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Google Jumble (Help please)

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emilymoore

emilymoore

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Feb 21, 2011
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Emily
#1
:huh?: I am having a fit with our Google Places, and I figured maybe someone here could help me sort it out. Please?!?

Here's the background: We have 6 franchises plus a used car center and a collision center located at 4 postal addresses. Our owner had the original listings on his personal account and they shared multiple places on each listing - VW, Mazda, and Subaru shared a listing. Buick and GMC shared a listing. The Suzuki, Used Car Center, and Collision Center shared the other listing. When I came on board, I claimed/verified the listings and separated them out. (And the owner deleted his) I gave each their own website, street address, photos, etc. Two weeks later, Google merged them all back together, but completly jumbled all of the info. The VW Place page had a Subaru web address, Mazda photos, a collage of reviews, and GMC's address. I went into my place pages to correct them, and found that most of them now say that my locations are not supported (and they are not displaying). So, I thought I'd delete them and start over from scratch. However, in order to delete them, you have to provide a PIN which the only option provided was via phone and because we have an automated system that initially answers the phone, I never get the PIN. (It did not give me the option of using snail mail.)

So I am officially stuck.:mad:

ANY SUGGESTIONS / RECOMMENDATIONS ARE WELCOMED!!

Thanks,
Emily Moore
Sharrett Automotive
Hagerstown MD
 
#2
Emily - welcome to the Google Jumble Jam! I have a similar situation (7 stores with 9 locations). Talk about an absolute pain! My reviews have been jumbled, deleted, moved, and back again. What I have found is that one of Google's highest priorities when looking at places and locations is the phone number. Did you have separate numbers at each of the places?

Also - take a look around insiderpages.com, citysearch, dealerrater.com, yelp, and all the countless listing services to see how your dealerships are listed. I literally have 15 place pages I have suspended for Google pulling in an indexing different locations. We are a Chevy store and one of those listings was for Jerry's Chevrolet, Geo! GEO!!!! How long ago was GEO???!!!?

All that to say - the snail mail does work. It takes about 10 days to get to me....if they make it.

So - if there is no way to change the phone number just temporarily you might be stuck with snailmail. For dealerships with one location, Google Places is a breeze, when you have multiple rooftops and have been around for a while - it's a thorn in my side. So - get all your phone numbers to all match accordingly across all the listing services. I think this will help quite a bit.

Good luck and let me know if you find any tricks...
 
#4
Wow, that is a major mess. You have my sympathy.

Rule 1 with google places is don't poke it, if you must poke it, do so in a way to minimize collateral damage. From what I've seen car dealers are set up for failure in places because of the multiple businesses within a building and their love of call tracking systems.

There is a glimmer of hope though.

Start here: Understanding Google Maps & Local Search

Blumenthal is the most up-to-date source for local search, he's written extensively about merged places and how to undo them.

If you haven't already, read the google places terms of service and commit them to memory. Also, check out SEOMOZ, Search Engine Land, and David Mihm.

Most of the time it seems more like voodoo than anything else, there's no hope of customer service with google, and it may take months to straighten out.

Hope some of that helps,
Sharon
 
#7
I'm going to go off on a tangent but before I do, Emily you have my sympathies. I know this is a major, major issue for any dealer that experiences it.

Now the tangent; I spent 10 years working for a major classified site. during that time, and since, I've run across dealers gleeful with the thought that Google would one day put the classified sites out of business. "This should all be FREE", I would hear.

Now imagine for a moment if your entire business were 100 percent reliant on Google. A company you have no real contract with. That can change the rules (and does) on what seems like a whim. That provides such limited support as to be non-existent. I'm not saying the classified companies are perfect at all - I'm just saying imagine the alternative.
 
#9
Ed Brooks said:
I'm going to go off on a tangent but before I do, Emily you have my sympathies. I know this is a major, major issue for any dealer that experiences it.

Now the tangent; I spent 10 years working for a major classified site. during that time, and since, I've run across dealers gleeful with the thought that Google would one day put the classified sites out of business. "This should all be FREE", I would hear.

Now imagine for a moment if your entire business were 100 percent reliant on Google. A company you have no real contract with. That can change the rules (and does) on what seems like a whim. That provides such limited support as to be non-existent. I'm not saying the classified companies are perfect at all - I'm just saying imagine the alternative.
Click to expand...

Imagining - as I wipe a small tear from my left eye.

Good point Ed.

Emily, I feel your pain. Some great advice from the community!!
 
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