Comments on: Verification Pin or Pain? Does Phone Verification Work for You?

By: Mike

Mike — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 21:30:28 +0000

I think the lack of postcard is a fraud prevention method on Google’s part…not accidental. For whatever reason they don’t trust something that you have provided.

By: Sandra

Sandra — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 21:24:28 +0000

Don’t feel bad, a new site I listed yesterday gave me no phone option, heh.

I don’t think they have solutions right now, I do see Google employees posting and fixing listings on the Google support forums now so you might want to try there. Just google Google Map Verification Support Forum and you’ll get there.

By: JWS

JWS — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 19:33:58 +0000

So, how does one verify a site if the main phone number is a automated pbx system and there is no other option to verify a listing? I can’t seem to get an option for a postcard. Creating a duplicate listing seems like a less than perfect solution.

By: Sandra

Sandra — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 13:46:54 +0000

Thank you for the insights, I will try again. Some of my sites are verified so I don’t want to try to bulk upload but I might have tried another phone verification, I was attempting to use a mobile phone but then realized that it would become the main line and that would have been a mess.

Postcard verification seem…so…UnGoogle like.

Thanks again.

By: Chair 10 Internet Marketing

Chair 10 Internet Marketing — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 03:37:21 +0000

@Sandra

If you requested verification again while waiting for the postcard it will invalidate the postcard PIN. That could have been the issue.

Indeed it is near impossible to talk to someone at google on the phone unless you are spending a lot per month on pay per click ads with them.

By: Mike

Mike — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 20:16:04 +0000

@Sandra

If you have more than 10 locations the “verified bulk upload” (aka bulk whitelist) is your best alternative. If that doesn’t work then you have no alternative to requesting the postcard pin a second time and trying again.

By: Sandra

Sandra — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 18:24:02 +0000

So, pbx systems cannot use Google pin verification. The postcard comes after a couple of weeks and the code on the postcard won’t work in the verification box.

Multiple locations for multiple clients – so I call Google trying to get help. I’m told by the helpful and very polite operator that she is not authorized to connect me with any Google employee and to use the support forums. Thousands of postings about the exact same thing and no answers.

Works great if you have a single phone line – sucks if you don’t and no way to fix it so I have many unverified listings now.

By: Chair 10 Internet Marketing

Chair 10 Internet Marketing — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 23:27:47 +0000

@Mike Blumenthal Hi Mike. A new one for you. Yesterday a client realized Google Local “unverified” them back on about 12/9/09. They had been getting about 400 impressions per day from their Google Local listing and went down to about 90 per day. We went in and quickly did a verification by phone for their one location and they within minutes started showing high in the Google Local listings again. Ever hear of Google removing verification status for a company?

By: Mike Blumenthal

Mike Blumenthal — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 01:43:48 +0000

@Charlotte

Is there possibly more than one listing at that phone number? Often, what appears to be Google incompetence is in fact their system for preventing abuses.

By: Charlotte

Charlotte — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 11:22:40 +0000

Just found this thread, hoping someone may be able to advise me!

I’m trying to update a claimed listing for a third party business, and after many attempts to request a PIN, only one code has been sent to the business phone. When I submitted the PIN in LBC, it was ‘invalid’.

Verification to the main business number is the only option given; no mail/postcard option available for this listing. SMS occasionally appears but only to the business phone number, even if I edit the listing to temporarily include a mobile number.

Can anyone help me? Like one of the earlier posters I’m fed up of carrying the can for Google!