Local searh results instant preview photo problem

[dwallner]

A search result that contains my google plus / places page in the local results is not displaying photos correctly in the preview.    It shows an image that appears to represent a broken link or missing image, however, when you click on the "See Photos" link it to takes you to the G+ page that displays the photos without any issues.

I also checked the google places account and the photos appear fine in my dashboard.   It's seems like maybe a 3rd party uploaded photos or something?  It may have to do with the recent upgrade to pages at Google +? (Thats another story, thanks for making me create a circular logo and a cover photo that doesn't style well in your mobile app)

Anyway, any thoughts?  Where are these photos coming from, plus or places account?  I submitted the question on google groups and a non googler told me to submit photos from a unrelated account.. This seems like gaming the system to me and when I looked into it, it takes me to the Google + page..

Search URL - I am first result in local, Yale Creek Seasonal Care.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=&source=hp&q=new+market+mn+snow+removal&oq=new+market+mn+snow+removal&gs_l=hp.3...1801.1801.0.2686.1.1.0.0.0.0.143.143.0j1.1.0.les%3B..0.0...1c.1.5.hp.nKsMdxTGiW0

Also, I noticed the G+ account says service area is 20 miles from address while I specifically selected an area greater than that in my places account..  So what is it plus or places?!?!?   The way they are rolling out this move to plus is frustrating!   As a consumer, I prefer listings without the plus page!!

[MiriamEllis]

Hi DWallner,

I found your Google And Your Business Forum thread, here:

http://productforums.google.com/forum/#!searchin/business/missing$20photo/business/1OKqBIi9DW8/dZbbPQBAQFkJ

The fellow who wrote to you is a Google Top Contributor, which, while not being the same thing as a Google staffer, is the next best thing. However, his suggestion in his last response to you is not appropriate, as I am assuming your business is a service radius business, and therefore, is ineligible for merging.

Google Places still exists as the dashboard via which service radius business like yours can control their local listing. On the public side, what you put in your Google Places dashboard is what should display on your Google+ Local page (Google's new public local product).

I agree, what you are experiencing is very odd. You have a ton of images on your +Local page to choose from, but Google is displaying some type of weird placeholder for you in the preview. While not a disastrous thing, I agree you are right to want to discover the cause of this.

I have seen this suggestion, elsewhere, of trying to upload a photo through the public option. I don't consider this gaming the system. It's an experiment to see if you can jog Google into displaying something for your business. The image system is buggy and it can still take several weeks for photos to appear, though often it is faster than this now.

My only other suggestion would be to poke the listing. Have you tried this? If you don't know what 'poking' is, just ask, and I'll explain it.

I don't have an answer for why you are experiencing this. It could well be a bug, but, if it is, I'm not finding documentation of similar problems in the places I would expect to find such reports. Please, follow up with me on the above.

[dwallner]

Thanks Miriam.. I will try having my wife add photos to the G± listing from her account..

No, I am not familiar with "poke."

[MiriamEllis]

Sounds like a good idea.

How to poke a listing. Sign into your Google Places account,  click edit, DON'T CHANGE ANYTHING, but hit submit. Google reps have actually recommended poking a listing on occasion (maybe every few weeks or once a month) helps to keep the listing fresh. Sometimes it clears up data issues, so it might be worth trying, in your case.

Hope this helps!