Question about responding to reviews

[Andrew Forster]

Hey Guys & Gals,

Quick question about responding to reviews. Say for example, you had a previously claimed Google Places page and are using the places dashboard to manage your account. The reviews that are listed in your account would be placed into a Google+ Page that isn't merged / verified.

How do you respond to the reviews if you don't 'verify' the Google Plus pages?

 

[Linda Buquet]

Say for example, you had a previously claimed Google Places page and are using the places dashboard to manage your account. The reviews that are listed in your account would be placed into a Google+ Page that isn't merged / verified. (Linda says ???)

How do you respond to the reviews if you don't 'verify' the Google Plus pages?

Sorry, I'm not following you Andrew...

You said reviews "would be placed into a Google+ Page that isn't merged / verified."
But you said the page is not merged or verified, so there would be no reviews on it.

If you have not merged (verified) then the reviews just stay on the Place page. Only way the reviews would be on the G+ business page is if you OR Google automatically merged the 2 pages together.

 

[Andrew Forster]

I can see why you're confused ... let me try and clarify

We have a client, who has a claimed Google Places page: roberson body works - Google Search

We've created the page (previously) have done citation work etc.

The client also has reviews, but we aren't able to respond to the reviews because the client does not have a Google+ business page. I'm hesitant to merge the Places page into a Google+ for business page because of all the issues, and the fact that the client is already ranking in the map pack.

Does that help?

 

[Linda Buquet]

Reviews live on the Place page.

Only if you merge do the 2 pages combine and reviews show on the G+ page.

Not being able to respond to reviews has nothing to do with G+. The majority of listings are still just Place pages and can respond to reviews.

Not being able to respond to reviews is usually a symptom that the listing has a hidden merged dupe and is claimed in another account somewhere. It's nothing to do with G+.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Oh dear, ya they have problems.

You can tell by the categories combined with the fact that you can't respond to reviews that this is a dual claimed listing.

Check out all those categories.

The old dash only allows 5 and they have a TON!

It's a violation to have a listing claimed more than once in the same or different account. Plus it can cause ALL KINDS of problems. (Plus some of those categories have violations.) Even if the violation are in the OTHER dash it can cause a penalty for the listing you are managing. (I cover all this stuff in my training by the way.)

Sorry late for final research I need to finish for my next consult, need to run. Back later.

 

[Andrew Forster]

They only have 5 categories listed in places, Map Maker is pulling aggregated data from all over the place.

I did however, find a way to respond to the reviews

You need to be logged into their places account, and navigate to the unclaimed Google+ listing that Google made for them, of which you can respond to reviews.

 

[Linda Buquet]

They only have 5 categories listed in places, Map Maker is pulling aggregated data from all over the place.

Pretty sure that's a merged, dual claimed listing and that's what's causing all those cats.

I did however, find a way to respond to the reviews

You need to be logged into their places account, and navigate to the unclaimed Google+ listing that Google made for them, of which you can respond to reviews.

I guess I'm missing something because 1st you said "Google+ Page that isn't merged / verified".

Then right above you said "navigate to the unclaimed Google+ listing".

You can't respond to reviews on an unclaimed G+ listing. You need to be the logged in owner to respond. And a G+ listing would not even have reviews unless it was merged.

So maybe this is one of the new listings Google automatically merged? Is that was you are saying? In that case it would be a claimed G+ page that is merged with the Places listing. So is both claimed and merged.