What to do When Maps Has it Wrong

[Ross Barefoot]

I'm setting up a business page for a new customer in Google+ Local. When I Google the customer's physical address on maps.google.com I Google it as "7632 W Post Rd, Las Vegas NV 89113." Google changes the city to Spring Valley, NV. The client considers their business to be in Las Vegas, and they say that their business is in the city of Las Vegas, and http://www.melissadata.com verifies the address as Las Vegas. My concern is that proceeding to set them up using Las Vegas will create an authority problem with Google because Google apparently considers the address "Spring Valley." Can you give me an opinion on this?

(By the way, I first ran this question by Myles at Bright Local - who have superior customer service, by the way - and Linda Buquet commented on it already. Linda, in your comment you cited this link: 7632 W Post Rd, Las Vegas, Clark, Nevada 89118 - Google Maps. However in that link the zip is 89118, which is not the client's zip.)

By the way, "Spring Valley" is an unincorporated town, and the actually municipality is indeed Las Vegas.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Hi Ross, welcome and thanks for posting.

Can you post a link to map showing where the business actually is? With map marker in the correct place? Because when I Googled it, I guess I ended up at the wrong location.

And if different a link to the search that shows the wrong city? Because when I searched maps it came up correctly as Las Vegas.

We have 2 Maps Gurus that post here and they usually check this forum in the evening after work. I know they'll have answers for you.

 

[Ross Barefoot]

Thanks for the response Linda. Here's the link to the maps search I run: 7632 W Post Rd, Las Vegas NV 89113 - Google Maps

Here's a screenshot to what I see when I Google the address, along with some comments: 2013-03-11_1443 - rossbarefoot's library

 

[Linda Buquet]

Is their map marker in the right place in your 1st link?

What's weird too is when I search for address spelled out with no zip, it puts the map marker at a
totally different section of Post Road. 7632 West Post Road, Las Vegas NV - Google Maps
and suggests "7632 W Post Rd, Las Vegas, Clark, NV 89118"

We def need a MM guru for location problems like this.

Hopefully Andrew or Gregg AKA Flash will be by later night to help work on issues with the map layer.

 

[Ross Barefoot]

The pin placement in the screenshot I gave is not accurate. Take a look at this screen capture, which shows the position of the result you got without the zip, Linda; the position I got using the correct zip, and the actual location of the business: 2013-03-11_1502 - rossbarefoot's library

---------- Post Merged at 05:27 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 05:23 PM ----------

Geez, Louise....

It's getting even goofier now; it's changed just since my last screen capture a few hours ago: http://screencast.com/t/Gscb7D4xnYY

So what do I do now? Use the wrong zip code just so Google won't think I'm dis'ing them???

 

[Linda Buquet]

So what do I do now? Use the wrong zip code just so Google won't think I'm dis'ing them???

No you need to use the correct address no matter what. Just may be helpful if the guys can get the map fixed 1st, but not sure how much it will matter. Just hang on and let's see what they have to say.

 

[Ross Barefoot]

Thanks Linda. Hanging on ;-)

 

[Andrew Sawyer]

I'm setting up a business page for a new customer in Google+ Local. When I Google the customer's physical address on maps.google.com I Google it as "7632 W Post Rd, Las Vegas NV 89113." Google changes the city to Spring Valley, NV. The client considers their business to be in Las Vegas, and they say that their business is in the city of Las Vegas, and http://www.melissadata.com verifies the address as Las Vegas. My concern is that proceeding to set them up using Las Vegas will create an authority problem with Google because Google apparently considers the address "Spring Valley." Can you give me an opinion on this?

(By the way, I first ran this question by Myles at Bright Local - who have superior customer service, by the way - and Linda Buquet commented on it already. Linda, in your comment you cited this link: 7632 W Post Rd, Las Vegas, Clark, Nevada 89118 - Google Maps. However in that link the zip is 89118, which is not the client's zip.)

By the way, "Spring Valley" is an unincorporated town, and the actually municipality is indeed Las Vegas.

