Google Has It All Wrong - Our Address That Is

[mjtaylor]

A competing site has a client's address listed in Google under the description where it says Map of and I have written a couple of times to Google in the "dissatisfied with these results" form. While we got the address and map *added* to ours, the competing site is listed as though they have our address.

Does anyone know where I should go to complain to Google besides the "dissatisfied with results" form I mentioned?

And do you think this affects SERPs in any way???

Thanks!

Cheers, MJ

[Webnauts]

I am not sure if I understood your issue correctly. Maybe you can get help here? Digital Millennium Copyright Act

[Webnauts]

Oh now I understood your issue. My first question to you is: Have you verified your site ownership with Google already?

[mjtaylor]

I am not the webmaster; just the SEO on this site; so I am not sure, but I do know we have an Adwords account with Google and I will suggest they make sure they have done that ... anything else I should know?

Thanks for your help, John.

MJ

[wige]

There should be a link to take ownership of the address. Google will mail a postcard to the address in question with a verification code to prove you have "control" of that address.

Click "Directions, hours and more" under the listing in question, then click "Edit this listing" to trigger mailing of the post card.

[mjtaylor]

Great - very helpful. Of course, they have the address correct on *our* website's listing in the SERPs ... but the address is *also* on the other listing that is not our domain ...

[wige]

You would have to do this from the SERP that is giving the link to the other company - there is a duplicate entry most likely. Google pulls these addresses from several different databases, and duplicates are not rare. You would need to "claim" each one to get it linked to your site. Once you have the address claimed, you get access to some interesting features (such as the ability to add a coupon to your listing).

When I started claiming our addresses, I found out our company was listed over 20 times, some complete duplicates, some misspelled, and others with variations on our address or company name.

[mjtaylor]

Hmm ... well, that's helpful, and I like the coupon idea ... will pass that along ...

So, is this what you mean from the SERP that is giving the wrong address: I go to the page where both sites are listed with the address and I click on the link that says: 'Disatisfied? Help Us Improve' and I point out that the address listed for the *other* site is our legal address and that we have nothing to do with that website and object to them having our address listed? I have done that 3 times now ... am I doing it wrong? Is there anything else I should do?

Thanks for your help!

Cheers,
M.-J.

[wige]

When you go to the serp that is giving the wrong address, this should be displayed next to a small map:
The wrong name (linked to the other company's site)
Your address
Directions and more >> (may say Directions hours and more or similar)

Click the Directions and more link, and on the next page click edit this listing.

Dissatisfied comments I think are routed to the engineers who actually work on the algorithmic results, (searcher based) rather than whoever edits the listings (webmaster relations). If you don't have the links I mentioned, could you post the query that is giving you the erroneous listing?

[mjtaylor]

Originally Posted by wige

When you go to the serp that is giving the wrong address, this should be displayed next to a small map:
The wrong name (linked to the other company's site)
Your address
Directions and more >> (may say Directions hours and more or similar)

Click the Directions and more link, and on the next page click edit this listing.

Dissatisfied comments I think are routed to the engineers who actually work on the algorithmic results, (searcher based) rather than whoever edits the listings (webmaster relations). If you don't have the links I mentioned, could you post the query that is giving you the erroneous listing?

I can edit *my* listing ... and we have verified our ownership ... but I can't edit the listing of the site that has our address listed as theirs ...

So here's the Google page:
dry tortugas - Google Search

Dry Tortugas National Park Fort Jefferson, Dry Tortugas Ferry Key West Dry Tortugas Yankee Freedom is our site and the one above dry dot tortugas national park.com is the one with our address (as you will see) ...

[wige]

I see... the listing I was thinking of was a Google Small Business Center listing. I have seen these inline address listings, but I honestly have no idea how Google creates or displays them

[mjtaylor]

Well, thanks for trying, wige ...

Anyone else have any experience getting Google to *remove* your address from someone else's listing?

MJ

[The Founder]

It's a nightmare you and many others are facing.

I have a very large client that had one of their branches list their branch as the global headquarters.

After repeated contacts to Google, and following though with that postcard BS they got going on, it's still not fixed.....

I do feel sorry that it's a competitor rather than just another division of a company, but the end result is the same. There needs to be an easy way to fix it, or do away with it all together.

[mjtaylor]

We didn't have to do the postcard thing to verify our ownership .. they had us load a special page on the site and then ask Google to spider it .. that's how they verified our ownership.

Again, thanks to everyone.

Has anyone had success????

[B0B]

I have tried 3 times to get it changed. Here is an email that Google sent me.
They say they will phone or snail mail you. So far no luck.
I hope you have better luck than me.

Enjoy Bob

----------------------

Thank you for your email. I understand that you would like to change the address on your Google maps ads. Below, I have explained the procedure for doing the same.

The address in your local business ad comes from the way your business is listed in Google Maps. Google Maps collects business information from web sites, Yellow Pages directories, business owners, and other sources.
Occasionally, some of this information may be inaccurate or outdated.

