RIP Google+ Local Search - More Changes

[Phil Rozek]

@Kaycie

Did you try including the ZIP in the search box, and then clicking on the top result? In the old "Local" tab and even before then, sometimes you'd have to do that to get the right page showing up on top.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Re: Practitioner Listings Populating for Branded (Business Name) Search

EDIT - COPIES FROM A DIFFERENT THREAD AND MOVED IN HERE

Joy how did you get the G+ Links when looking in MM. Is there some trick I don't know?

For each one I would have to copy name to new maps in new browser window.
Then copy phone in that same new maps search so I could search name and phone to be sure I got the right listing. Is there an easier way I don't know about?

But then the problem is if say 3 all had the same name and phone how do you match the right G+ L page to the right MM listing? CID? How do you get CID from a MM listing? I used to know but can't figure it out now. (Or at least could not last night half asleep.)

 

[JoyHawkins]

Re: Practitioner Listings Populating for Branded (Business Name) Search

Yeah, definitely an easier way. I'm thinking this would make a good blog post. I'll do it up today and share the link here.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Re: Practitioner Listings Populating for Branded (Business Name) Search

Awesome. I was going to do a post showing Google how crippling this is to do research in MM. But if I'm missing some simple trick that would make it easier would love to know before a write up a big rant.

One SIMPLE thing that's missing is, let's say you have a potential new client and you need to see if they have a mess of dupes or any fake listings to clean up.

You plug phone into MM and the list pops up. You can't even see at a glance if they all have same phone #. You have to click each one to check. (Because as you know, even in G Local search sometimes other associated listings would show up even though different phone.)

But in Local you could see complete NAP at a glance without having to click each one and then try to remember later which of the 8 was the one with the different #.

You could also see image, which gives you a quick feel at a glance which listings were claimed.
(Of course would still need to click to see them.)

But that's key, you could click right from local to get directly to each G+ L page without searching for them.

So frustrating!

 

[Scott Rawlins]

I understand why they removed it, but it would be nice if they could still leave the url for Local active for people like us. Right now, even if you type in the url, it directs you to the home page.

I agree Linda....frustrating as all get out for us.

 

[JoshuaMackens]

How do you do address dupe searches in Map Maker?

I search for exact address (street, suite, city, st, zip) for our business and nothing comes up.

If I leave the suite out I get just the road.

Am I missing something?

P.S. name and phone work just fine.

 

[JoyHawkins]

Here is the post on how to do it by phone number. I'll do one on how to do the address search in a few days (part 2)

Step-By-Step Guide to Finding Duplicate Google Plus Listings on MapMaker (Part 1) | Imprezzio Marketing

 

[Linda Buquet]

Thanks so much Joy for sharing.

BUT OMG that is soooo hard and so many extra steps if you have 8 dupes you need to investigate.

My carpal can't handle all the right click, view source, find CID, copy CID, paste CID, click reviews, if no review click write one, then exit the review box just to get to the F*ing listing! That's like 8 extra mouse actions per listing X 8 listings? 64 extra tugs on my carpal just helping one person???

I'm ticked and I'm literally going on strike. I help people for free 50 hours a week researching problems and giving free advice. My carpal can't hack this extra work.

So I quit offering free research. Actually even if you paid me my carpal is so bad I can't do it any more.

I'm done!

 

[Linda Buquet]

Almost forgot to mention. John Lynch turned me onto a tool that helps somewhat.

CIDFinder

Check out John's explanation below.

<a href="http://www.thisis360.com/google-plus-local-search-is-dead/">RIP Google+ Local ? Hello CIDFinder</a>

I think he said it's a tool Google recommends to Trusted Photographers to help them find the right listing to connect to.

Thanks for the tip John. But as I told him on G+:

If you know the developer personally you might ask if they could make the G+ link clickable so you don't have to cut and paste. Plus need search by phone. The company I looked for just now has 8 dupes listings but it pulled up listings from all over the country with similar names. So still took a lot of hunting and pecking to find the right ones.

But then I tried phone search and it works! So it gives you the CID and the G+ L Link. Just wish you didn't have to copy/paste link into browser to get to the page. He told me it's clickable, but it's not for me.

What do you think? Is this helpful?

 

[JoyHawkins]

Hey Linda,

I'm with you on the free research being time consuming. I don't even do it on my Chromebook anymore and save it for my computer with multiple monitors so I can have my sticky notes with the URLs on one screen and MM open on the other.

On a bright note, if this stuff wasn't so difficult and confusing we both might not have jobs

That tool you posted looks cool but I don't personally think it would cut down on time. It also didn't pick up the closed listing for the one I just put in there. Those are VITAL to know about.

 

[John Garghan]

Joy and Linda

I couldn't get MapMaker to recognise my UK clients via phone number, just gives "no matching" error for all of them

 

[JoyHawkins]

John,

For the UK, use the 11-digit phone number with no spaces and no dashes (tip from Andrew Huskinson)

 

[John Garghan]

works a treat, I tried a few combinations but not that one thank you, Andrew and Joy

 

[JoshuaMackens]

Anybody figured out a mobile review solution yet?

 

[Linda Buquet]

Nothing new that I've seen Joshua.

 

[JoshuaMackens]

I would actually pay for a solution people having to write reviews through the desktop is so 1999. C'mon Google!

 

[Phil Rozek]

@Joshua

The easiest way is (and long has been) through the Maps app. Were you looking for an alternative?

 

[JoshuaMackens]

Hey Phil,

Yes. Until the update Google+ Local search results were accessible via mobile device. If you searched for the business, you were able to click the pencil next to your lisiting from the search results and leave a review via your mobile device.

I (and I'm sure others as well) just grabbed the business specific search URL and bought a domain name for each business that redirected to the search results so people could easily leave reviews via their mobile device, on the spot.

With the update, that is no longer possible and it seems that there isn't a fix.

 

[Linda Buquet]

On the subject of dupe research.

Keep forgetting to mention this tool and Justin just brought it up in another thread so wanted to mention to be sure everyone knows about it.

Duplicate Google Business Page Tool

This tool uses the Google Places API to return all Google+ My Business pages that Google thinks might possibly match the business name and zip code you entered (non US postal codes will work as well). It?s useful for figuring out what Google+ pages are out there that are of the local business type (as opposed to Brand pages) for a given business.
Business Page Tool:

 

[JoshuaMackens]

On the subject of dupe research.

Keep forgetting to mention this tool and Justin just brought it up in another thread so wanted to mention to be sure everyone knows about it.

Has Joy come out with her other MM dupe searching posts yet?