Google My Business (GMB) used to be so simple. GMB listings used to include a company name, address, phone number, and website URL. That’s all there was to it. Google has made GMB profiles far more active over time, which is quite encouraging.

Organisations may now create a Google My Business page that properly showcases what their company has to offer. Furthermore, it allows them to distinguish themselves from competitors that dismiss GMB as a legitimate neighbourhood SEO and marketing strategy.

In any event, these aspects and updates have also made utilising Google My Business somewhat more difficult for customers. When problems with GMB profiles arise, the solutions might be more complicated, subtle, and usually cause chaos. Google has laid out the criteria for when, if, and how businesses can address themselves on Google My Business.

Even those guidelines, though, might be perplexing. Individuals commonly misinterpret these principles, resulting in spam and deceptive postings. It can also cause professional references to be suspended and other concerns to arise across the GMB board. The following are five common Google My Business concerns that clients encounter and how to resolve them.

1. There Are Spammy and Fake Competitor Listings Dominating the Search Results

For SEO practitioners, the term “spam” has a negative connotation. Furthermore, GMB spam is similar.

Whether it’s a completely false professional resource or a keyword-stuffed business name, these types of rule-breakers can harm many people – both searchers and other surrounding businesses. In any event, there are methods for dealing with GMB spam. Some of the time, it’s as easy as suggesting a change.

If you discover a firm that is keyword-stuffing their business name, for example, you can tap on the Suggest an alter interface and change the business name to remove the extra keywords. When you make the recommended changes to the GMB posting’s name, address, hours, or other information, Google will assess your recommendation(s).

Sometimes the adjustment you make has immediate effects, while in other circumstances it may necessitate considerable commitment. Furthermore, in certain circumstances, even genuine requested modifications may not be implemented by Google by any stretch of the imagination.

If the adjustments you make are not implemented, or if a corporation is consistently violating the rules, it is time to complete a redressal structure. Obtrusive rule-breaking models incorporate: displaying a location on their GMB profile or, on the other hand, whether they are a lead-age company or an online-only firm.

2. Why Did My Google My Business Listing Get Suspended?

There are several reasons why the Google My Business listing is suspended, and the majority of them are valid.

So, regardless of whether you believe you are not breaking the rules, chances are you are violating Google My Business’ terms of service (TOS) or your GMB profile has been suspended. Accidents do happen now and again, such as when you make a big number of changes to your listing at once, which can result in a suspension in some situations.

In any event, assuming you have some time to look at your listing and the principles/rules, you should be able to figure out which rule you are breaking. Please keep in mind that if you have a virtual office/shared office as a location, you must provide Google with proof that:

• You rent a dedicated executive office.
• During stated business hours, your representatives are present at the workplace.
• You have photos of super-durable signage with your company name on it.
• You have images or recordings of the entrance to your workplace with signs, for example.

So What Do You Do If Your Listing Gets Suspended?

Don’t overreact if your GMB profile has been suspended. The main thing you need to do is thoroughly read Google My Firm guidelines to figure out which leads to your posting being ignored and whether your business fits all standards for a GMB profile by any stretch of the imagination.

A few firms just do not qualify for a GMB profile.

Once you’ve identified the predicted concerns – and your business meets all standards for a GMB posting – you should repair any flaws with your listing and then submit a reinstatement request. Note: Do not complete more than one repair request.

Google My Business Support will need time to review the information you provide.

Make certain that when you file your reinstatement request, you demonstrate that you have resolved the publishing difficulties and provide evidence that you are a legitimate, competent firm by transferring images of:

• Your permanent company signage – both outside and within your building.
• If you own a Service Area Business (SAB), take a picture of your business car.
• A picture of a duplicate of your operating license.
• Enlistment with the Secretary of State or another corporate administration organisation, for example.

When Google My Business Support responds to your suspension request, you will need to communicate with GMB support via those messages until the issue is resolved. Essentially, you want to show Google that you are a legitimate and authentic business that is eligible for a GMB listing.

Keep in mind that you are not entitled to a GMB profile. You want to demonstrate to Google that you are capable of creating a Google My Business profile.

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

Nobody relishes the prospect of receiving poor reviews. What’s even worse is when an ex-worker creates a negative review about your organisation. This violates Google’s User Contributed Content Policies Conflict of Interest guideline.

