Are you losing business because your business contact or other information is incorrect in Google search results?
I recently helped the Paint Your Own Pottery shop in Fairfax, Virginia fix their Google Business Listing. The pottery shop was under new ownership and the new owner did not know now to log in and access her Google My Business page to update the website URL and other information about her business.
The original Google My Business page had been set up by a previous webmaster. The new owner had tried contacting the previous webmaster to get the information she needed to take ownership of the Google listing that rightfully belonged to her, but was not able to reach the webmaster to get the help she needed. She was referred to me for help to resolve this problem.
If you own a local business, it’s important to claim and set up your Google My Business page so that your business can show up and be found in local search results for your business category.
If you have ever searched online for a local business, you will recognize what a Google Business Listing looks like (see example above):
Your Google Business Page also enables customers to review you on Google.
As you can see from the Google My Business example shown here, positive reviews and star ratings on Google help your business stand out from similar businesses in your area. Star ratings like the ones you see in this example attract the eye and can help bring in more customers who are searching online for businesses like yours.
How to Get a Google Rep on the Phone to Help You
If you do not have login access to a Google Business Page that has already been created for your business, the only way to resolve it is to get Google’s help. But it’s not obvious how to get a Google rep on the phone to resolve this problem.
First I tried calling the Google Support Phone number listed in search results, but after going through their voice mail instructions to connect with a Google My Business support agent, my call kept getting disconnected.
Finally, after much searching, I stumbled across the magic link that you can use to get a Google support agent on the phone to assist with your Google Business Listing. When you fill out the form and click the Call Me button in the form on this page, you will get a near-immediate call back from a Google support rep.
Google My Business Support Link
When you click the image above, you will be taken to a new screen that looks like the page you see here. Fill in the required fields to request Google assistance in correcting your Google Listing. For faster service, select the “Call Me” option. In my experience, Google reps will call back within a few minutes once you submit your “call me back” request.
If you are not in a hurry to talk to a Google rep, you can simply select the option to have Google email you instead of call you. Once you complete submit this form with your conact information, Google will review the information you’ve submitted and either reply via email or call you at the number you provided on the form to discuss your situation and resolve your concerns.
Once we got the Google support agent on the phone, they were very helpful in assisting us with assuming ownership of the client’s Google My Business page. To verify that the new business owner was legitimate, Google placed a call to the business phone number and provided a PIN number which had to be entered into the Google Business Page before the page could be edited and updated.
(Update October 2015: Since writing this article, the Google rep tells me they can no longer make immediate changes on their end to update or correct your Google Business Listing. If you do not know how to login to your own Google My Business account, you need to wait 1-2 weeks to receive a Google postcard in the mail with a PIN Number.)
Once you have received the Google postcard and verified that you are the legitimate owner of the business by entering the PIN Code found on the Google verification postcard, you will need to login to your Google My Business page and update the information that is incorrect. You can update and edit any of your Google My Business information through this Google Business Page dashboard; you can edit any content that is on that page to correct any mistakes.
Once that task was completed, I was able to login on the owner’s behalf and update the Google page with the business’ current information, including an updated website link, business description, current hours of operation, a new cover image and photos of the business.
The updated Google Business Page quickly rose to the top of search results for the phrase “Paint Your Own Pottery Fairfax VA.” This is a benefit to the business because it makes it easier for local customers to find the business online and click to call for directions or additional information right from their mobile phones.
Need Help With Your Google Listings?