One Google Business Profile is Enough!
Why Having Multiple Google Business Profiles Is a Bad Idea
Imagine you’re looking for a new restaurant. You do a quick Google search and see two listings for the same restaurant. One listing has a higher rating, but the other listing has more reviews. Which one do you choose?
This is the problem that customers face when businesses have multiple Google Business profiles. It’s confusing and can lead to customers going to the wrong location or choosing a business that’s not the best fit for them.
We took over a business’ SEO strategy for them recently and discovered that their previous (inexperienced SEO guy-cum-computer guy) had thought it a good idea to create multiple Google business profiles (GBP) for them!
So we decided it might be a good idea to blog about this and explore why your should NOT have more than one GBP for your business*
1: Confusing customers
As I mentioned above, having multiple Google Business profiles can be confusing for customers. They may not know which listing is the correct one, and they may end up going to the wrong location or choosing a business that’s not the best fit for them.
And we all know (or should) that confused customers generally tend to click off and look elsewhere online.
2: Hurting your ranking in Google Search
Google doesn’t like duplicate listings. If you have multiple Google Business profiles for the same business, it’s likely to hurt your ranking in Google Search. This means that your business will be less likely to show up in search results, and you’ll miss out on potential customers.
3: Getting your listings suspended or removed
If Google determines that you’re intentionally creating duplicate listings, it may suspend or remove your listings altogether. This would be a disaster for your business, as it would mean that you wouldn’t show up in Google Search at all.
4. Reviews
Juggling multiple profiles means juggling multiple sets of customer reviews. You’ll struggle to respond promptly, and your customers won’t be thrilled with the radio silence. Also, Google will eventually find out and the reviews you’ve gained on the duplicate GBP will be lost. This is really one occasion where you DO want all your eggs in one basket.
4. Wasted Effort
Ah, the British work ethic! But managing multiple profiles is like trying to maintain a garden in Hyde Park with a pair of nail scissors. It’s time-consuming and drains your energy without yielding any bouquet of benefits. Focus your energy on 1 GBP and, if you have an experience SEO company managing your strategy for you it will in time produce the results you’re looking for.
So, what should you do if you have multiple Google Business profiles for the same business?
The best thing to do is to consolidate your listings into one. You can do this by merging your listings or claiming existing listings. If you’re not sure how to do this, you can contact Google support for help.
Here’s a humorous analogy to help you remember why it’s important to avoid having multiple Google Business profiles:
Imagine you’re dating. You meet someone you really like, and you start going on dates. But then, you meet another person you really like. You start going on dates with both people, but you don’t tell either of them about the other person.
Eventually, the truth comes out, and both people are angry. They feel betrayed and lied to.
The same thing can happen with your Google Business profiles. If you have multiple profiles, Google will eventually find out. And when they do, they’re not going to be happy.
So, avoid the perils of having multiple Google Business profiles. Consolidate your listings into one, and be honest with Google about your business.
Get in touch today and let’s see how we can help improve your online visibility and the accompanying lead generation that should follow.
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