Verbiage on Unclaimed GMB pages: "Own this business?" (KP) / "Claim this business" (Maps) vs. "Manage this listing"

[freerunr]

This is a pretty minor question, but does anyone know why GMB pages have different verbiage for the option to start the verification process when viewing them live? I'm just trying to ensure our internal training documents are consistent.

If I recall, the former was the format for a while, and I had thought that the latter was the newer format. Has the change just not rolled out globally? To eliminate some potential variables, I compared two pages that are the same business type, are in the same city, and both have reviews, and yet the option is different. Below are screenshots of each business in the knowledge panel, as well as on Maps.

Cost Cutters (KP)

Cost Cutters (Maps)

Scissors Edge (KP)

Scissors Edge (Maps)

 

[Colan Nielsen]

Hey there,

"Manage this listing" is typically on listings that are claimed and part of a chain? Is your example a chain business?

"Own this business" is typically for listings that aren't claimed by any account.

 

[freerunr]

Wow, for some reason I thought "Manage this listing" was indeed an indication that a page was not claimed.



It's pretty straightforward to you or I what is considered a chain, but do you know what qualifies as being a chain from a technical perspective in this context?

 

[Colan Nielsen]

That's a good question. One I don't know the answer to.

Here's a snippet from the help center document on the "Site Manager sign-up link"

 

[Oliver Keates]

Hey there,

"Manage this listing" is typically on listings that are claimed and part of a chain? Is your example a chain business?

"Own this business" is typically for listings that aren't claimed by any account.

Hi

I was looking at my companies GMB listings today. The company has 3 GMB listings located in 3 different cities. I noticed "manage this listing" appears next to "suggest an edit". The GMB listings are published.

Should i take any action as when i click on "manage this listing" it opens up the GMB login screen? @Tim Colling @BenFisher @JoyHawkins

Thanks

 

[Colan Nielsen]

@Oliver Keates the "manage this listing" icon just means that Google considers the listing part of a chain. You don't need to do anything if you already own or manage the listing.

 

[Oliver Keates]

@Oliver Keates the "manage this listing" icon just means that Google considers the listing part of a chain. You don't need to do anything if you already own or manage the listing.

Thanks for your help

 

[hajnasiewicz]

Interesting choice of language. I thought it implied anyone could manage/claim my already claimed/verified business locations. Thank you for the info @Colan Nielsen

 

[Colan Nielsen]

Interesting choice of language. I thought it implied anyone could manage/claim my already claimed/verified business locations. Thank you for the info @Colan Nielsen

Hi Carolyn, not anyone. But anyone who can do a phone, text, or email verification at the business address or phone number listed on the listing.

 

[freerunr]

Hot off the press, and well-timed, we found a two-location law firm with the "Manage this listing" verbiage.

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.com

*Note: the two locations in these results are in Florida, but the firm's website displays an address in Florida and NYC instead. At any rate, there are two locations on the website and in Maps. respectively, even if they are not consistent.

So maybe more than one location is enough for Google to consider a brand a chain? It makes me even more curious about this question, because now it's not obvious to me what a chain is:

It's pretty straightforward to you or I what is considered a chain, but do you know what qualifies as being a chain from a technical perspective in this context?

 

[Colan Nielsen]

Hey Kerry,

My guess would have been that it's based on 10 locations or more. But that doesn't seem to be the case in this example which tells me it may have an algorithmic component. Which means there can be some inconsistencies.

 

[Colan Nielsen]

I'm going to get clarification from Google on all of this since there definitely seems to be some inconsistencies.

 

[Tim Colling]

I thought it implied anyone could manage/claim my already claimed/verified business locations.

It sure sounds like that, the first time you run into it.

 

[freerunr]

I'm going to get clarification from Google on all of this since there definitely seems to be some inconsistencies.

@Colan Nielsen, did you ever hear back on this?

 

[Colan Nielsen]

@freerunr Not officially. This tweet from Ben is interesting though:



This is the help center doc that I would refer to - "Site Manager sign-up link"

Is there a particular question you were curious about?

