Google Tightens my Straight-Jacket with No Phone Verification

[BlueSteele]

As some of you offliners have probably already noticed, Google has removed the ability to verify Google Places listings over the phone or SMS, leaving the post card.

Although this doesn't really effect B&Ms, this makes it a bit trickier for the other guys. Of course there are solutions, but they aren't too appealing right now.

I thought it might just be a bug, or maybe I was being sloppy and spooked Gurgle, but I tried:

New IPs, different browsers, thorough cache, history, cookie and temp files scrubbing.

Gurgle did this about 8 months ago, and only a few days later it was good to go again.

Any thoughts? Anyone hear anything?

 

[ly2 from WF]

The companies I work with, and my company, and myself have all quit taking local SEO jobs for the most part unless they have a good enough budget that it warrants enough hard work to actually bump local listings and take the 1st with organic. All those $200-$400 a month local jobs for billy bobs plumbing and that kind of shit just aren't worth it anymore. We only sign national SEO jobs now, probably been 2 months since the last local job I signed...just not worth it anymore.

 

[BlueSteele]

The companies I work with, and my company, and myself have all quit taking local SEO jobs for the most part unless they have a good enough budget that it warrants enough hard work to actually bump local listings and take the 1st with organic. All those $200-$400 a month local jobs for billy bobs plumbing and that kind of shit just aren't worth it anymore. We only sign national SEO jobs now, probably been 2 months since the last local job I signed...just not worth it anymore.

You could be on to something, haha. We do a real mixed bag of clients...B&Ms, pubs, agencies, directories...there is certainly a little bit of money in it if you can run super streamlined, something were still pushing hard for. In any event, changes like this are usually positive in the end. Forces you to think outside of the box and in a lot of cases you come up with better ways of doing things then before.

For anyone having this same issue, PM me I've got a couple methods that will get you passed this little problem. No one wants to hang around their mailbox for 3 weeks...that is if they even manage to send it. Especially if you don't have a mailbox haha.

Adam

 

[Midnightscream]

Google Verification

Hey BlueSteele

I'm having same problem of course. What are the methods you came up with to get around the post card verification? Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks

 

[BlueSteele]

Hey BlueSteele

I'm having same problem of course. What are the methods you came up with to get around the post card verification? Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks

PM sent. Don't get your hopes up...Our method only makes it a lesser evil. Essentially we have figured out a way to get affordable, working virtual addresses (not po boxes or ups addresses), without the hassle of employing a virtual address business followed by a mail fwd...both costly and timely from the research I've done.

Judging by the amount of emails/pms i got ppl are feeling this change big time. Google sucks, fact not fiction.

EDIT: found this blog post on Blumenthals...not particularly informative, but the first I've heard gurgle speak out on the subject.

 

[efeezy]

The companies I work with, and my company, and myself have all quit taking local SEO jobs for the most part unless they have a good enough budget that it warrants enough hard work to actually bump local listings and take the 1st with organic. All those $200-$400 a month local jobs for billy bobs plumbing and that kind of shit just aren't worth it anymore. We only sign national SEO jobs now, probably been 2 months since the last local job I signed...just not worth it anymore.

You're not kidding. I basically talked a client out of doing any long term SEO for their site as it was cheaper to just do PPC in the long run.

They're a local general contractor and trying to rank for San Diego General Contractor or San Diego Kitchen Remodel would be a complete nightmare. There was no way I was going to do that job for $500 a month. Hell, they've only got an $800 a month PPC budget, but at least they'll get leads now instead of a year from now, if ever.

 

[Drake]

SEO dont take a year. 2 months for me, sometimes less.