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Google My Business (GMB) used to be so elementary.

GMB listings used to basically include a business name, accost, phone number, and website URL.

That was about information technology.

Over the years Google has made GMB profiles and so much more than robust, which is very exciting.

Businesses can at present create a Google My Business profile that actually shows off what their business concern has to offering.

And information technology allows them to stand up out above their competitors that fail GMB as an effective local SEO and marketing strategy.

Just these features and enhancements have also made using Google My Business much more complex for users.

So when problems with GMB profiles happen, the fixes can be more than complex, nuanced and can often pb to confusion.

Google has laid out the guidelines for when, if, and how businesses can stand for their businesses on Google My Business concern.

But even those guidelines can be disruptive.

People often take liberties with interpreting these guidelines which can cause spam and fraudulent listings.

It can also trigger business listings to get suspended and cause other issues to arise throughout the course of GMB management.

Hither are v common Google My Business problems users run into and how to solve them.

1. There Are Spammy and Fake Competitor Listings Dominating the Search Results – What Can I Do?

For SEO practitioners, the word "spam" has a negative connotation.

And GMB spam is no dissimilar.

Whether it'southward a totally fake business organisation list or a keyword-stuffed business name, these types of dominion-breakers can cause harm to many people – both for searchers and other local businesses.

Only at that place are ways to combat GMB spam.

Sometimes it's as easy as suggesting an edit.

For instance, if you see a business that is keyword stuffing their business organisation name, yous tin click on the Suggest an edit link and edit the business' proper noun to become rid of the extra keywords.

Once you make the suggested edits to the proper noun, address, hours, or other section of the GMB listing, Google volition review your proposition(south).

Sometimes the change yous brand will take issue almost immediately, but sometimes it can accept some fourth dimension.

And, unfortunately, sometimes even legitimate suggested changes may not be made past Google at all.

If changes that yous advise aren't fabricated or if a business is blatantly breaking the rules it is time to fill out a Redressal form.

Blatant dominion-breaking examples are: displaying a home address on their GMB contour or if they are a lead-generation company or online-only business.

The Redressal form is a much more formal "complaint" form and requires more information from yous every bit to what the violations are and what business is being impacted.

When you lot fill out the Redressal grade y'all can even upload files and images that help back up the reasons why the concern is in violation like:

• Screenshots.
• Photos.
• Individual investigator reports.
• Audio files.

In one case you submit the Redressal grade, you should receive an e-mail letting you know that the grade was received by Google.

Each Redressal grade will have a unique case number.

Information technology's a skilful idea to keep runway of the case number for your records and what business organisation you reported attached to that case number.

Typically, information technology takes around two weeks for Google to act on Redressal form/spam.

ii. Why Did My Google My Business organisation Listing Become Suspended?

Ahhh…The dreaded "Suspended" notice!

Nothing is more troubling than seeing this alert in your GMB dashboard:

At that place are many reasons why Google My Business listings become suspended – and most are legitimate.

So fifty-fifty if you remember you lot aren't breaking the rules, chances are you lot are violating Google My Business concern' Terms of Service (TOS) or your GMB profile wouldn't accept been suspended.

Now, flukes practise happen – like if y'all make also many changes to your list in ane sitting – that tin sometimes trigger a suspension.

Just if you take the fourth dimension to look carefully at your listing and the rules/guidelines, you volition probably be able to identify what dominion you lot are breaking.

Let's look at simply i example.

Here's a panicked business owner that posted about their intermission on the Google My Business concern Assistance Forum:

Detect how this business owner says that the suspension is "without cause" and his listing was "suspended for no reason."

If you dig a little deeper, y'all can clearly run across why the listing was suspended.

When asked, the business possessor stated that he originally had his business organization address listed as his home address.

Co-ordinate to Google's guidelines, yous cannot display residential addresses on Google My Business profiles.

The owner and so stated that he changed the GMB list'southward address to their "satellite" part accost which just happens to exist a Regus virtual office.

In nigh cases, this is a no-no according to GMB guidelines.

Note that if y'all have a virtual office/shared office as an address, you have to show Google proof that:

• You rent a dedicated executive office.
• Your employees are staffed at the office during stated business hours.
• You have photos of permanent signage with your business organization name.
• Y'all take photos or videos of the archway to your office showing signage, etc.