 

[freerunr]

I was following up on this part specifically....

So maybe more than one location is enough for Google to consider a brand a chain? It makes me even more curious about this question, because now it's not obvious to me what a chain is:

... and it looks like this tweet in that thread makes that part moot, so thank you for pointing that out! But what's strange about the way it's phrased is that it looks like it's non-chains that the feature was intended for.... but maybe I'm just looking too closely into the sentence structure of that response

 

[NiQ]

Hi all,

I just stumbled upon this forum by searching for an answer to the subject of this conversation.
Decided to join in, it looks like a nice place and nice folks.

I did a bit more digging, and thought I'd share my findings.

I think that understanding the roles available to the users of GMB will help understand the verbiage. It's essentially a CMS, like WordPress or Drupal, with the user roles defined and the way the programmers create a language built around those roles.

Check out this page :

Transfer primary ownership of a Business Profile - Google Business Profile Help

Get verified Important:If you’re transferring ownershi

support.google.com

It includes the comparison table of the capabilities of each role.

There are 3 roles: The Owner, The Manager and The Site Manager.
Only the Owner can invite new users (managers and site managers).

There is only one primary owner, but there can also be several secondary owners.

The Manager has the same privileges as an owner, except that s/he is not able to close the account and invite new users. The Site Manager is a step down from a Manager.

Now, as a few people have pointed out, if a business has several locations and not every location has a Manager assigned to it, then the phrase/link will say 'Manage this listing?'.
If a listing has no Owner assigned, then it will say 'Own this business?'.

Understanding the roles also helped me (I think), understand some other verbiage used by Google. In some places, the phrases like 'Someone has a location' was totally baffling to me, until I understood that only an Owner can 'have' a location.
The other roles can only 'manage' a location. Maybe I'm wrong here.

So, it's actually a very precise language, but I think it presupposes the understanding of the underlying roles/privileges structure.


NiQ

 

[freerunr]

Welcome, @NiQ! Interesting thoughts. I went back and looked at some examples I provided earlier in the thread to check the logic you pointed out.

1. In an instance where "Manage this listing" was available, upon selecting that, it brought me to the screen to complete a verification. If that page already had an owner, would it really ask for that?
2. In another instance where "Manage this listing" was available, I began the process of trying to acquire access by starting at business.google.com, then selecting the existing listing from the dropdown. It then brought me to a screen that I have not seen before:

I did not finish the process by selecting "Manage now" because I don't really want to manage the page

Also, when you refer to "Someone has a location," in what situations is that a reference to (ie, where do you see that exact verbiage?)?

 

[NiQ]

Welcome, @NiQ! Interesting thoughts. I went back and looked at some examples I provided earlier in the thread to check the logic you pointed out.

1. In an instance where "Manage this listing" was available, upon selecting that, it brought me to the screen to complete a verification. If that page already had an owner, would it really ask for that?
2. In another instance where "Manage this listing" was available, I began the process of trying to acquire access by starting at business.google.com, then selecting the existing listing from the dropdown. It then brought me to a screen that I have not seen before:

I did not finish the process by selecting "Manage now" because I don't really want to manage the page

Also, when you refer to "Someone has a location," in what situations is that a reference to (ie, where do you see that exact verbiage?)?

Yes, the plot thickens ...
In any case, however - every new user will have to be verified, but the exact nature of the verification process will be different, for different roles and at different stages of completion of a listing's profile.
I don't think there is a simple way to create an exact correspondence between the verbiage and the current status of a listing, other than some very broad points of reference, already accounted for in this thread.
I don't think that even a well-informed Google employee can shed more light on this subject.

 

[KimW]

I have Site Manager access on a GMB page and need to have at least Management to make updates to the info. I'd like at least Ownership to clean up the users though. I asked for higher clearance 30 days ago and have heard nothing back. The Primary Owner of the GMB isn't the business owner anymore. How can I appeal for Ownership?