UHGGG. Client moved to new location- Now Google maps to residential neighborhood

[Chris Ratchford]

I have an orthodontist client who moved to a new location- even the building is new.

I've claimed/optimized their G+L listing and updated the new address, which Google required a manual review.

Google approved the edits, but now there's a discrepancy in the maps. Their correct address is:
1010 Calloway Dr., #200A Bakersfield, CA 93312
(and is listed as this in the Places dashboard).

But their Google+Local page lists their address as:
1010 Calloway Ct Bakersfield, CA 93312
This has caused a lot of late appointments and upset patients.

I've reported the problem w/ Google and even made edits in Map Maker, but still no changes.

Anyone else run into issues w/ new addresses- i.e. new construction?

 

[Linda Buquet]

I've claimed/optimized their G+L listing and updated the new address, which Google required a manual review.

You edited the address? Didn't close old listing and open new? Google strongly recommends that as best way to handle moves.

I don't have time to look into the address inconsistencies and that's not my strong suit. But I bet Andrew or Gregg our G Map experts will see this, come by and weigh in to help.

 

[Chris Ratchford]

Hey Linda, thanks for the quick response!

I never thought to close down the listing and create a new one.

But why would a business close their G+L listing- with all those reviews and start over?

I hope Google doesn't expect business owners to do this?

 

[Colan Nielsen]

Hi Chris,

This Google forum thread has some good info on the idea of closing an old listing and creating a new one when a client moves - Google Groups

One of the TC's over there said this about reviews when I asked "My only concern doing it that way is that you lose all of the built up trust that the listing has accumulated. Plus any reviews. "

Response - "You run the risk of losing reviews either way. They are stored separately and periodically matched to local listings by NAP."

 

[Andrew Sawyer]

Hey Linda, thanks for the quick response!

I never thought to close down the listing and create a new one.

But why would a business close their G+L listing- with all those reviews and start over?

I hope Google doesn't expect business owners to do this?

Google certainly does expect people to do this: Delete a Place - Map Maker Help

I left a comment on your GMM edit you made in Map Maker asking you to undo your edit and create a new feature as it has changed cities. You will not want to make a grounds/boundary with the feature as the feature is an office location. I have seen you have gotten denials for trying to make the feature into a buildings, etc, not sure what you did to get the denials but this feature should remain a place/POI.

If you want to make a building associate with the feature, the building has to be made separate with the only info shared with the business being the street address (don't add the name to the building, etc.) See Building/ Boundary - Map Maker Help

 

[Andrew Sawyer]

Google certainly does expect people to do this: Delete a Place - Map Maker Help

I left a comment on your GMM edit you made in Map Maker asking you to undo your edit and create a new feature as it has changed cities.

I mistakenly thought you were moving cities, the County name through me off.
My apologies. Within-the-city moves are up to you to just moving the marker and not closing the feature and adding a new one; going outside the city requires a closure/new feature.

 

[Linda Buquet]

I never thought to close down the listing and create a new one.

But why would a business close their G+L listing- with all those reviews and start over?

I hope Google doesn't expect business owners to do this?

Sorry Chris, I thought you knew about this. That's the way Google has recommended dealing with moves for awhile now. We've discussed many times here at the forum. Here's one thread.

Business Has Moved/Business is Closed Message

But FYI even if you just edit the listing you will often lose reviews because they are tied in part to NAP, so when address changes it can break the chain.

We've been talking to Google about how messed up this is again this week and some cosultants are saying they would still rather try to edit the listing and take their chances because if you close and start over you not only lose reviews but start over in the ranking cycle and won't rank for 6 - 8 weeks. And I can totally see it from that viewpoint.

Thing is, Google's scraping mechanism is out of control and I believe that's why they want you to jump through these hoops, which causes NUMEROUS problems. But the danger of editing the address after a move is that every time Google finds the old address she'll change it back on you. Then you have customers getting lost, going to wrong location and you, the consultant, can have a constant data fight trying to get support to correct the address over and over.

Having said all that, if I were in the situation I'm not sure which way I would go. It seems like sort of a lose/lose proposition either way.

 

[Linda Buquet]

I mistakenly thought you were moving cities, the County name through me off. My apologies.

Within-the-city moves are up to you to just moving the marker and not closing the feature and adding a new one; going outside the city requires a closure/new feature.

Sorry, somehow I missed the comment above, but then Colan just quoted Andrew and advised someone
in another thread they don't have to close and start over if the move is in the same city.

To be sure incorrect info is not spreading, I decided to ask Jade for confirmation that this info is correct in the G+ L world WE live in. Because while I don't think Andrew's info is wrong, I think it's coming from the mapping side of the house, for instance when they find a feature or map marker that's in the wrong place, they should just move it or edit if in same city, per these guidelines. Delete a Place - Map Maker Help

However Jade has always said if a business MOVES best practice is close and open new listing. She's never made an exception, if the move is in same city - which MOST that I see come up ARE! So I think the difference is with a 'feature' (in the mapping world) if it's wrong, move it. But with a business, there are citations at the old address and the inherent data problems that will come up when the algo keeps trying to revert back to the old address.

So anyway, just sent all this to her to ask for clarification to see if it's POSSIBLY OK to edit instead of close/restart if the move is in the same town. But I have a feeling her advice is still going to be that it's best to close/open.

 

[Linda Buquet]

I mistakenly thought you were moving cities, the County name through me off.
My apologies. Within-the-city moves are up to you to just moving the marker and not closing the feature and adding a new one; going outside the city requires a closure/new feature.

Asked for a definitive answer from Joel Headley since he also works on the Maps and MapMaker side of the house.

Note: I linked to this thread, Gregg's post and the MM docs and really stressed the question was regarding whether in-city moves need to close/open new.

He said: "We prefer close an old business location and open new one for all moves.
If the address was wrong then the address can be corrected."