You can edit your listing through the Local Business Center. Here's how to update your listing:

1. Go to Google Maps.
2. Search for your business.
3. Click 'more info' next to your business name.
4. In the info window that appears, click 'Add or edit your business.'
This takes you to the Local Business Center.
5. Sign in to the Local Business Center with your Google Account.
6. Edit your business information as needed.

After you've updated your listing, you can create a new local business ad with the new address information.

[wige]

The weird thing with this listing is that when you do a search for businesses near that address (or search for businesses using the keyword dry tortugas - wow, did I have fun typing that in over and over ) yours is the only business that shows up for that address. I had always thought that the inline listings came from that same database, but apparently not. Making it even more fun, I can't find any business name or address for the site in question to search for, so I can double check my findings in the business directories.

[SemAdvance]

Google customer service team is made up of people who have difficulty grasping the English language.

Take a screen shot of both listings.

Highlight yours as the correct and legal owner of the address.

Highlight the listing that does not have a legal ownership of the address.

Pound every google email address you can find and drop comments on Google blogs and Groups and Matt Cutts blog which is full of iphone fluff now....

Probably still won't help but a picture is worth a 1000 words to Google CSE.

Write the offending website and threaten with a lawyer & USPS Police Investigation, if they do not remove the address.

Being as tampering with US Mail or its delivery is a Federal offense the threat of involving the USPS is likely to give you more help than Google.

Peace!

[bj]

I think SemAdvance gave the best advice here. Just my four cents (for inflation.)

[mrjeff]

This is my first post after browsing around here for ages, but since I had this problem with a clients website before, I thought I might be able to help out.

Since the listing is of your clients address what you can do is
1. Click on the listing to open it in Google Maps
2. Click "more info" and then "Add or edit your business"
3. Choose "suspend this listing"

Google will send the infamous postcard to your client because their address is listed. After verifying the listing will be removed immediately. This worked for me so I hope it helps.

[SemAdvance]

Originally Posted by mrjeff

This is my first post after browsing around here for ages, but since I had this problem with a clients website before, I thought I might be able to help out.

Since the listing is of your clients address what you can do is
1. Click on the listing to open it in Google Maps
2. Click "more info" and then "Add or edit your business"
3. Choose "suspend this listing"

Google will send the infamous postcard to your client because their address is listed. After verifying the listing will be removed immediately. This worked for me so I hope it helps.

Welcome to the forum

However the OP is trying to stop a site from using her clients address as their own.

Originally Posted by bj

I think SemAdvance gave the best advice here. Just my four cents (for inflation.)

Thank you !

[seoimage]

My Google Local Listing was stolen and I had verified it 2 to 3 months ago, yet the URL is some other company.

I went to Google local and edited it via my Google account, but I'm still awaiting the fix. Its been over 2 weeks now. I thought it would be hard to fake a Google Local listing? Interestingly enough after my post, you could no longer find the Local Ad displaying for the search term. If I use some obscure term, my local listing still shows the site is wrong.

Google Local Listings Hijacked? » SEO Image Blog: Stardate

[wige]

Originally Posted by SemAdvance

Write the offending website and threaten with a lawyer & USPS Police Investigation, if they do not remove the address.

Being as tampering with US Mail or its delivery is a Federal offense the threat of involving the USPS is likely to give you more help than Google.

Mostly good advice, except for this part. This address being shown for the web site appears to be algorithmic, an error not overt fraud. The web site does not list this address anywhere I could find. This address does not seem to exist in the business search for the other business. This indicates to me that this is more a matter of Google messing up a listing than a malicious act on the part of the other webmaster. Starting off threatening the webmaster with legal action is more likely to trigger negative publicity than elicit a correction, especially if the other company can turn around and say "Google screwed up and now we are threatened with a suit."

[isharli]

I followed all of the directions for the Google Maps above.

What happens if your business is not listed? I know I am in a competitive field, but we should be listed somewhere for our exact business name, shouldn't we?

[mrjeff]

Originally Posted by wige

Mostly good advice, except for this part. This address being shown for the web site appears to be algorithmic, an error not overt fraud. The web site does not list this address anywhere I could find. This address does not seem to exist in the business search for the other business. This indicates to me that this is more a matter of Google messing up a listing than a malicious act on the part of the other webmaster. Starting off threatening the webmaster with legal action is more likely to trigger negative publicity than elicit a correction, especially if the other company can turn around and say "Google screwed up and now we are threatened with a suit."

Exactly. I think there's confusion where the listing comes from. It's not part of the search index, but a listing in Google Local. The link to the listing shown in the SERP is a problem Google needs to solve. It's used in the SERPs for the two websites mentioned earlier, but again on page 6 and 12. That is something Google still needs to resolve, especially when it shows up under a competitor.

