The Google Places Null Submit Trick (or sort of a trick)
Google Places | 24 May 2012
I haven’t searched around to see if someone has already covered this (probably @mblumenthal or @catalystlocal) BUT, I think it is time I talk about it.
For the longest time I wanted to post about the Null submit as it has gotten me out of soooo many jams. Unfortunately, I didn’t want it to disappear – so I kept quiet.
Today however I got this message from Google Places support:
“If you sign into your Places account, click “Edit” on the affected listing, and then click “Submit”. Within a few days, your listing should show as “Active” from your account and link to your live listing on Maps.”
So, if Google is telling me to do it, then I’d say it’s fair game to discuss.
The Null Submit is done just as Google explains, but it has many applications. The two applications I have found it most helpful for are: listing disappeared or under review.
I work in a few spaces that are super volatile, and my listings are CONSTANTLY getting attacked by competitors. In fact, I was just talking to Mike over at Nifty Marketing about this. I won’t go into competitor methods as I don’t want to spoil what promises to be a very cool presentation at SMX, but my listings disappear ALL THE TIME.
When my listing disappears from the SERPs but looks totally healthy on the back end I follow the above instructions (by Google) and within 24-48 hours (when Goog isn’t way behind) it’s live again : )
When my listing disappears and shows “under review” on the back end, much like before I hit edit, and submit. Voila, healthy on the back end again. 24-48 and it will be live. I remember when I used to just delete my listings when they went under review – wish I knew about this back then.
Enjoy : )
Related posts:
- Delete or Transfer Ownership of a Google Places Page
- Goodbye, Farewell Google Places Phone Verification…
- Google Places Pending Status Surprise
- Ranking Organically and in Google Places on Page 1
- Google Places Cracking Down on Fake Reviews
Hi Adam, great tip, glad you blogged it.
In the forum we call it a POKE and Vanessa and I tell people to poke their listing for a variety of problems all the time. In my Advanced Places training I refer to a Poke as your new best friend.
Doesn’t fix everything but I think of it like rebooting a computer when it gets slow or buggy, sometimes it helps.
Pokes used to work instantly, but now they can take up to a week. So if you have something buggy, you need to give it a few days to see if the poke worked.
A Poke. I like that! Thanks Linda!
For what it’s worth I’ve also fixed these types of problems by using the micro update feature as well. I haven’t had to use it in some time so I am not positive it still works.
Hey Russ – yes, great point. In fact, I too do this for good measure.
Thanks for stopping by : )