This year has been a wild ride when it comes to Google My Business (GMB) – erm, I mean Google Business Profile (GBP). The most notable change in 2021 was its rebranding and the full rollout of the capability that enables marketers to manage business profiles via Search and Maps.
For a time, Google Business Profile support was massively backed up with requests and the backlog took a few months to clear out.
And still, there are several ongoing issues. It can be frustrating when things are not working the way they should, and in some cases, it makes no sense why the issue exists or has not been resolved. But have faith – Google’s support and engineering teams are constantly working on many bugs, new features, and more. They try to stay on top of issues that are brought up in the GBP community and by Product Experts.
Kudos to the team for fixing major issues such as the case of the missing manager (tied to site manager migration) and the Kansas Bug.
In this column, we’ll expand on the previous update so you can get up to speed with what’s changed since June. First, let’s take a look at a few new GMB/GBP issues that have come up and what you can do about each one if your listings are affected.
New Problems with Google My Business
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Addresses for SABs Cannot Be Cleared:
We’re seeing a pattern where business profiles are being reinstated after a suspension, and the old address that was showing comes back on reinstatement. The reason most of these profiles were suspended? They were showing an address, so they are still in violation of the guidelines and there is no way to clear it.- The Fix: Currently, there is no fix; you will have to wait for Google.
- Timeline: No estimated timeline; GBP is investigating the issue.
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Reinstatement Loops:
A “Reinstatement Loop” is a term used to explain what’s happening with the 1% of profiles or so that were suspended right after a reinstatement. The cause was usually that the business used a FedEx or UPS dropoff point as their address. There has been a distinct growth pattern in the last few months. We have informed the GBP team and they are looking into it.- The Fix: Currently, all you can do is contact support or reply to your reinstatement email. The team may not understand the issue, so a video may help your cause. If this fails and you keep getting suspended, document the issue using a template.
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Service Establishment Category:
Service businesses are showing up on Google Maps with the additional category “Service establishment.” There is no “Service establishment” category in Google My Business. You can’t select it when adding categories to your business profile. Users with a mix of a service area and storefront business profiles are reporting declines in visibility.- The Fix: Don’t panic. There is nothing you can do at the moment.
- Timeline: None.
- Editing Phone Numbers in India:
For months, users in India have been unable to edit the phone number on their GMB listing. Initially thought to be a bug, Google has since updated the workflow and Help Center documentation.- The Fix: Users are now prompted to upload additional, supporting documentation when making phone number edits.
- Timeline: No timeline for a complete fix; however, the new workflow is reducing the number of users impacted.
Ongoing GMB/GBP Issues
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Reduced Support Due to COVID-19:
The Google support team remains strained by COVID-19. A notification reads, “Currently, we’re working with a limited support team. It may take longer than usual to connect with us. Thanks for your patience.”- What to Do: Expect delays. Patience is your only option.
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Legitimate Reviews Not Showing Up:
Cases in which legitimate reviews fail to show up continue. Reviews left for a business don’t show up publicly. The rejected content often shows no clear sign of violating Google’s content policies.- The Fix: Merchants should refer to the Help Center document on missing reviews. If you can get a screenshot of a missing review from the reviewer, report the issue in the community forum for manual review.
- The 85% Bug and Logo/Cover Photo Not Appearing to Update:
Google has been prompting users to complete their business profiles, erroneously indicating that the listing is only 85% complete. Adding a logo will not dismiss the warning.- The Fix: There is no workaround. So for now, just ignore the warning.
The GMB team has been hard at work throughout the pandemic, testing, and implementing features to help local businesses stay visible and better connect with customers. Remember to be respectful and patient.
Shout-out to the team at Google My Business and fellow Product Experts who are working to help improve the platform for all! If you see new issues crop up, be sure to report them in the community forums.
More Resources:
- Claim Your Google Business Profile Directly On Search and Maps
- 8 Google Business Profile Updates to Make for the Holidays
- Local SEO: The Definitive Guide to Improve Your Local Search Rankings
Image Credits:
Featured Image: Barks/Shutterstock
