Find out the answer to some of the frequently asked questions about Google, separated by topics.
Connection and Verification
When does your Google Connect to platform link expire?
Does the structure of my Google account change when I connect to your platform?
No, the structure (= location groups/business accounts) should stay the same. We advise you to replicate in our platform the same account structure that you have in Google Business Profile of all those locations that you want to manage via our tool.
Can I connect individually managed locations in Google Business Profile (GBP) with the platform?
Yes, but you need to be the one managing or owning the locations. Please follow the connection flow at the location level.
Why can't I connect my Google Business Profile location group (business account)/individual location to the platform?
The locations that you are trying to connect have to be listed somewhere in your Google Account and you have to be the owner or administrator of the Google Business Profile location group (business account) or individual location.
If you don't have sufficient rights to connect, you can request manager or ownership user rights:
- by sharing the URL link for the connection with the current owner of the Google Business Profile account. This URL link is valid for 14 days.
- by getting an invitation from the current owner to become either administrator or owner (this is a secondary ownership protocol) of the entire location group (business account) or of specific locations.
Will I have to reconnect my locations with Google if I change the password of the Google account?
No, there should not be any problem when you change the password of the Google account used to connect your locations between our platform and Google Business Profile.
Can I also connect an unverified Google Business Profile location group with your platform?
No. If you haven't verified your Google business account or Google Business Profile listing group you will only be able to connect locations individually with our platform.
Can I create a Google listing for my location directly in the platform?
If the location has not been created and added to your Google Business Profile account, you can create a Google listing under entries. Please proceed by clicking Connect for Google.
Afterwards, you will still need to verify this location, so it can go live on Google.
How do I change the email address used as primary owner for my Google Business Profile account?
If you need to change the email address, please proceed with the following steps:
- Create a new user with the new, desired email address;
- Add it as the owner of the locations/Google Business Profile account;
- Contact Google Support, so the new owner can become the primary owner.
If your Google Business Profile account is bulk verified, you will keep this right and will not need to go through the verification again. However, the new user has to prove that he/she is allowed to manage all locations of that Google Business Profile account.
What can I do when my Google Business Profile (GBP) bulk verification was rejected?
In general, the bulk verification process lasts about one week. There are several common issues that can delay the verification process and are related to the following points:
- Business name: should be represented exactly as in the real world
- Business locations: all locations submitted for bulk verification should be listed on the business’s official website and multiple locations at the same physical location are not permitted within one feed
- Ineligible Business Models: only businesses that make in-person contact with customers qualify for bulk verification, agencies managing multiple businesses are not eligible for bulk verification and need to maintain separate accounts for each business
- Website & Phone: Use local phone number instead of a call center if possible and direct URLs
Once you review all the mentioned aspects and make any appropriate changes, your bulk verification should be successful.
Can I verify my Google account if my locations have different names?
What happens to my Google account when I cancel my contract with you?
Location Data
What are Google's guidelines for business name and address format?
Google has strict rules in regards to the name of your business as well as how to enter the address.
You are advised to use your business' real-world name and insert the exact address of your business. A PO box will not be accepted.
You can provide more details of your business via other fields directly in our platform which will reflect in Google Business Profile.
Click here for details on business name and address rules.
When does Google use the short and long descriptions?
Google prefers the long description and limits the characters to 750.
Our platform supports long descriptions of up to 1000 characters. If the long description of a location exceeds the 750 character limit, Google will automatically take the short description instead of the long one.
How many photos can I upload to my Google Business Profile (GBP) account through the platform?
A maximum of 100 photos can be uploaded to a Google Business Profile entry through our API.
Please note: Photos which have already been uploaded in Google Business Profile are added to the photos that our platform will upload.
Can I impact the order of the displayed photos for my Google listings?
No, it isn't possible to have a direct impact on the order of the photos for each Google listing.
Google uses an automated system to determine the order of the photos and the most relevant photo is shown first (this is decided by Google and is potentially based on user clicks).
Google generally prefers landscape photos and high-quality photos - with high resolution and no transformation by filters or photoshop.
You may also take a look at Google's photo guidelines for bulk locations.
What happens to my logo and cover in Google Business Profile if I add different photos on the platform?
If you already have a photo marked as logo or cover picture in Google Business Profile this will be overwritten with the logo or landscape picture uploaded in the app. Any other pictures you uploaded as photos in the tool will be added to the existing photos.
Will the photos on the Google Business Profile (GBP) location be deleted if connect to the platform?
This article explains what happens to your photos once connected to the platform
Connecting to the platform will not delete the existing photos on the Google location.
We can only delete photos on Google Business Profile that were uploaded via the platform. All photos that are uploaded via the Google Business Profile UI directly cannot be deleted via our platform.
Have a look at some example scenarios in which we update or delete photos from Google Business Profile.
