Did You Know That Google Can Change Your Google Business Profile?

A well-tended Google Business profile is an essential SEO booster for local businesses. Keeping your business profile accurate, up to date, and fresh helps ensure that your local SEO footprint is current and your customers have the information they need to find you. It so happens that Google Business profiles are subject to changes and updates that are out of your control – and sometimes, they go live without your knowledge. If a change is made, you should receive an email update informing you, but that doesn’t happen in some instances. For instance, if you happen to violate one of Google’s guidelines and a user suggests an edit, your profile may change without your awareness. If your business details – such as your hours, phone number, address, etc. – are inaccurate and a user updates them, Google sees the edit as a way of keeping your profile accurate. In both of these cases, an update to your profile benefits you. However, if a competitor or bad actor adds a spammy URL or other foul content to your profile, the result can have serious implications. 

 Google Business is a free service and vital marketing tool – and functions as a community-generated profile. This means that users will get a mix of information provided by customers, third parties, and business owners. Google does this to give users more agency in making decisions by searching local business listings. Check your profile often, pay attention to emails from Google, and watch for notifications of any updates to your profile to stay on top of these changes and make the most of your online presence.

If you’re interested in stepping up your local SEO capabilities, partner with ASTRALCOM. We can help you ensure a robust search engine ranking while keeping on top of best practices.