GBP Verifications · MapsLiftoff

GBP Verifications

Hey all, I manage about 350+ GBPs and have gotten a lot of gray hair from Google over the years with GBP verifications. 😆

First question -

@Brian Willie

@Mike Clay

- if you do a search in a given area for a high volume search phrase and the top 3 GBPs have shown addresses, isn't it a good practice to have a shown address for your/your client's GBP you're trying to get ranked because the top 3 results have a shown address and that is what Google is rewarding? Is it possible to get a SAB (hidden address GBP) ranked above shown address GBPs from your experience? I have been able to do this a few times, but I prefer to match whatever Google is rewarding (e.g. If the top 3 results are SAB.. then I do that. If the top 3 results have shown addresses... then I do that).

Or, will we have so much geo relevance with what we're going to learn in this course that it doesn't matter if we have a shown address or not?

This leads to my next part.

Assuming Google is still rewarding shown addresses over hidden addresses (which seems to be the case from my team's research over the years), how is everyone doing with getting GBP verifications for clients that don't have a physical location already (e.g. a remodeler that works out of his home)?

I'll share some of our successes with this to kick this off...

Our current video verification process:

Get setup with a virtual office or co-working space that is smaller/local to the area/state (e.g. not Regus). Make sure they don't have a clause that states you have to remove GBP if you don't continue to pay them.
Setup website and make sure the home page has the same phone number and address as what is going to go on the GBP listing.
Get 20-30 citations so there are some mentions across the web about the company name, website, phone #, address, etc.
Start the GBP setup process. Most likely it will ask for a video verification.
We get an assumed name doc from the state we're in with the VO address/GBP name, a small order of business cards made at FedEx/Kinkos, and print out the logo on laminated paper or thick stock paper.
Depending on if the VO/co-working space has offices we can use or not, we typically will reserve the conference room, put the laminated paper with logo on the door, have our laptop showing the client website on the desk, have the business cards out, have the state doc out showing the name/address.
When we do the video verification we have had better luck in a Google Chrome browser on our phones. Verificaiton process - show street signs, show building number, walk in (show that you have access), walk into the conference room (show logo on door), show laptop with company website, show business cards with name/address, and state doc with name/address. (We do this exact recording again from the camera on our phone in case there are issues with them getting the verification through the GBP so we can send it to them in a Google support ticket.)

I would say about 60-70% of the time this method works well for us. If it doesn't or there are issues we request a live video verification.

Keeping all of the same stuff in tact as stated above (logo on door, laptop, biz cards, state doc), we have not had many issues with a live video verification, especially if you get someone from the states. It seems to be a pretty easy process... answer their questions, show proof of your business, and then you're live.

How is everyone else doing with GBP verifications? Specifically, when a shown address is needed?

Or, if you're killing showing address GBPs with a SAB then that would be even better!!

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