If you get a poor review from an ex-worker, you may report the review by logging into your GMB dashboard, clicking on the review, and then the three dots on the right-hand side. You will have the option to call the review inappropriate. If the review is not removed, you can contact Google My Business Support.

As an entrepreneur, you want to show that the individual previously worked for you.

However, Google cannot accept any private data from you, such as HR reports, employment history records, duplicate ID identification, and so on. You must be able to provide Google with public social evidence that the individual previously worked for you. When you contact GMB support, provide them with a link to your GMB dashboard as well as the name of the commenter.

Make sense of the fact that they used to work for you, and show them screenshots of public proof. You can use a screen capture from their LinkedIn page that demonstrates they worked at your corporation or an online entertainment post where they notice their business or termination.

4. How Do I Get Ownership of My Google My Business Listing Back?

It is usual for an entrepreneur to forget their GMB login information, and it is also possible for someone other than an entrepreneur to guarantee a business’ GMB posting. So, how can you reclaim responsibility for professional resources if someone else has guaranteed it?

To begin, go to https://google.com/business.

Select Manage Now.

Please keep in mind that if you have additional GMB listings, you should sign in using your GMB login credentials. When you login in, you will get a list of all the GMB properties that are due.

If you want to add another area, click Add Location. If you don’t already have a Google My Business listing in your record, you should start writing for the purposes of the business you own or have administrator rights to.

When you discover the posting, you may be offered a few options. If the posting has already been assured, you will see a midway email that was used to ensure the posting. If you forget the email you used to secure your company’s GMB profile, this should help to refresh your memory. You may then use that email address to join GMB and begin dealing with the Google My Business posting.

If the email doesn’t appear familiar to you, it means that someone else claimed your organisation’s position. It may have been a past employee, a computerised marketing office, or even an unusual outsider. The most important thing is that you take responsibility for posting so that your organisation’s posting is in the hands of the authorised and lawful ownership.

When you click on Request Access, you will be prompted to answer a few questions about your identification, your relationship with the company, and the type of access you would like – management or ownership?

If you are the business’s owner, pick Owner; if you are a marketing organisation tasked with upgrading and managing the organisation’s GMB listing, select Management.

When you click the Submit button, an email will be sent to the person who is currently in charge of GMB posting. That person has seven days to respond to the request for ownership or the board. You will get an email regarding this solicitation. Make a note to preserve that email. If the proprietor does not respond, you can go in and ensure the posting. If the ownership request is approved, you will receive an email notifying you, and you will need to deal with the posting in your GMB dashboard. If your request is declined, you should be offered the option of appealing or confirming your relationship with the professional reference.

Open the first email you received after mentioning admission to the GMB position and click View Request, or open the dismissal email and click OK. Both of those messages should allow you to start the conversation in order to establish your accountability for posting.

In rare situations, you may be asked to “verify to manage this location.” If you are a digital marketing organisation and notice this option, contact the entrepreneur before clicking one of these options (confirm by telephone or email).

5. Help! My Google My Business Listing Got Rejected

A Google My Business listing may be rejected at times. If your listing is removed, you will get a red “Rejected” notification. Frequently, listings are rejected because of dissatisfaction or because of the photograph/picture being used, or on the other hand if your business is in a “sensitive” areas zone.

Words inside the post will occasionally cause it to be deleted. Although the word appears to be innocent, it might be on Google’s “offensive” word list. If your post is rejected, try rewriting it with a more standard body copy and removing any sensitive phrases or images.

Similarly, it used to be OK to include your phone number or a website URL in the body of a post. Many articles with phone numbers or URLs are currently being rejected by Google. So, if your article is rejected, make an attempt to include those components.

Where Should You Go If You Have GMB Questions?

If you have questions about Google My Business, the Google My Business Help Forum is probably the best place to go. In addition, if you need to contact Google My Business Support, the best approach to do so is through their help with supporting structure. If it’s not too much of a bother, exhibit restraint when asking for assistance.

During these wild times, assets are limited, and tasks take far longer than intended. But still, if you want any help please feel free to get in touch with us anytime. Our team can help you to accelerate your business growth by outsourcing all your IT requirements to us.