But the real problem here is that the listing itself is wrong. It has the name and URL of the competitor linked to the address of the OP. And that can easily be fixed by updating the information through the Local Business Center.

Originally Posted by isharli

I followed all of the directions for the Google Maps above.

What happens if your business is not listed? I know I am in a competitive field, but we should be listed somewhere for our exact business name, shouldn't we?

You can add your listing at http://www.google.com/local/add

[mjtaylor]

Originally Posted by mrjeff

This is my first post after browsing around here for ages, but since I had this problem with a clients website before, I thought I might be able to help out.

Since the listing is of your clients address what you can do is
1. Click on the listing to open it in Google Maps
2. Click "more info" and then "Add or edit your business"
3. Choose "suspend this listing"

Google will send the infamous postcard to your client because their address is listed. After verifying the listing will be removed immediately. This worked for me so I hope it helps.

I like this idea, but it's not clear when I get to the Suspend Listing part whether I am suspending ours or theirs ...

Originally Posted by wige

The weird thing with this listing is that when you do a search for businesses near that address (or search for businesses using the keyword dry tortugas - wow, did I have fun typing that in over and over ) yours is the only business that shows up for that address. I had always thought that the inline listings came from that same database, but apparently not. Making it even more fun, I can't find any business name or address for the site in question to search for, so I can double check my findings in the business directories.

Good idea on the directories, though ... thanks ... I am grateful for the trouble you've taken.

SemAdv: thanks! I think a softer letter might get that webmaster to ask Google to remove their address ... but first I am definitely sending screen shots, etc. to whatever Google addresses we can scrounge up ... we do use Adwords and they *might* be able to route the info, and to Matt's blog, etc. ... I am following up on your great suggestions.

Many thanks to everyone!!! I so appreciate your time!

Cheers, MJ

[kylegetson]

I have a similar problem. When you search for my company 'Clickcom' on Google, the top result is our site, but then it lists an address which is NOT us. It is a doctors office over 30 miles away. (We are a web design firm). I have done the whole ownership thing about 5 times and contacted Google. I was even at SES San Jose and asked one of the Googlers demo-ing Google Maps and was told it must be a glitch and she would look into it. But I havnt heard anything. Any ideas?

[mjtaylor]

Originally Posted by kylegetson

I have a similar problem. When you search for my company 'Clickcom' on Google, the top result is our site, but then it lists an address which is NOT us. It is a doctors office over 30 miles away. (We are a web design firm). I have done the whole ownership thing about 5 times and contacted Google. I was even at SES San Jose and asked one of the Googlers demo-ing Google Maps and was told it must be a glitch and she would look into it. But I havnt heard anything. Any ideas?

Kyle, I think you should reread the post above ... your answers are there ... if you have Google's Webmaster Tools for that site, and you verify ownership, you can change the address within Google.

[Webnauts]

Mj it looks like you have found the solution. If I understood something wrong and you still have problems, I have some other ideas that I can pull out of my sleeve.

Maybe it does not work against on Google Maps inaccuracy, or maybe it does? I can't really tell, as I did not test that so far. But I can say for sure that it is very cool stuff in terms of Local Search.

[mjtaylor]

Webnauts, I am interested in what you have up your sleeve. I have turned over this info to the webmaster and the site owner, and we will see if the advice we have gets us anywhere, but if you know an easier, softer way - or just another, please, the shirt off your back. Thanks, MJ

[Webnauts]

Replace the <head> tags on all pages with for this
<head profile="http://www.example.com/information.html">

and create a page doing copy and paste of the exact code found on this page

http://www.nobila.de/information.html

replacing their data with yours.

If you need any further help just drop me a note.

[bj]

and create a page doing copy and paste of the exact code found on this page
http://www.example.com/information.html replacing their data with yours.

that example.com link is a 404.

[Webnauts]

Originally Posted by bj

that example.com link is a 404.

LOL. Sorry for that: Köberlein DruckService - Hüttenstraße 4, 59846, Sundern (Sauerland), Hochsauerlandkreis Germany

[wige]

I am starting to notice this problem more and more. I was doing a search for a Broadway theater in Google (Search term: Laura Pels Theatre) and although the theater's own web site shows up in the top position, and even has it's description in the text snippet below, there is no Map of 111... line below it. However, two results below it (#3 and #5 in my search, counting an indented page from the theater as #2) do have these map links. The first one is a box office web site, unrelated to the theater. The #5 result is a page at travel.yahoo.com. I am fairly sure that neither of these sites added a small business listing for this address in Google (and quite certain Yahoo didn't), so this indicates to me even more that this is algorithmic and the algorithm is screwed up.

[mjtaylor]

I am so happy that we are not alone!

[Webnauts]

Originally Posted by mjtaylor

I am so happy that we are not alone!

I wouldn't be happy even if I was not alone. I would got rid of the problem right away, as I wouldn't jump in a river if other ones would do.