking about Google+ business page maybe? If so NO you should not have one if it's merged/verified.

If either of those is not what you mean please explain in more detail.

 

[Brian Alaway]

Well guess I should take screen shots every time I do something with Places cause I don't remember how I ended up in edit mode in G+ Local from Places but I believe that once in Places I went to Adwords Express and then somehow clicked edit and ended up G+L. Realizing where I was, I immediately bailed out. But of course Google remembered it anyway cause now when I logged back in to Places, there's now a new Places entry! I'm going to delete the new entry but before I do, I took a screen shot just to prove I'm not loosing it . Although if I mess with Places any more I just may!

 

[Linda Buquet]

Wait a sec, don't do anything.

I've never even seen that screen at all. I don't think you are in G+ Local.

Everything that has to do with creating a G+ Local page happens in the old Places dash. Unless you are doing something in G+ but that pic does not look like that's where you are at either.

I don't deal with Adwords Express, BUT I think that's where that pic is from.

Can you log into your PURE PLACES DASH? Here: http://places.google.com/

Is there just the existing listing you had before?

If so then I think that screen shot is from Adwords Express and you just set up an additional campaign or something NOT an additional G+ Local page.