That title is a mouthful and a half isn’t it! So, to clarify…
You’ve claimed your Google+ Local Page (also known as Google Places) and have started collecting reviews. You’ve created a Google+ Local Business page via your Google Plus account. Now you have the option to merge the two for a full social experience providing you are not a service area business or have multiple locations.
The problem?
The whole Google Plus Page system is very buggy still and often reviews are not transfering to the new social experience Google+ Local Page, not to mention a whole host of errors popping up. It’s a bit of a mess to say the least.
Googler Jade Want posted this on the Google and Your Business Forum yesterday:
Wondering whether you should attempt the merge/verification? Read this post first. There are also best practices and FAQ on the original announcement post.
Help! My social local Google+ page (that I made in the local business/place category) has been verified but doesn’t seem to have merged with the correct reviews.
- Submit these pages to be merged as duplicates here, selecting, “There is a duplicate listing that I would like to have removed.”
The social local Google+ page I made is stuck in verification and still says “In progress” after over a week.
- A handful of pages appear seem to be stuck in verification, and we’re working on getting them out. Sit tight!
The PIN I received isn’t working.
- Make sure your business location is findable on Google Maps. Go into http://maps.google.com and type in the exact text you have as your address on the page. Make sure Maps can find your location without needing to go through any “Did you mean…?” links.
- Make sure no information on the page is set to “Private.”
- Don’t change any info on your page in between requesting the PIN and entering the PIN.
- Request a new PIN if possible.
- If you can’t request a new PIN, contact support via the Google+ verification troubleshooter.
I’m getting a 500 error when I try to manage the verified/merged page.
- Report to me on this thread
- This is a known issue the team’s trying to pin down.
- There may be a workaround. Try accessing your page through https://plus.google.com/b/######## (as opposed to the usual https://plus.google.com/########)
I’m getting a 500 error when trying to verify the page.
- Report to me on this thread
- Team’s aware and working on a fix.
Let’s cut to the chase…
If you have reviews on your Google+ Local Page (Google Places) then I would suggest you sit tight and wait for Google to get their act together and complete this product before requesting a merge – that’s clicking the blue verify button on your Google+ Page.
Remember, you will still see the blue verify button as a service area business, but this merge is NOT supported by Google. Resist the urge to click!
Still chomping at the bit and want the full social experience on your Google+ Local Page? Check this post to merge your Google Local pages
New Google Advice: Merging Google+ Local Page (Places) And Reviews With Google+ Local Business Page by Jan Kearney
Grab your guide to local search and learn:
- What elements are important on your website
- How to set up your Google My Business Local Page
- How Google Plus can help you zoom past your competitors
- Two things you should not neglect if you want to rank in the local search pack
- How to power past your competitors and dominate your area
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Jan,
I have to admit, this all confuses me. I do have a Google + account and I know I have a Google Places page (somewhere)… but I never really paid much attention to the merits of the Google Places page.
I started that years ago and off the top of my head, I can’t recollect whether I actually filled in all the information tabs. I’ll have to check.
Google Places is really useful if you are a local business and targeting local people – it can be a pain, Google swap and change their guidelines faster than you can blink… I’ll be surprised if your original listing is still there Bonnie!
This whole process has now become a farce – I am not offering this service again because I want to retain my sanity so good luck Jan – you are a brave woman!
Sue
You’re not the first person to back away from the whole Places setup service Sue – and I can totally understand why. I really don’t know how Google expect small business owners to get to grips with this easily – it’s a learning process and ever changing. People I work with don’t have time for that, which is why they hire me to keep up. I’ll be honest, I’m not sure how long I can keep going at the prices I have now – there will be a price rise in the New Year, +Local takes up so much time these days.