GOOGLE PLACES verification problem!

[utkarshpaliwal]

Hey guys,

As you must be knowing that Since a few days google only asks for address verification for the GMAPS listings! No option for Phone verification is provided!

It is assumed that google is doing so just to manage its current listings and as soon they are done with the management part, they will get back to the phone verification as well!

But, I have a friend in UK who says that he can see the phone verification option (he showed me his screen) but when I used a UK proxy (checked it with SB for the quality tests and got the location from showmyip.com) it did not show me the phone verification option!

So, what do you guys think? Whats it all about? And by when can we expect to see the phone verification option again?

Thanks in advance,
Utkarsh

 

[teeniegenie]

GP is forcing an address verification now. Find a legit address to get the postcard or else you are out of luck.

 

[utkarshpaliwal]

GP is forcing an address verification now. Find a legit address to get the postcard or else you are out of luck.

I assume the problem will be solved within a few days!

 

[NorthernSEO]

If you try to change the number a phone verification is not possible. If you change the other info except for the phone number, you should still see the phone verification option.

 

[utkarshpaliwal]

If you try to change the number a phone verification is not possible. If you change the other info except for the phone number, you should still see the phone verification option.

I created new listing with a new phone number... Still it did not show the phone verification option!

 

[audioinjection]

I created new listing with a new phone number... Still it did not show the phone verification option!

For now, it seems that ALL new google places will require postcard verification. We're very close to a reasonable "work-around" for those needing to create places that can't be postcard verified. I'll let you know if it can be done.

Until then, all we can do is wait. All signs seemingly point to this being temporary, so let's cross our fingers and share any info we can.

 

[thetvnun]

i was not able to verify, tried to hire some people to do it for me; they said they could but the price was steep enough for me to doubt any roi. found a guy on fivver who said he could do it, but he didnt deliver and provided a different service to appease me. google is going to create a market for "virtual mailbox exchanges" to a bst thread no doubt. i wish i had my geographic sites in one area.

 

[utkarshpaliwal]

i was not able to verify, tried to hire some people to do it for me; they said they could but the price was steep enough for me to doubt any roi. found a guy on fivver who said he could do it, but he didnt deliver and provided a different service to appease me. google is going to create a market for "virtual mailbox exchanges" to a bst thread no doubt. i wish i had my geographic sites in one area.

I found a guy who said that he can verify each listing for $50 (I have to get thousands done). And I assume that every such option is going to be out of budget! At this point of time, I think only option is "waiting"! BTW, are we sure that they will get back to phone verification?

 

[bbillings]

I'm looking too

 

[teeniegenie]

I found a guy who said that he can verify each listing for $50 (I have to get thousands done). And I assume that every such option is going to be out of budget! At this point of time, I think only option is "waiting"! BTW, are we sure that they will get back to phone verification?

So do you have thousands of listings you want to set up or thousands that are already set up that you need to make some kind of change to?

$50/address is a good deal in my opinion. If possible have them send you by email/phone the verification code to speed up the process (i.e., don't have them just mail the post card to you of it will slow everything up by another week or two).

 

[MagicMike]

I think they will go back to phone verification... it's simply too much money for postage, mail handlers, time to verify postcards, etc., to keep this up forever. I know it's Google... but even they don't want to go through all of this crap.

My guess they will do it long enough (couple of months) to try to put most of the GP spammers out of business.

It slows things down a bit, but still not terrible. As I mentioned in another thread, I am getting newstands/very small mom and pop corner stores to receive my postcards in each city... they mail them to me and I give them $5 for each postcard they handle. It's actually forced me to become more organized and to attack one city at a time!

For now, I'm not having any problem with postcard verification, even though they are all going to the same address... as long as I add a different suite number to each address it seems to do the trick.

I don't believe anyone at this point can phone verify a new listing, no matter what the price... at least not in the U.S.

In general though, I have a bad feeling about this whole GP thing...

 

[MatthewMagicMan]

Hey MagicMike,

Are you just doing a whole bunch at the same address with different suite #'s and then coming back in and changing the address once it is verified? So the address you verify is basically just to get it verified and your real citations, links, etc. all go to the "city center" address you really wanted?

 

[MatthewMagicMan]

Hey guys,

How about THIS:

1. Get a virtual office/box from a company for like $20-$50 for the FIRST month. Sign up for a massive amount of address-verified listings- all driven to that address. Once you got em' verified (let's say a month), then you cancel. Basically pay $50 to get like 50 listings done- a BUCK a listing.

Google should let you do multiple businesses at the same location- correct?

Maybe Mike can tell us too what happens if you switch the address after you verify- does it "devalue" the listing?

 

[teeniegenie]

I think they will go back to phone verification... it's simply too much money for postage, mail handlers, time to verify postcards, etc., to keep this up forever. I know it's Google... but even they don't want to go through all of this crap.

My guess they will do it long enough (couple of months) to try to put most of the GP spammers out of business.

It slows things down a bit, but still not terrible. As I mentioned in another thread, I am getting newstands/very small mom and pop corner stores to receive my postcards in each city... they mail them to me and I give them $5 for each postcard they handle. It's actually forced me to become more organized and to attack one city at a time!

For now, I'm not having any problem with postcard verification, even though they are all going to the same address... as long as I add a different suite number to each address it seems to do the trick.

I don't believe anyone at this point can phone verify a new listing, no matter what the price... at least not in the U.S.

In general though, I have a bad feeling about this whole GP thing...

I guess it is possible that the phone verification will come back but if G is really worried about "purifying" GP this won't go away.

 

[seobizwiz]

PM me if you want the solution, it is super black hat. But it works.
I have solved this problem before. I don't think Google is going to
do phone verifications anymore, is to easy to spam. over the last
3 years I have set up 10's of thousands.

 

[m0nster]

3 things -
1. bank listed foreclosure homes with no one in them

2. UPS suite boxes i think they range 40-70 a month shouldn't be a contract, not a P.O. box address like USPS.

3. your house or someone elses, post on CL or osmething ni the town bet you find a desperate person that will let you use your home address for 20 40 50 bucks

goodluck guys

 

[sherbert]

Legitimate listings are being phone verified in UK. I was at a clients office yesterday and verified his google places for him and did it through PIN called to his phone. I assume that now they are checking with phone companies and if the company name matches the phone number then phone verification is possible. I later tried to list another of my client's companies that shares the same telephone number but was only able to verify by post.

 

[utkarshpaliwal]

If we have a previously made unverified listing, AND WE CLICK "VERIFY OWNERSHIP" WE CAN VERIFY IT BY sms CONFIRMATION! But If we click on "Edit" and change the number, It asks for address verification!!!

 

[iiaok]

1. bank listed foreclosure homes with no one in them

And what, open up their mailbox and steal the mail? Black hat or not, a felony is a felony.

 

[MagicMike]

Hey MagicMike,

Are you just doing a whole bunch at the same address with different suite #'s and then coming back in and changing the address once it is verified? So the address you verify is basically just to get it verified and your real citations, links, etc. all go to the "city center" address you really wanted?

Yes, that's what I'm doing... although I don't even bother changing the address, because once you do, you're back into the GP verification system.

For the types of businesses that I work with, people don't show up at their door... they either call or sometimes email, so it works.

You can use any address that can accept packages (Fedex, UPS, etc)... that's pretty much the Google rule... so that does rule out PO Boxes.