I discovered that this business possessor was using a virtual office address simply by doing a search for the physical accost on Google:

So as you can run into from just this one example, even though the concern owner didn't think he was violating GMB guidelines, he was.

And then What Exercise You Do If Your Listing Gets Suspended?

If your GMB profile is suspended, don't panic.

The commencement affair you lot need to do is carefully read Google My Business organisation guidelines to try to place which rules your listing violated and decide if your concern fifty-fifty qualifies for a GMB contour at all.

Some businesses merely don't qualify, at all, for a GMB profile.

Once you have identified the potential problems – and your concern does, in fact, qualify for a GMB list – you should fix whatever issues with your list and then fill out a reinstatement asking.

Note: Exercise not make full out more than 1 reinstatement asking.

Google My Business Back up will need fourth dimension to review the information you submit.

Make certain when you submit your reinstatement request you lot explain that y'all have fixed the list issues and provide proof that you lot are a legitimate business that is eligible by uploading photos of:

• Your permanent business signage – both exterior and inside your edifice.
• A photo of your business organization vehicle if you lot have a Service Area Business (SAB).
• A picture of a re-create of your business license.
• Your registration with the Secretary of State or other business governing body, etc.

Once Google My Business Back up responds to you near your pause, you will desire to stand for with GMB support via those emails moving forwards until the issue is resolved.

Essentially, you need to prove to Google that y'all are a real and legitimate business that is eligible for a GMB listing.

Remember, you lot are not owed a GMB profile.

Yous need to show Google that you are qualified to have a Google My Business organisation profile.

For more than information on what to practice when your Google My Business organisation listing gets suspended, cheque out Google My Business concern Listing Suspended? Here's How to Recover.

3. What Do You Do When an Ex-Employee Writes a Negative Review Nigh Your Business?

Nobody likes to get bad reviews.

What's fifty-fifty worse is when an ex-employee writes a bad review near your company.

That violates Google's User Contributed Content Policy'southward Conflict of Interest guideline.

If you get a negative review from an ex-employee, yous can flag the review past logging into your GMB dashboard, click on the review, and the three dots on the right-hand side.

You will go the selection to flag the review as inappropriate.

If the review is not removed, you tin contact Google My Business Support.

Every bit a business organisation owner, you lot need to prove that the person used to work for you.

Yet, Google can't take whatever personal information from you – similar HR documents, work history records, copy of ID badge, etc.

You have to exist able to present Google with public social proof that the person used to piece of work for you lot.

When you contact GMB support, provide them with a link to your GMB dashboard and the proper noun of the reviewer.

Explain that they used to work for you lot, and provide them screenshots of public proof of this.

You tin can employ a LinkedIn profile screenshot that shows they worked at your company or a social media post where they mention their employment or firing.

4. How Exercise I Get Buying of My Google My Business List Dorsum?

Information technology's common for a concern owner to forget their GMB login info and it'southward besides possible for someone other than a business organization possessor to claim a business organization' GMB list.

So how do yous become ownership of your business's listing back if someone else has claimed information technology?

Outset, visit https://google.com/business.

Click on Manage Now.

Annotation: If yous have other GMB listings, you will need to log in using your GMB login credentials.

In one case logged in, yous will see all the GMB backdrop you manage.

If you want to add some other location, click Add Location:

If you don't already have Google My Business listings in your account, yous would start typing in the name of the business you own or need to get manager rights to.

One time you find the listing you lot may be given a few options.

If the listing is already claimed, you volition run into a partial email that was used to claim the list.

If you forgot what electronic mail you used to merits your business'southward GMB profile, this will hopefully jog your memory.

You can and then log in to GMB using that email address to start managing the Google My Concern listing.

If the e-mail doesn't look familiar to y'all, that means someone else claimed your company's listing.

It could've been a former employee, a digital marketing bureau yous hired, or even some random stranger.

The main affair is yous want to get ownership of your list and so that your company's listing is in the hands of the proper and rightful buying.

When y'all click on Asking Access, y'all volition exist prompted to respond some questions regarding who yous are and what your relationship is with the business organization, and what type of admission you would similar – Direction or Ownership:

If you are the owner of the business organization, click Owner, and if you are a marketing bureau who has been tasked with helping to optimize and manage the company'southward GMB list, select Direction.

