Avoid These 10 Critical Google Business Profile Mistakes

Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is one of the most essential marketing tools for attracting local customers without spending a dime. It's one of the most powerful and effective marketing assets for any business aiming to enhance its local visibility. However, even a minor misstep can lead to disastrous consequences, such as suspension or loss of visibility. To ensure your business stays ahead of the competition and avoids costly mistakes, it's crucial to be aware of the common pitfalls that can jeopardize your GBP. Let’s explore ten fatal mistakes that could wreck your business’s online presence and how to avoid them.

1. Changing Several Core Pieces of Information at Once

Updating your Google Business Profile too quickly can lead to suspension or verification issues, causing a significant drop in your business’s online visibility. When making changes to your business name, phone number, address, category, or website URL, it’s crucial to update one detail at a time. Make a single change, then wait a few days before proceeding with the next one. This method helps Google recognize the changes as legitimate and not an attempt to manipulate the system. Ignoring this approach can result in suspension, making your profile invisible in searches until the issue is resolved and verified. This process can be time-consuming and frustrating, so it’s best to proceed slowly and carefully to keep your profile safe and visible. 

2. Breaking Google's Rules for Business Addresses

Google has strict rules regarding the business addresses you can use for your listing. If you don’t have a physical location or store, you need to be aware of the following:

·      Using a P.O. box address is not allowed.

·      Using a UPS box address is not allowed.

·      Using a virtual office is not allowed.

·      Using a co-working space is not allowed unless you rent a dedicated office space, the space has permanent signage representing your business, customers can visit you there, and you or your employees are present during business hours.

If you run your business from home, you can use your home address as your business address if customers meet you there and you have permanent, fixed outside signage. For service area businesses that visit customers at their homes, it’s important not to display your home address on your listing. Instead, specify the service areas you operate in. Violating these rules can lead to suspension, and while you might get away with it for a while, Google will eventually catch up with you.

3. Creating Multiple Listings for the Same Business

Your GBP is a powerful tool, and it might seem beneficial to create multiple listings to show up in different areas. However, you can only do this if the addresses you use comply with Google’s rules. For businesses with physical locations like beauty salons, coffee shops, or restaurants, each place has a real address, making it easy to claim a listing for each spot. But for service businesses like electricians or plumbers who visit customers’ homes, it’s not as straightforward. Many small service businesses use their home address for one listing, which is fine, but to gain the visibility that multiple listings offer, some may use addresses of friends, family, or employees. This practice violates Google’s guidelines. If caught, all your listings, including the real one, will be suspended, leaving your business without visibility.

4. A Google Account Linked to Your Listing Has Been Suspended

As a business owner, it’s common to grant access to your listing to SEO agencies, freelancers, or employees to manage your profile while you focus on running your business. However, be careful about who you give access to. If these individuals make too many low-quality or irrelevant edits on Google Maps, their accounts could be flagged as spammers and blacklisted. If they manage your listing, it could be suspended too, and you might not even know why. To avoid this, log into the Google account you use to manage your business profile. Click on the three dots in the search interface, go to Business Profile settings, then People and Access. Check who has access to your listing and remove anyone who shouldn’t be there, such as old employees or an SEO agency you no longer work with.

5. Being in a High-Risk Industry

Certain industries are known for using shady tactics and often breaking many of Google’s rules to gain an unfair advantage on Google Maps. Because of this, Google applies stricter rules to these industries and might suspend listings even when businesses have done nothing wrong and follow the rules. If you’re a locksmith, plumber, tech repair technician, or provide home services, your listing will be watched more closely by Google. Always follow the rules to minimize the risk of suspension. Even if your listing gets suspended despite following the rules, it will be easier to get reinstated if you have a track record of compliance.

6. Receiving Too Many Google Reviews Too Fast

Google reviews are crucial, but they can be hard to obtain. Many business owners resort to shortcuts like asking friends and family for reviews or even buying fake reviews. Google’s strict review algorithm detects and removes fake reviews and monitors unusual review activity. Receiving an unusually high number of reviews in a short period can raise red flags, leading to your GBP being suspended, even if the reviews are real. To avoid this, ask your customers for reviews steadily throughout the year rather than all at once.

7. Adding Keywords to Your Business Name

While it might be tempting to add keywords to your business name to improve your ranking, this practice is against Google’s rules and can lead to suspension if reported by a competitor. Instead, consider filing for a Doing Business As (DBA) that includes the desired keywords. This way, even if reported, your listing will remain safe.

8. Operating Exclusively Online

To claim a Google listing, your business must make in-person contact with customers during stated hours, either at your location or theirs. If your business operates exclusively online, you cannot get a listing. Even if you manage to claim a listing, it will likely be suspended once Google realizes you don’t meet customers face to face.

9. Picking a Business Location Where Similar Businesses Already Exist

It’s common for businesses in the same field to share an address, such as law firms in one building or real estate agents using a brokerage address. Google prefers to show diverse results, so using the same address as competitors can lead to filtering, where only one or two businesses are shown in search results. To avoid this, choose a more specific category or move to a different address where no similar businesses operate. If you’re a real estate agent, consider using your home address and set your listing as a service area business.

10. Picking the Wrong Primary Category

Your primary category is crucial for appearing on Google Maps, so choosing the best one based on your offerings is essential. If your business fits into several categories, select the one representing your most profitable service or product. Look at the primary categories of top businesses in your field on Google Maps to ensure you’ve chosen the right one.

Avoiding these common pitfalls is crucial to maintaining a healthy and visible Google Business Profile. However, if you find yourself dealing with a suspended profile or need guidance to stay compliant and maximize your online presence, don’t hesitate to reach out. Contact us at ReinstateLabs for all inquiries regarding reinstating your suspended Google Business Profile and ensuring your business remains online and visible to potential customers. We’re here to help you navigate these challenges and keep your business thriving!