Google uses physical addresses for locations on the map. Because the business is in Spring Valley it is not in Las Vegas (city). As an unincoporated town that isn't within the territorial boundaries of the City of Las Vegas it would qualify to have a City/Town/Village category and it would be located in Clark County, Nevada. Likely the Address POI is corrupted, there is bad zip code boundaries and/or there are other factors at play. For now I would use Spring Valley as the city address. I will check when I'm by a computer and consult someone familiar with the area. I wouldn't use Las Vegas as a city for the address since it is not physically located there, unless my understanding of Spring Valley is wrong. I'll let you know what I turn up.

 

[Linda Buquet]

"For now I would use Spring Valley as the city address."

Because changing address and especially city in G+ Local can be very problematic, I would recommend NOT just using SV for now and then maybe having to change it.

I'd just hold off on the listing and wait at least a couple days and see what Andrew can turn up, rather than possibly having to change it.

 

[Flash]

Andrew pointed this out to me since he's not near a computer. I only have a minute, but looking along that block of road all the businesses use Las Vegas. The postal code is marked as Las Vegas within the map (though that's not what pulls the city name).

I would suggest that you get the listing created in Map Maker first, and then claim it.

 

[geopgeop]

Andrew asked me about it, and indeed I am familiar with Spring Valley (I just moved here last December!). Situs addresses use Spring Valley per Clark County; postal mailing addresses use Las Vegas. You can see it for yourself here: Record Search

From what I hear, it was the mob that prevented Las Vegas from annexing the Las Vegas Strip by creating the unincorporated community of Paradise, and that resulted in revenge by the City of Las Vegas in that it contacted the post offices for the surrounding communities and telling them to use Las Vegas instead.

---------------------
Geoffrey Perez
RER on Google Map Maker

 

[Linda Buquet]

Hi Geoffrey. Welcome and thanks for posting!

I'm still not clear so maybe Ross won't be either.

Can he list address as Las Vegas? Or exactly how should it be formatted?

Please spell it out for us to be sure it's clear, because we aren't mappers so speak another language.
I have no idea even what a Situs address is???

 

[geopgeop]

Well, here's what a government agency in Arizona says about situs addresses: Property (Situs) Addresses

In short, the situs address is the physical property address. It is separate from the mailing address.

 

[geopgeop]

By the way, here is what the Clark County Assessor's record on 7632 W Post Rd says: Clark County Real Property

I'd say that trumps the Melissa Data website in terms of authority, as it shows both the mailing address as Las Vegas, and the location address as Spring Valley.

 

[Flash]

My earlier answer about using Map Maker was rushed, I was at work and heading out the door. I've been researching for about the past hour, and I'm find the same stuff as Geoff plus I've not finding anything from Google that let's us use the nearby city. Still looking.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Weird, OK so admittedly I'm not a mapper but...

I go to MM and search for 7632 West Post Road Spring Valley, NV 89113 which I believe you are saying is the correct address.

Look where it is on the map.

But on Ross' screenshot the actual location is corner of Post and Pioneer Way, which looks like it's a couple miles away. 2013-03-11_1502 - rossbarefoot's library

And why in MM history for that address are there edits saying Post Road was deleted?

 

[Flash]

Notice your search result does not have a street number; you are just being shown the road. And the road is actually broken up into several pieces, you are being shown the largest chunk.

The deletions you see in the history are the GR deleting a version with certain tags attached and replacing it with a version with different tags. In other words, he was just changing the tags. In this case he added in the Local tag, which specifies that the name is in the local language. This is a major factor in when the name displays.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Ahhh sorry. Since I searched for address WITH street # I thought it was showing me where it though that street address was.

 

[Flash]

It will if it knows where that address is. It didn't, so all you go in your results was the street itself.

 

[Ross Barefoot]

Thanks for the feedback. I'm going to go ahead and add to Map Maker as my first step. I'm wondering if you would see any problem creating a Google Local Business page using the correct postal service address simultaneously and get the verification process started. I know the post office will deliver to that address, regardless of Google's current opinion of it.