How to keep control over your Google Business Profile listings?
Over the past few years, Google Business Profile has been enriched with many features designed to create engagement with online users (reviews, questions/answers, posts and new subscriptions, profile name "@", photos & videos of the establishment …).
But most of these features can be exploited by users to make new contributions or suggest changes. Although the intentions are mostly good, inconsistencies or unwanted information may appear.
On the other hand, features are regularly modified, which requires more work on your part to keep up with the pace imposed by Google and internet users.
How user-generated content threatens the consistency of your Google listings
Google officially launched its Local Guides program in 2015. This contribution project “by and for” consumers was developed to encourage internet users to complete Google Maps data. Since then, information areas have evolved, and user-suggested content for your My Business listings can be incorrect.
But this issue makes sense when you know that changes submitted to Google are automatically accepted if no rejection has been indicated by the account owner. Google Business Profile listings, whether managed or not, can therefore be edited and updated by online users.
Contributing internet users are not the only ones who can act on your Google Business Profile pages. Google also exploits data from other sources such as your website, directories, social media, etc.
Although a notification system exists, the owner of the establishment listing is often alerted too late or sometimes not at all!
Factors to consider
All is not lost, however, as Google evaluates key elements to validate the suggestions received more or less quickly:
- The consistency of information between different sources: website, directories, GPS, etc.
- The profile of contributors: are they Local Guides, their level of expertise
- The “profile” of My Business listings: are they regularly updated and claimed
- The popularity of the establishment: the number of reviews and conversions through its listing (website consultation, routes, phone calls, …)
- How many users have suggested the same type of change
How to protect the consistency of your Google Business Profile pages and strengthen consumer engagement
Here is a non-exhaustive list of examples to regain control of your Google Business Profile information:
- The vital point is to check your Google Business Profile Manage my listings > Select > Actions
- Manage your reviews correctly.
- Participate in Q&A to prevent the spread of misinformation.
- Google Posts are an excellent way to share content and events with consumers searching for your business.
- Keep your content up to date, especially to reduce user-generated content (particularly important for unwanted photos and videos).
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