Experts Blog

Google Tells Some ‘Service Area’ Businesses to Delete Their Local G+ Page Completely!

By Kristi Hagen on Feb 15, 2013 - 10:00 AM

Google is still trying to unravel the mess that they've made of their local system and sometimes it seems that it might be getting worse rather than better.

The latest is that Google has given an official recommendation that if you are a service area business that does NOT accept customers at your location and have also created and verified or merged your place page with your local G+ page then you need to delete your G+local listing. Sounds scary now doesn't it. Well, we will let Google explain it to you themselves. Here's a quote from their Help pages:

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: http://www.google.com/local/add

We'll share updates with you on this thread when we have them.

The above is just one of the MANY issues businesses are still facing within Google's newly socialized local platform. If you are struggling with issues yourself then check out these resources to help you navigate through them.

Keep us posted on your experience with G+ Local and if you have any questions use the comment form below.Planet Ocean article end

- Kristi Hagen, Writer & Chief Editor, SearchEngineNews.com