Once you click the Submit push button an email volition be sent to the person who currently has buying of the GMB listing.

That person has vii days to respond to the request for buying or management.

You lot will receive an email regarding this request. Be sure to salve that electronic mail.

If the possessor doesn't respond, you lot will and so exist able to become in and claim the listing.

If the ownership asking is approved, you'll become an electronic mail notifying yous and yous will be able to manage the listing in your GMB dashboard.

If your asking is denied, you should be given the option to either appeal or be allowed to verify your amalgamation with the business listing.

Open the original electronic mail you received when yous requested access to the GMB listing and click on View Request or open the rejection electronic mail and click OK.

Either one of those emails should let y'all start the process to prove your ownership of the listing.

In some instances, you may exist asked to "verify to manage this location."

If y'all are a digital marketing agency and you lot see this pick, contact the business owner earlier you click 1 of these options (verify by phone or email).

Alert the owner that they will be called or emailed by Google with a Pivot number.

They will demand to write down that number and give that to y'all so you tin can access the account.

If you lot are the owner of the business, yous will want to request Buying.

If you are an employee or a digital marketing agency helping the concern with their digital marketing, you would asking Manager access.

Note: If you are trying to go admission to a Service Area Business (SAB) GMB list – a business that doesn't take a physical address listing on the GMB contour – the process is a fleck different.

Y'all would enter your business organisation proper name, information, and essentially re-verify your GMB business list.

You volition get a postcard with a Pivot in the mail in about seven-xiv days.

Log into your GMB dashboard and enter the Pivot and verify the list.

Since there are now two business listings with the aforementioned name, Google should flag the list as an "Possessor Conflict" or a "Duplicate Listing."

Inside your dashboard, there should be a button that says Asking Access.

When you click on Request Access that will then trigger an email to be sent to the person who originally claimed the listing and you volition go along through that ownership request procedure.

In one case you lot asking access, the current person who has the list verified has seven days to respond to your asking past either accepting or denying you access.

(You tin check the status of the request by signing into your Google My Business dashboard or clicking on the link in the buying email you lot received from Google.)

If the electric current owner grants your request, you'll receive an e-mail and tin can outset managing the profile.

If your request is denied, you will get an email notifying you:

If you get denied, don't worry!

You can however propose an edit to the profile and y'all can appeal the denial.

Open the original email you received when you requested access and click on View Request or in the rejection electronic mail click Okay.

1 of those two emails should let you lot to start the next steps to evidence your amalgamation with the business listing.

If yous don't become a response, you may be able to log into the Google My Business dashboard and claim the profile yourself.

Sign in and look for a Claim or Verify button on your dashboard.

5. Help! My Google My Business Post Got Rejected

Every once in a while, a Google My Business organization Post volition become rejected.

If your post gets rejected, you will see a red "Rejected" discover.

Typically posts are rejected due to content or because of the photograph/image being used or if your concern is in a "sensitive" topics area.

Sometimes words within the post will trigger a mail rejection.

The word may seem beneficial, just information technology may be on Google'due south "offensive" word listing.

If your post gets rejected, attempt re-diction to more than generic torso copy and don't include any sensitive words or images.

Also, it used to be adequate to include your phone number or a website URL in the trunk of a post.

Google is at present rejecting many posts with phone numbers or URLs.

And so if your post is rejected, endeavor taking those elements out.

Where Should You Go If You Have GMB Questions?

Ane of the all-time places to go if you take questions about Google My Business is the Google My Business Assistance Forum.

Moderated by volunteers (so go easy on usa!), this forum is a dandy place to get your GMB questions answered by people who have years of experience working with Google My Business.

And if you need to reach out to Google My Business Support, the best fashion to reach them is via their assist back up form.

Whenever you're asking for help, please recall to exist patient.

During these crazy times, resource are limited, and things are taking a bit longer than usual.

More than Resources:

• How to Use Google My Business to Boost Your Content & SEO
• Local SEO: The Definitive Guide to Better Your Local Search Rankings
• Spotted: Upgraded Google My Business Profile Plan

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Image Credits

All screenshots taken by author, September 2020

fountainmighter42.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-my-business-common-problems/381328/

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