You can finally connect your Google+ company page to your Google Maps listing.
For the past year or so, I had two listings for my company in Google+. Then, somehow, I had a third. Now, I was able to connect my Google Maps verified listing to my Google+ company page. And the biggest surprise to me, it worked! Google Maps is known for bugs and this seemed to actually work.
My company's Google+ page, over here now also has a "verified local business" check box, because I went through the steps to do so.
The steps are described here:
(1) Assuming you have a verified maps listing and Google+ page, then Log in to Google+, select Pages from the left-hand navigation ribbon, and click Manage this page on the local page.
(2) The local page will look almost the same as your current page. It will include a verification shield next to the name of a page. If you hover the badge, you’ll see "Verified local business".
(3) From the top left corner, choose Dashboard > Settings
(4) Scroll to the "Profile" section. Next to “This page is connected to Google Maps”, click Connect a different page.
(5) In the "Link a different page to this location" dialog, pick the page that you’d like to connect to Maps and click Next.
(6) You’ll see a list describing the changes to the newly-created page you’re connecting to Maps, and the local Google+ page you’re disconnecting from Maps. Click Confirm.
That is it and it worked.
The page that’s newly connected to Maps will:
- Display the name and verification badge from the former local page.
- Display the business information (hours, phone number, etc.) and reviews from the former local page.
- No longer display prior owner responses to local reviews. Your existing reviews may take a few hours to show up after connecting the page.
- Carry over followers, posts, and managers.
- Carry over the custom URL (if you’ve set one up).
- Possibly remove ad campaigns associated with the page. To start a new campaign, visit http://www.adwords.google.com/express and follow the step-by-step instructions.
The former local page will:
- No longer display on Google Maps
- No longer display local business information or reviews
- Be renamed to "Backup of
- Still be visible on Google+
- Retain followers, posts, and managers from the former local page
- Retain the custom URL from the former local page (if you’ve set one up)
- No longer display AdWords Express campaigns associated with the page.
Forum discussion at Google Business Help.
This post was scheduled to be posted today but was written at an earlier point in time. The author is not around on June 4th or 5th to respond to comments.
