Warning Email re Google Places Duplicate Listings

[Chris Ratchford]

I received a couple of these emails from Google last night:

I'm curious to know if anyone else received this email- if so, when?

I wonder if this will help w/ the hidden merged duplicate issue????

 

[Linda Buquet]

I got it too Chris and I NEVER set up a 2nd Place listing.

I'm 'discussing' this (to put it mildly) with Google right now. No wonder SMBs are confused. I'm going to list all the things that are confusing about this.

I've seen SOOOO many complaints but didn't know if it was maybe something the user did. Now that I'm going through it I see why it's so confusing and I now know what happened.

IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK!

1) FOR SURE I never set up a 2nd Place page.

2) If you click the link in the email THAT SAYS LOG IN - it takes you to the search for your business screen like when you set up a new business. Many users are hitting that screen, searching for their biz then it gives the warning, "this listing is already in your account" and won't let them log in.

So it sends you in an endless loop. I've seen a bunch of complaints but didn't understand until I experienced it 1st hand.

3) So I logged in with the log in I had bookmarked. Last I checked my Place page WAS in the old dash. There I see I am suddenly upgraded to new dash and there are 2 listings. 1 verified and 1 unverified. The 2nd one I know I never created. And it has a radius of 19 miles which I know I would never have done.

4) I go to delete the unverified one and get all the scary warning about "this can't be undone". Decide to leave it there for Google to look at, thinking this is a bug and since so many are complaining they can use my account to figure it out.

5) What I'm told is that when I created my G+ page and manually merged it (back when THEY 1st told us to do it, before they retracted and said, no wait don't merge) VERIFYING THAT G+ PAGE CREATED A 2nd LISTING! IT WAS UNDER THE RADAR BUT WHEN MY OLD DASH WAS UPGRADED IT SURFACED AS A DUPE AND WAS PUT IN MY DASH.

Here is what I just emailed to Google after I learned about the above...

"But I didn't create 2 Places listings. I followed the directions that Google gave us to create a G+ Page and verify it to merge it. (The instructions that were 1st given before they were somewhat redacted and retracted.)

My understanding, and I think everyone else's was.... 1 Place page. 1 G+ page. Now merged into one live page.

So how did a 2nd Place page land in my dash???

"I suspect this is going to be a fairly common occurrence for people who were long-time Places users, and who then decided to also become early adopters of G+ verification."

If so then you need to explain that in the email and there should be a sticky in the forum we can point folks to. In fact the email can link to the forum post for more info where it should explain HOW this happened and exactly what to do. Because again if they click the link in the email, it goes to the claim page and sends them in that endless loop they are all complaining about. (Easier to understand the confusion and frustration after you experience it 1st hand.)

So what do I do now? When I go to delete the unverified listing it gives me all the scary warnings about are you sure? This action cannot be undone.

Folks need to know what to do. If I'm afraid of what will happen if I delete this listing surely others need help with how to deal with it too."

Soooo long story short I think you'll find in most cases this is not a hidden merged dupe issue but an unknown, never explained artifact of doing a manual G+ merge.

Google tells me I can just delete the 2nd unverified listing. BUT again, for customers if they follow the link in the email that says "log into your account" it will send them in a frustrating loop of trying to search for their business, set up a new listing only to hit that roadblock where it says the listing is already in their account. They can't log in from that link and just get stuck.

I've asked Google to explain this somewhere - in the email and/or a forum sticky.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Here are just a few of the help requests/complaints at the Google and your Business Forum.

Some with 10 - 14 posts (of wasted time, energy and frustration). One even concerned since they never created a 2nd Place page, that this was a hijacking attempt.

 

[Colan Nielsen]

Lots of related info here - http://localsearchforum.catalystema...pting-rectify-dual-claimed-local-listing.html

 

[Scott Rawlins]

Why oh why do they have to make it so difficult, or in this case, confusing!

 

[Linda Buquet]

Lots of related info here - http://localsearchforum.catalystema...pting-rectify-dual-claimed-local-listing.html

Haha Colan. Chris and I were both in that thread, going round and round thinking that hidden merged dupes were the issue.

Why oh why?>?>? Exactly Scott!

Crap now I'm getting a bunch of emails from folks getting these emails and either stuck or worried.

The bad news - I think a bunch of these emails just went out.

The good news - I think that means a whole big batch of listings were just upgraded to new dash.

 

[Linda Buquet]

I think Google is working on a statement to help clarify some of these issues.

 

[jvaquino]

Our client received the same email this morning and asked us about it. Good thing I just joined this forum and found this thread on the latest post. Thanks Linda!

 

[Phil Rozek]

Only Google could butcher an error message this badly.

I got the aforementioned warning today for a client. One manager for one Places page. Two others showing in his dashboard: a non-local "G+ for business" page, and a Places page in a different town that neither of us remembers creating. I'm going to nuke the latter and just hope that does the trick; I can't read Google on this one.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Ya confusing I know.

Phil not sure I understand what is a "non-local "G+ for business page" doing in his Places dash? I've never heard of that before and don't think it's possible.

 

[Phil Rozek]

I may be tired. I'm definitely operating under the influence (of a cold). I may just be dumb. But here's what I'm seeing:



We never "upgraded" manually; maybe my client tried before I came on-board, but I doubt it. We did create the listing (the correct one) in the new dashboard. This was in August.

My best guess is my client may have created a non-local Google+ for business page pre-Phil. But then I'm not sure why I'm seeing what I'm assuming is that page when I click "Google+ page" for the top listing. That brings me to a non-local page with a different CID from that of the page we want to keep.

