SyCara Local’s Experience
Image by Julie Levin
We know how hard it is to manage your business listings online. There are so many websites and directories, and what to do and the verification process can be confusing. Google is especially confusing. SyCara Local helps you make sure your contact information is correct and your listings are claimed, but we know firsthand how annoying it can be to have to go through the step-by-step verification process and wait weeks for information to be approved. In fact, I recently went through the process of setting up SyCara Local’s Google My Business Listings and wanted to share my experience. I realized that although our business had an active Google Plus page, we weren’t officially verified on Google Maps, and I wanted to go through the process myself to see what it was like. (Although we are not a brick and mortar business and most people are searching for us organically rather than walking through our front door, in my opinion I believed it was essential to get us set up on Google Maps).
So, I filled out our contact information and waited for Google to get in touch with me. I soon found out that a postcard with a special five digit verification code would arrive in the mail in around 10 business days. You can also opt to verify by phone, but I selected mail. I actually received the postcard a lot sooner than I thought, about half the time, then followed the directions and entered in the code I was given. And voila, a verified Google Maps listing!
Instant Verification
Image courtesy of Colin Mutchler
The three options for verifying your listings are by mail, phone and now you can instantly verify your Google Local listings for your business through the Google Webmaster Tools without having to wait two weeks for snail mail to come! A Search Engine Land article by Barry Schwartz says Google author Jade W. made the at the end of July 2014. You can find her post in the , part of the . Verifying through the Webmaster Tools is actually the only immediate way right now to get instant verification, according to .
“Make sure you’re signed in to Google My Business with the same account you used to verify your site with Webmaster Tools. Note that some business categories may not be eligible for instant verification,” says Google Support.
First, sign into Google Webmaster Tools with your Google Account. Then, . For examples of what URLS are accepted, see the on adding a site. Also, if you use , new blogs you create are already verified in Webmaster Tools.
When This Won’t Work
Image courtesy of Danny Sullivan
Mike Blumenthal also discusses this development in a blog post. In the comments below his post, Blumenthal speculates on which businesses may not be eligible for instant verification.
“The obvious guess is those industries where abuse of My Business listings has been rampant; locksmiths, movers, roofers etc.,” Blumenthal says.
A commenter by the name of Alex confirmed verification did work for his law firm, but another poster said he thinks it’s not the type of business category you select but the email account you’re using. He tried creating pages for three types of fake businesses, but it did not work.
A Search Influence article by Mary Silva does a great job explaining when the verification process may or may not work for you along with amazing “Game of Thrones” accompanying memes! Check it out for some hilarity. Silva also says that the only My Business page that worked for her was for a car dealership, while a heating supplies provider and real estate company did not work. One was a new listing, while the other already had contact information listed. We will have to monitor this process and see which Google accounts are having success!
Create A Local Business Page
Image courtesy of Google
You can still verify your business the old-fashioned way. This is essential if you don’t already have a local business page. Read Google’s on how to create and verify a local business on Google for step-by-step information or read our blog post on combining your Google Maps page and local business page. Just be wary though, it seems like Google is still working out the kinks in this process. I followed directions exactly and tried to merge both pages but was unable to do so, so as you can see, SyCara Local has two different pages as of now, as you can see in the image to your left. Try it for yourself though, and see if it works.
Have you tried verifying your business by phone or mail? What about Webmaster Tools? Let us know what you think by commenting below or interacting with us on social media.