As a local guide in Ghana, I find there are MANY small roads not identified on the google maps road network. And there are many businesses located on these roads. Unfortunately it does not seem to be possible to add these businesses to google maps at the moment, so my attempts to help out these small business owners who would find it incredibly valuable to be on google maps are usually frustrated. Similarly the requirements for verifying business ownership on My Business are not suiable for Ghana - very few people get utility bills in the mail that they can scan and send to google, most utilities are pay in advance at the utility office and no bill is ever issued… I have tried chatting to google support and submitted feedback to try to resolve this but have not make any progress in resolving this. If anyone can suggest a work around, that would be very much appreciated!
@HA60 It is true that some places especially out of city, that small roads and lanes are not in Maps, and adding a business may require a proper business address.
First I would suggest to try to add those roads that are not in Maps with the correct road names. This link will give some help. https://www.localguidesconnect.com/t5/News-Updates/Report-a-missing-road-on-Google-Maps/ba-p/266970
At the same time, probably need to check and verify the area name to ensure it is correct, if not, use Maps and send feedback.
Then try to add the businesses into Maps. Usually with the correct roads and correct addresses, and other relevant information, an addition to Maps has higher probability of being approved.
*Regarding business ownership verification issues, I think different countries may support different methods of verification, the original being the postcard postage method. That is best discussed with the Google My Business help forum as it’s separate from the Local Guides program.
Thanks Stephen. We will try your suggestions I don’t think we have tried adding a new road yet. We will need to try to get the local authority to give the road a name which may take some time.
Just to note many businesses in Ghana (and much of Africa) do not have a “proper business address” (even when as in this case they have a fixed location with substantial buildings) as thought of in Western terms: there is no door to door postal delivery service (so one cannot post oneself a card) and many roads are not named let alone numbered. It would be great if Google maps software could be adjusted to reflect more of these local realities.
Hi @HA60 ,
Thanks for reaching out and for adding your contributions to Google Maps.
If you are aware of missing roads on Google Maps, you can mark them following these steps:
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Open Google Maps. Make sure you’re signed in.
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In the top left, click Menu (the three stripes icon) → Send feedback → Edit the map.
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Follow the instructions.
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Click Submit
Please also use the instructions described here: Report an error on the map.
I hope this will help you!