Thread: New "Business Moved" Feature for Google+ Local Listings

Joel made the point you wouldn't delete the +page, so you could continue to communicate and maybe even convert a few to the new page.

Maybe just part of the price you pay for being famous.

Still, there's got to be a better solution.

Originally Posted by Andrew Sawyer

Jade, could clear up the apparent conflict between address changes within a city? The GMM HC articles say to update the address, where as the Places HC articles and your advice doesn't make an exception for moves within a city.

Andrew, Joel covered that specifically in post #17 and #21. Even in town they want us to close/open new and MM guidelines are behind and they will try to get them updated to match the new Places help doc.

Originally Posted by Linda Buquet

Andrew, Joel covered that specifically in post #17 and #21. Even in town they want us to close/open new and MM guidelines are behind and they will try to get them updated to match the new Places help doc.

That's what I get for viewing on my mobile phone. Apparently I didn't scroll enough.

Originally Posted by joelh

First, Map Maker's policy is behind a bit.

I hope it will be updated again, as the last date the Delete a Place - GMM HC article was updated was December 17. As a suggestion it would be wise to cross-link the Places HC articles with the GMM feature articles (at least internally) so that the Policy people can ensure they're all updated at the same time.

Originally Posted by Andrew Sawyer

As a suggestion it would be wise to cross-link the Places HC articles with the GMM feature articles (at least internally) so that the Policy people can ensure they're all updated at the same time.

I swear you RERs have some of the best Google advice. Everytime you bring up something like that, it just makes so much sense. They should hire you!

Originally Posted by Linda Buquet

I swear you RERs have some of the best Google advice. Everytime you bring up something like that, it just makes so much sense. They should hire you!

Awww, thanks Linda! I'm going to be working on an M.S. in Safety and Occupational Health and Applied Sciences (thanks work!) Who knows, maybe I'll end up running security for one of their data or residential centers.

Wow, just getting to this now.

Back in October, we asked Joel at SMX East when we should just edit in the dashboard vs. closing and creating a new listing. He mentioned that we should base that decision on if the experience changed or not. So if a business has a new owner and therefore moves, I would think that based on what he said, we should close the current listing and open a new one.

However, most businesses I work with move because they have outgrown their current location. The company I work for will probably move our one location in a year or so for this very reason. What Joel said then made sense because when our company moves, the experience isn't changing. We're keeping the same employees, same customers etc. so it would make no sense for us to lose all our reviews or followers.

I'm wondering if that still stands? I'm guessing not.

If that's the case, I was wondering what would happen if a business decided not to follow the recommendation and just simply edited their address in their dashboard. I'm assuming lots of business owners don't read the forums or help center and would simply think editing in the dashboard makes the most common sense. Is the only downfall to doing this the fact that the wrong address will probably show on the listing for awhile? In my experience, that's all that appears to happen (reviews stay in tact normally). I also think some business owners, if they know what will happen, would want to do it that way because losing reviews often results in loss of new business where as having the wrong address displayed often just means more effort put out for existing customers (telling them on the phone that you've moved etc).

Also, if they have already made the edit in their dashboard, are we to advise them to go back, and edit it back to their old address, then mark it closed etc. Maybe that would depend on how long ago they made the edit?

I'm with Keenan - it's bad enough that they will lose their reviews and their ranking. Now they lose all their followers to? I know Google isn't trying to punish them for moving but I am not sure how I would explain this to an SMB without them thinking that.

Originally Posted by JoyHawkins

Is the only downfall to doing this the fact that the wrong address will probably show on the listing for awhile?

The downfall is that you never break the links with the many sources tied to that listing that give the old location information. The listing address will get over ridden randomly. Duplicates will pop up in the old location for years to come because the system does not know that location is closed. And I would expect that the all important ranking factor "reliability" would be low because of the various sources providing conflicting addresses.

Also, for reviews, as we understand it they reside on a separate database and semi-regularly they are (re)indexed. So if there is enough of a NAP change that the reviews would not reattach to a new listing; then it is probably enough of a NAP change that they will detach if you change the address on the existing listing.

I certainly agree though that a pop-up in needed in the Places dashboard when someone clicks in the address field (or name field) that states "Editting is available only for making minor corrections. For complete changes, create a new listing and mark this one closed as per the process here" with a link to the process.

Originally Posted by Flash

I certainly agree though that a pop-up in needed in the Places dashboard when someone clicks in the address field (or name field) that states "Editting is available only for making minor corrections. For complete changes, create a new listing and mark this one closed as per the process here" with a link to the process.

Here, here! That's the thing. They can't just make these changes that only a few of us and a few SMBs that happen to read the forum happen to MAYBE see. They need to catch folks at edit time with better messaging and link to the help doc.

Andrew I think Joel answered above. Copied below.

Originally Posted by joelh

Like I said, that information is wrong and we're working to correct it now. If errors are done by the Map Maker community, we'll strive to get it corrected on the Google side.

Hey all, Google shared with us yesterday that they spotted the 1st listing they've found out in the wild that has the new 'relocated' messaging and link.

Live link to maps listing

Screen shot

Right now it only shows in map search. Does not show on the G+ L page yet.

But they are making progress and things are improving on this front.

More details, how to and the background on page one of this 40 post thread.
http://localsearchforum.catalystemar...gle-local.html