Google Places - Under Review

[AgileInt]

Working with a new company. In the Google places listing they have two listings...obvious duplications created under the same account. Both show as "Under Review" and have been for months. SHould I try and delete one listing (tried...has not worked so far), delete both and start over?

This is one of several franchises in the same area with similar names and similar issues, as well as older companies that bought the franchise and still show in Google Places with old phone number and address.

Any help appreciated.

[junioruf]

Kevin,

I would delete both of the listings and create a brand new account; a listing "under review" can be under review for several months.

Whenever you are working with a company that has more than one physical location you should make sure that all locations have their own address and phone number; no listings should ever share those two things.

If there are older companies that are using the companies name with a phone number and address that you cannot get a hold of, then report the location as closed through the map section; this is about as much as you can do if you have no access to the old companies number or address.

Hope this helps!

[AgileInt]

Of course since the lising is not live and "Under Review" a "lay-person" can not edit. I will give it a few more days and then just give up, delete and try and recreate.

[evolvingSEO]

Kevin

I'd surmise that

1. Be sure you're logged out of your google account that claimed the places page when you go to the listing as described above.

2. A "user" is just a lay-person suggesting changes, edits etc to Google.  And Google receives these and decides whether to take them into consideration.

When I went to SEOmoz's Google Places listing as in my screenshot above, and clicked through, I got to a page where it would allow me to edit basic info for the listing, even though I have no association with the company and the listing has been claimed.

See screenshot -> http://screencast.com/t/CR6ftkBPFu

-Dan

[BedeFahey]

If nothing is showing up at all in places, then my inclination would be remove both listings from your account and start over.

Only other thing I can think of is to raise a hue and cry in places help, and see if you can get the attention of a Google employee or a top contributor (who seem to be able to raise the attention of employees).

[AgileInt]

Yes the second listing is now gone but the first listing still shows as Pending Under Review. Can not seem to get the remaining listing out from Under Review after months.

[BedeFahey]

It should remove it from your account right away if you select the "remove from account" option. I just tried it with an old listing that is out of business on one of my accounts. It disappeared right away.

If it's not, hrm, tough one. Going to need to try a new account, or see if you can raise something in the help center (never had much luck myself).

[AgileInt]

That is correct...even for a specific company name report the Google Places listing is not showing up. When deleting an account you have two choices....remove from Google Places or just remove from your account (listing still may exist). I deleted first from Google Places (about three weeks ago) It still showed as Pending. I just went in now and removed from the Google Places account as well to see if that will help.

[BedeFahey]

If I understand your response correctly, you're the business is not being displayed at all when you search? (search for business name and also try a separate search for the phone number) Even with incorrect information?

If so, what's actually happening when you delete them from your account? Are they still showing up on the dashboard?

[AgileInt]

The busines is not being displayed now....obviously being surpressd. The two listings were created and claimed by a previous SEO firm. I had deleted one listing from Google Places but it still showed as "Pending Review" as does th eother listing. I have now just deleted that listing from my Google Places account as well. Both listings have been "Pending : Being Reviewed for at least 4 months from what I can tell. Deleting one of the duplicated has not helped. Looking to see if deleting the duplicate listing from my acount helps at all but seems unlikely.

My next option seems to be deleting the second duplicate and creating a brand new listing under another acount.

[BedeFahey]

How is the business appearing in the results right now?

Are the two dupes both showing up as unclaimed listings? Are there other dupes that should be dealt with as well?

Depending on what's currently showing up, a flat-out "remove from Google maps" probably isn't your best solution. If there's conflicting data that Google is pulling from, at best it's going to be a temporary solution that will pop up the instant you tell your client "all fixed". At worst, it might suppress too many things, or suppress the wrong data.

I'd track down all the dupes that exist, AND where the upstream data that's causing them is coming from first. Then figure out whether there's any relationship between the pending listings and what's showing up (i.e. did someone attempt to claim already existing duplicate listings, or did they create them manually?). Once you've done that you should have a pretty good idea of what is what.

Unless you can get a miraculous intervention from Google Places help, removing them from your account and claiming already existing listings is probably what you'll end up doing. After you've cleaned up the upstream issues that messy data is causing.

Edits by users could be used to make sure the information on duplicate listings is completely identical. That's the one way I've managed to get Google to review duplicate listings and merge them via the "report a problem" link.

[KeriMorgret]

Here's a YOUmoz post about deleting your Google Places listing, if you want to go that route. Let us know if it helps.

http://www.seomoz.org/ugc/the-right-way-to-delete-a-google-places-listing

[AgileInt]

Yes.. I know how to edit the listing...but have never heard of a "user" editing the site...only the person who claimed the listing. Not sure what Thmas means.

[evolvingSEO]

Kevin

Go to any maps listing -> click the red marker -> click more -> click edit details or report a problem.

See image in this example: http://screencast.com/t/klEscqfQB

-Dan

[AgileInt]

Not sure what you mean...editing as a user? I need to have claimed it to edit the listing and therefore an the "owner". Am I missing something?

[Thos003]

I would only add that you may want to try editing the site as a user prior to claiming it or deleting it. Sometimes a users edit get priority.... not sure why. But try editing it as a user instead of as the business owner.

And I can't agree more with delete it if it's s duplicate listing.

[evolvingSEO]

Hi

I had the same issue with a client (except he had FOUR duplicate listings - yikes!)

Anyway, are these are duplicate listings, where there should only be one listing? OR, do they have two locations and thus two listings are needed?

If its a duplicate, YES delete one.  I'm not sure where the trouble is with that (maybe if its under review you can't make changes?  Someone else know about this?)  I caught my clients when they were "pending review".  If you are signed into their places account, you should be about to delete by either completely deleting the listing, or disassociating with the account.   I would completely delete it if its a straight duplicate.

Can you say what you have done to try and delete the listing?

As for the older companies, you might be able to put in a request to Google places by going straight to that places listing and suggesting a correction.  Or can you receive mail at the old address?  You could claim the listing, get it in an account, and then delete it.  Just don't claim it with the same Google account as the other listings.

-Dan