It’s the 2nd January, and back to the keyboard as usual with a business head on! Just before the holidays, Google made this announcement on their Google and Your Business Forum
Are you a Service Area Business (SAB) that has created and verified/merged a social local Google+ page for your business? Read on!
If you do not accept customers at your location, then your address should be hidden. At this time, Google+ currently does not support hidden addresses. You should delete your social local Google+ page from within Google+ (Click on Pages on the ribbon on the left, go to the Settings of your page, and scroll to the bottom and click Delete page).
Don’t worry! You can still manage your business’ presence on Google. Here’s how:
If you’re a verified business owner in Google Places for Business…
Manage the listing via the Google Places for Business dashboard. Be sure to hide your address.
If not, but a listing for your business exists…
Find the listing for your business and become a verified business owner by clicking on Manage this page on the right-hand side.
Then, manage the page via the Google Places for Business dashboard
If no listing for your business exists…
Add it on Google Places for Business: places.google.com/local/add
We’ll share updates with you on this thread when we have them.
When I first saw this update before Christmas, I went and found a corner to quietly suck my thumb and rock. My hair had already been torn out, and teeth are gnashed to the bone…
As a service area business with a merged Google+ Local and Google+ Local Business Page, I should now delete my G+ presence. I’m not the most active of users, but what about my circles, my posts, my pics, my videos?
Quite frankly this is a joke. Especially as my verified Google+ Local page doesn’t even show my address.
Rant over…
I haven’t seen any verified Google+ local pages from other service area businesses, so really can’t comment if my hidden address is somehow a glitch.
What is a service area business?
The simplest case is if you only see customers at their premises then you are a service area business and should hide your address in the Google+ Local (Google Places) dashboard.
If you work from a residential address, even if you accept customers there then it’s advised to say you are a service area business and hide your address. If for any reason your listing is checked manually, the fact you are based in a residential area is enough to have your listing removed without warning.
So, if you are a service area business set up your Google+ Local via the Google Places dashboard. Click the box for serving people at their locations and the one to hide your address. If you do choose to set up a Google+ Business Page resist the temptation to click the blue verify button that merges the two pages (only Local business pages are eligible to verify).
The correct link to set up a Google Places listing is https://www.google.com/local/add – Google couldn’t even get that right in the post…
Over to you…
I’d love to hear from you if are a service area business and have merged your listing. What are your thoughts about this change?
Important Service Area Business Google+ Local Change You Need To Know 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
Simply add your name and best email address in the box below and I'll whizz your report and worksheet straight over to you.
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I see Google+ continues to make things clear as mud. I think I’ll continue to let the dust settle on all this – then hire you if local still makes sense.
Hi Nanette. The problem with G+ Local is it isn’t particularly intuitive. It looks simple, but there is very little guidance, it’s easy for things to go wrong and not much help when it does. For local businesses with a physical address people can visit during opening hours – it’s a fabulous tool when it’s going right!
I don’t accept customers at my residence, so this makes me a service area business that isn’t available to have a Google what?
Damn them… for making this so annoyingly confusing!
Hi Bonnie – you can have a Google+ Local page (was Google Places) with your address hidden because you’re a service area business.
You can have a Google+ Local Business Page created through the G+ dashboard, but this doesn’t allow addresses to be hidden. Therefore, you can’t merge the two (that’s clicking the blue verify button) for the full social/videos/events experience on your G+ Local page that appears in local search.
Confused much?