If you manage one or more Google Business Profile listings, you have probably already had the unpleasant surprise of discovering that your information had been edited without your consent.
Google does, in fact, edit and allow Internet users to edit Google Business Profile listings, regardless of whether or not they are managed!
The question, then, is this:
How can I be sure that the information on my establishment’s listing remains as I entered it?
#SpoilerAlert: This isn’t possible. No matter how hard you try, you can only limit the risk of unwanted edits (to the point that it is merely incidental if you do it right); you cannot eliminate it altogether.
We will attempt to answer all of your questions in the remainder of this article.
Who can edit the information on a Google Business Profile listing?
There are two types of edit that can affect your page without you wanting them to:
Google edits: The browser uses information from various sources (other directories, trade registers, websites, etc.) to update the information on a listing. This will appear directly on the Google Business Profile listing in the following form:
Edit suggestions: Google allows Internet users to ‘Suggest an edit’ to a Google My Business listing via the browser results.
They can then submit their changes to Google, and unless these changes are explicitly rejected by an admin, they will be accepted by default.
Yes, you read that right—edits suggested by Internet users are accepted by default unless you manage them!
When are edit requests approved by Google Business Profile?
There are several factors that affect the impact a suggested edit will have; such suggestions can be accepted more or less quickly depending on the circumstances, and in some cases appear on the listing before they have been definitively approved!
The following is a list of the factors that Google's algorithm takes into account when deciding whether or not to accept an edit request:
Local Guide level: Is the user a local guide? If so, what level are they at?
Number of people who have suggested the edit: How many people have suggested the same edit?
The more significant these factors are (high Local Guide level and large number of people), the more likely it is that the edit will appear before it has been approved by the algorithm and that it will be approved quickly.
Google listing activity: Does the listing have an owner? Is it complete? Is the information updated on a regular basis?
Consistency of information: Is the information relating to the establishment consistent across the various platforms on which it appears (website, directories, GPSs, etc.)?
Reputation of the establishment: How many reviews appear on the listing? How many interactions does it generate (route requests, calls, etc.)?
The more significant these factors are (very active listing, consistency of information and popular establishment), the less likely it is that the edit will be approved by the algorithm.
How Partoo helps enterprises to prevent changes to their Google Business Profile?
Partoo places great emphasis on managing these unwanted edits in the following ways:
Standardising your local data across all SEO platforms so that Google has no source on which to base any edits to your information
Regular updating of your information by adding photos and/or special opening times
If you would like to know more about what Partoo offers, please contact us or visit our website by clicking on the button below.