Google My Business (GMB) Profile
Google provides several ways for businesses to share important information and make it easier for potential customers to discover and understand them across Google Search and other Google platforms. By providing accurate and consistent business information, you can help Google better understand your business, location, website, services, and areas of expertise.
A strong and consistent digital presence not only helps users find your business but also gives search engines clearer signals about who you are, what you offer, and where you operate. This blog is to explain how businesses can make key information available across Google Search, Google Maps, and the Google Knowledge Panel.
Basic guidelines to follow:
It is very important to follow Google’s guidelines for local businesses. These practices can help prevent common issues and removal of your business listing from Google Search and Maps.
For the best results when managing your Business Profile:
Represent your business accurately: Use the correct business name and identity that customers recognize in the real world. Avoid spelling mistakes or incorrect or similar names for any reason.
Provide an accurate location: Make sure your business address is correct complete, and up to date.
Choose relevant categories: Select the fewest and most specific categories only. Don't try to dump everything under services. Keep it relevant.
Maintain one profile per business: Avoid creating multiple profiles for the same business. Creating multiple profiles for one business is one of the major causes of profile removal.
Eligibility and ownership of the profile
To qualify, a business must meet eligibility requirements.
Businesses associated with products or services that require the customer to be a certain minimum age, like alcohol, cannabis, or weapons, aren’t permitted without a storefront. Any business whose address is listed as a P.O. box or mailbox in a remote location is not eligible for the listing.
Following are some of the key reasons why your profile access/ownership may be revoked:
No sign in from the account for long time.
Profile deleted by the user with admin rights.
If verification team was unable to reach you by email after multiple attempts.
You created your business profile through another Google product and that profile has been suspended or blocked for any reason.
Guidelines for business chains
Maintain name consistency
If your business has multiple locations, use the same business name and relevant categories across Google Maps and Search.
For example if the registered business name is TechBrainsIndia, I'll avoid using TechBrainsIndia SEO Agency in Indore or TechBrainsIndia SEO Agency Mumbai etc in GMB or Maps. These can be your keywords but should not be part of your business name/title.
If your business operates under different brands or has clearly established sub-brands or formats, you can use different names as long as each name is consistently used across the relevant locations.
For example Walmart Supercenter and Walmart Express.
Simply use the name your customers actually see and recognize in the real world.