I'd love any suggestions, but please: I hope nobody spends time troubleshooting.

Update: I just nuked the two listings that seemed to be near-dupes. All in the name of science. Ask me in a couple days and I might have a progress update for you - like whether it worked.

 

[Linda Buquet]

That brings me to a non-local page with a different CID from that of the page we want to keep.

Hmmm you mean a G+ page that's not in the local category? Like a brand page? Is that what you mean?

Because G+ Pages don't have CIDs, I don't think.

Sorry you have a cold affecting your thinking and I'm so tired I can't think at all.

Maybe we can make sense of this in the AM.

Roger, over and out!

 

[Phil Rozek]

Arrgh. Had to go with the gut on this one. I nuked two pages and can still see the one we want to keep, so I'll take that.

Thanks, Linda!

Over and out.

 

[Amber Robinson]

Thought I dodged this bullet till this morning

Three different clients forwarded this exact email to me.

I had a new listing pop into one of the accounts set up to serve 119 cities (It's not even a SAB)!

My question is, if I am absolutely positive there isn't a duplicate listing in another account BUT multiple managers (2) on the business page that I foolishly created too soon, is that what they are considering "more than one authorized owner"?

 

[Linda Buquet]

Amber have you logged into all 3 dashboards to see if there is a new unverified listing in there? That's what happened in my case.

The 2nd unverified listing shows up as a result of the upgrade to the new dash and reveals a 2nd Places listing that was somehow created as a result of the G+ verification when I merged. From what I understand that dupe was just out in space or something all along and just didn't become visible until I got the new dash.

Here is what my dash looks like (I purposely have not deleted the dupe yet.)



Below is what I emailed Google yesterday trying to explain how very confusing this is going to be for business owners.

"Follow along with me and pretend you are an SMB that knows nothing.
(Don't be YOU, be Joe the plumber!) LOL

I have not deleted the 2nd listing yet. Here is what I see with my SMB hat on.

In my dash top listing is verified, but my cats, hours and images are missing on this one.

2nd listing is UNverified. BUT it has my cats, hours and images so it looks like the more complete listing.

SO with my SMB hat on (or even with my TC hat on) Questions in my head might be: If I do what the instructions say and delete the unverified listing then I have to start over and add everything back in my verified listing. (OR DO I? Is everything in my G+ dash so I don't need to edit the Place page now??? I have no f*ing clue any more! And neither do they and it does not tell them anywhere, don't need to edit this listing, everything is in G+.)

OR I might wonder, since most of the data is in listing #2 (and you just said I have a choice) should I delete #1 and go through the hassle of verifying #2 so I dont have to re-enter everything. (I wonder if there is a good choice. Don't think deleting a mature long standing CID is a great decision but an SMB would not think of that.)

Maybe I think since #2 has more of the info, it's really the correct one???

OR maybe like me, the SMB is going to think: I don't know what to do and am afraid based on past experience that whatever choice I make, it could go south and I lose everything.
So my choice. Do nothing.

(1/2 kidding 1/2 not - but still afraid to delete the 2nd one that has all the data. Call me chicken!) ;-)"

Note I was kind of exaggerating fear and naivety to prove my point. (And being a little facetious.)

Google kept saying, but there is a red warning that says one is a dupe and explains what to do.

But if you look at the main 1st screen above that you see when you log in. Nothing is obvious as to what to do - it does not say one is a dupe. Since the one says unverified, I'm not so sure if I was a business owner I would even try to hit the edit button?

If an SMB thinks to hit edit on the 2nd listing then they see the warning. BUT has a "learn more" link that sends me to a "Learn More" link which has poor troubleshooting flow and does not pertain to this situation at all. It asks a question with Yes or No answers and neither answer is correct for this situation so you hit a road block. It's not helpful at all.

Whole thing is just kinda fubar if you ask me! But Google is working on a post to try to help clarify everything.

 

[Scott Rawlins]

Can't wait to hear what they say about all this. It is extremely confusing for SMBs to know what to do when they see this. I would be tempted to simply delete the "unverified" listing, but with all that scary verbage when you attempt to delete it, I too have been hesitant.

 

[Phil Rozek]

Quick update: I went ahead and deleted the unverified listings (yep, there were two of them). They were all in the same account.

Everything seems fine now. I?m not seeing the ?red? error message when I go into the dashboard, and my client?s correct listing is showing in the local results.

Glad I took the leap of faith and just deleted.

Hope that helps somebody a little.

 

[Scott Rawlins]

Thanks Phil. You're a brave man!

Let us know if anything changes.

 

[ARKlady ARKtechCo]

I had the same issue in the dashboard where I had a few businesses but just left it untouched as we had verified all and got the word changes are happening now. This dashboard had been updated but the info was all scrambled.

Then our other account had what both Phil and Linda faced...places was the old dashboard and the Google+ we started as we were in beta day 2 and were experimenting. That will teach me!

Anyway, support deleted the old places dashboard, our Google+ Local page replaced the G+ page (we hope) and we are just sitting tight on everyone's now.

Fortunately, everyone else was updated it was just my accounts that were a mess. LOL

 

[Linda Buquet]

Not absolutely certain but there is a new problem brewing that I suspect is related.

Can't Submit PIN in Google Places, Box Grayed Out

Just have a sneaking suspicion this is somehow related to the fact that G+ verified pages create a duplicate Place page now. Not sure. But escalated to Google.

There are a bunch of reports of this new problem at the G forum too, so it's spreading.

FYI moving this to G+ IMPORTANT and the other thread too.