Understanding Google My Business & Local Search
Google Adds Instant Listing Verification Via Webmaster Tools for Most Business Categories
Googler Jade has announced in the forums that they are now going to allow instant verification via webmaster tools for many businesses.
From the announcement:
Good news — starting today, if you’re verifying a page for your business, you may be instantly verified on Google My Business if you’ve already verified your business’s website with Google Webmaster Tools. The verification will happen automatically, if applicable, when you attempt to verify a page for your business.
If you’d like to try instant verification, please make sure you’re signed in to Google My Business with the same account you used to verify your site with Webmaster Tools
Not all businesses with websites verified using Google Webmaster Tools will have instant verification, since not all business categories are eligible. If that’s the case, please use one of our other methods of verification (https://support.google.com/
From the My Business Help page on verification:
Instant verification
You may be instantly verified to manage your business if you’ve already verified your business’s website with Google Webmaster Tools.
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.
If your business falls into one of the categories that doesn’t allow webmaster tools verification, it will still be necessary to use the other offered choices of postcard and phone when it is available.
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Comments
26 Comments
Oh fun! Can’t wait to test this out!
I especially love how they did not list what types of businesses will be supported with this new offering. Any idea as to what is included and excluded Mike?
@Jay
The obvious guess is those industries where abuse of My Business listings has been rampant; locksmiths, movers, roofers etc.
This is good news. For bricks-and-mortar businesses. My guess is that, once again, those pesky service-area businesses will be left out in the cold.
@Phil
Problem from an agency stand point is we won’t know until we know. We need to start a list of them as we find them.
I can confirm that this new verification option did work for a law firm.
It appears that whether you’re offered instant verification depends on more than just the category you pick. I tried creating pages for a fake locksmith, law firm, and pizza joint. I was only offered the standard postcard verification. 0 for 3.
My guess is Google looks at not only the category you pick, but the account you’re using.
@Phil
That could very well be.
I have a feeling it will be a replacement for Phone verifications or Ownership requests. I would bet postcards will be be the only choice for brand new listings.
I just tried with a new restaurant listing and it was only Postcard option.
Phil, for the listings you tried, did the Google account you were using match the TLD of the website you were trying to submit?
@David
Yep. I tried it it my account, and in a client’s. I tried creating the 3 fake-o pages in my account, and tried creating another one in my client’s.
What I found puzzling is that – as you know – when you’re creating a new local Google+ page, you’re only asked the basic NAP info. You’re not asked for your site URL until later. To me, that suggests that instant verification is never an option when you’re creating a brand-new page, but rather only when you’re trying to verify a page that’s been floating around unclaimed.
What I have found so far.
1. Listing must already exists on maps (unclaimed)
2. Url on listing must match WMT verified site
3. WMT needs to be in same account as G+ page, as the owner…versus being added to the account as full access.
#3 may or may not be required however I’ve only been successful when this is true
@alex Google has said the #3 is required.
@Alex
Yes, I’ve run into point #1, too. Google should have specified that.
I just tried this and it worked perfectly. It was a listing that already existed and I claimed it with a Google account under an email address that was different from the TLD of the page/URL being claimed.
Would this work for bulk verification as well?
@trisa no. The bulk process though is very easy.
Mike, we have a single WMT account for our domain, which contains thousands of brick and mortar locations.
Do we need to individually verify each business through Google My Business or is there a way to this on a bulk scale?
Thanks!
Joe. The bulk process for now is a separate process. Using an email at your domain you create a google account, upload a spreadsheet of your locations and then wait (2-3 weeks) for approval.
Thanks for the reply Mike, that is exactly what I expected. We have a separate group who works on our listings across the web who handles this, and our team handles GWT so sometimes these situations get convoluted!
Thanks again.
Has anyone been successful, or tried, to use Instant Verification on a new (created) listing?
Do you know if having a website url that is not a .com (example: http://www.joespizza.co.uk) is an issue with Webmaster?
Thank you in advance!
Can you represent video caused I could not get how it will be done.
Did not work for me, I stumbled on this article searching for a solution. I recently added a clients’ business page to my G+ account (I will be managing all online items), I verified the website and email and added the website to WMT and GA as well. I was waiting for the new business to open before claiming it per Google guidelines. The day it opened I went to verify it in the same account I used for all of the above and my only option was a postcard.
The real blunder (my fault) was I requested a postcard, and when it came I logged in to Google to verify, I remembered the owner requested I change the wording in his address… Ave. to Avenue, and Ste. to Suite. I did this and then went to verify and had to request a new postcard, I am guessing b/c I edited the address before I verified it.
Has anyone been successful, or tried, to use Instant Verification on a new (created) listing?
Do you know if having a website url that is not a .com (example: http://www.24LAgaragedoors.com) is an issue with Webmaster?
Apologies if this thread is now closed, but I wonder if anyone knows if Google is still verifying via Search Console? if so, can you change the address of an already verified business without having to wait for the postcard verification?
Google is still verifying via search console but only those listings in which they have 100% confidence as to the NAP And the search console user.
When you change address they will not allow for a search console recertification but will typically require a phone call depending on how you verified the first time.
how i can verify my page via mobile phone
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