Or, how to get Google to confirm a business listing without a mailing address.
I met Alisa, owner of Sea Monkey Private Charters, early in 2016. She was a referral from another company, an online advertising agency specializing in pay-per-click. I was recommended to help set up the Sea Monkey social media accounts.
The work was straight forward and included:
- Establishing her Facebook Page and Trip Advisor accounts and adding cover images
- Diagnosing a Facebook mapping error and getting Facebook to correct it
- Adding the Trip Advisor app to Facebook and their badge to the website
- Setting up the Facebook feed on the website and adding the Yelp badge
- Client training in how to size images and post on her blog
- Fixing the site when it suffered an online attack
Nevertheless, one (very important) step eluded us — her ownership of the Sea Monkey Private Charters Google business page.
When you attempt to confirm ownership of your Google business listing, Google will mail you, via USPS, a postcard with a code. Once you receive the postcard you can log into your account and insert the code. After that Google will recognize you as the owner of this business allowing you to add pictures and update the listing. This geographic listing is important because it also allows Google to serve up your listing in local search results.
Get Google to confirm a business listing without a mailing address
Alisa operates out of the Lahaina, Maui harbor and the address is a boat slip. USPS does not deliver to this wharf. She tried repeatedly to get ownership of her listing with no success.
I am persistent, however. This spring I attended the Governor’s Marketplace in Salem and the Google seminar that was part of the event. After the seminar I spoke with the Google representative about Sea Monkey Private Charters, got the representative’s name, business email, and the magic words to add to our inquiry, “_______ says you can make this happen.”
It took several back and forth emails with Google, but it did happen! Alisa is the owner of the Sea Monkey Private Charters Google business listing!
This is her testimonial:
Waterlink Web is an amazing Company and Mary Ann is a miracle worker!
She has done a lot of work on our website and social media and I am more than pleased. She was able to get us back online after our website (not designed by her) crashed in the quickest way possible. She simply dropped everything she was doing and went to work until the problem was resolved. Since, our website is the main source of all of our customers it was very critical to have it fixed ASAP, and she did just that.
She also helped us to put our business on Google maps and helped us verify it. Although it may not sound like a miracle work to some — it really is when your business is located on a wharf that does not get mail delivery. She was able to connect with someone at Google to help us and stuck with the process through several rounds of emails until the verification was complete. The usual steps of “setting up your business on Google” only work for businesses with mailing addresses at their location.
Thank you so much, Mary Ann, for all your great work and personal attention!!!
Thank you, Alisa. The pleasure is all mine.
If you need help establishing your social media or getting Google to confirm you as a business owner for your own company, please let me know. I can help you.
Check this link for more of our client testimonials.