Photos uploaded by the owner
- Scenario 1: There are no existing photos in Google Business Profile. The owner of the location uploads photos to the platform and then connects the location to Google Business Profile. The photos will be submitted to Google Business Profile after the next sync.
- If we delete these photos from the platform and sync, the photos will be removed from Google Business Profile.
- If we disconnect Google Business Profile from our platform, remove the photos from the platform and connect again, we will only remove the photos in Google Business Profile, which were previously uploaded by us.
- Scenario 2: There are already existing photos for the location in Google Business Profile, but not in our platform.
After a sync, the existing photos will not be removed from Google Business Profile and not added to the location's photos in our platform but pulled as Profile suggestions.- If you choose and confirm them or upload the photo-URLs from your Google Business Profile-export, we will update the location's profile and add the photos from Google Business Profile to the photo section. This way you can add the photos to other directories. This action will NOT enable you to delete the photos in Google Business Profile.
- If you choose not to pull the photos into the location profile, by confirming the suggestions without choosing any photo at all, the photos will be removed from the Profile suggestions section on the platform. This action will NOT delete the photos from your Google Business Profile profile.
- As soon as you upload new photos to your profile, the photos in the suggestions section will be removed. This action will NOT delete the photos from your Google Business Profile profile.
Photos generated by Users
Photos uploaded by Users will be pulled into Customer Feedback Inbox as a dataPoint/Review.
We don't delete visitors generated photos. However, our customers can contact Google Business Profile Help and request the removal of a photo uploaded by visitors of the location if this photo violates the Google Maps photo policies.
Best Practices
- If you are an Enterprise client we suggest the following steps:
- Export the data from Google Business Profile
- Copy and paste the URLs of the photos in our import file
- Import the photos to the platform
- If you are an SMB client:
- Connect your location to Google Business Profile
- Choose the suggestions displaying the Google Business Profile photos
- Confirm the chosen suggestions
How can I manage two different locations which have the same address, without Google identifying them as duplicates?
This has to do with the NAP data - Name, Address, Phone number - which need to differ as much as possible.
At least 2 out of 3 pieces of information should vary from one location to the other.
A new location is close to an old, verified one - should I overwrite it or create a new listing?
In the case of rebranding, a location changing its address, or a new opening, the question often is should I rewrite the existing listing or create a new listing? Google follows the following rule:
- If the new listing is within a radius of 5km distance from the existing one, there is a higher chance that Google will see it as a duplicate, in case the phone number and the category are the same (even in the name and address differentiate) => if possible, overwrite the listing
- If the new listing is more than 5km away from the existing one => create a new listing
What is the Google short name & URL and how can it be used?
You can create a short name, or a custom name, for your Google Business Profile Profile to make it easier for customers to find you.
When you share your short name, customers can enter the short name URL in the browser’s address bar, like “g.page/[yourcustomname],” to go directly to your Business Profile.
Find more information and to learn how to create your shortname and URL on Google Business Profile here.
Categories and Attributes
Is there a maximum number of categories in Google?
Yes, you can select up to 10 categories per location in Google My Business.
Please keep in mind that only the first category (called "primary") will be displayed in your Google Search and Google Maps location.
The primary category pre-defines which attributes can be selected for the location, while the additional ones are used as reference and contextual information.
Are the categories in Google Business Profile (GBP) different according to the country?
Yes, Google My Business categories can be different depending on the country. While most categories are simple translations, some countries have unique categories that do not exist in others.
Which attributes are available in Google Business Profile (GBP)?
Google has different attributes per category. In order to see all available attributes for a specific category, you have to set the desired category as primary (the first one) in our platform or in GMB.
This way, you will only be able to see the attributes that Google has linked to that main category.
Why can't Google update my lodging business listing?
Lodging businesses are treated differently and cannot be updated like regular listings.
Conference Hotels get treated as lodging businesses, so they will not be updated either.
A potential workaround is to change the categories accordingly.
Are ATMs allowed on Google Maps?
Yes, ATMs will also be displayed on Google Maps.
Dashboard and Insights
How long does it take after Google connect to show graphs on the Dashboard?
After the connection with Google has been made, it takes up to 24 hours to pull all metric data into the platform displaying it on the Dashboard because the processes are intervallic.
If you adjust the filter to Overall, our system will also display historic data starting 18 months before the actual connection with our tool.
Why is there a difference in Average Rating for the reviews between the platform and Google?
It happens because Google rounds up the average. So, for example, 4,45 turns into 4,5; whereas our platform only shows one decimal of the average, turning 4,45 into 4,4.
What is the difference between Google Queries and Google Impressions?
Queries refer to the (number of) keywords for which someone searches that result in Google showing your site/pages.
Whereas impressions are the total number of times that your site/pages showed up in Google Search results (not including any paid Google Ads). For example:
If 100 people searched Keyword 1 in Google: then your site showed in Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs) 100 times. Therefore, the total number of impressions is 100.
Can businesses use UTM codes for tracking on Google listings?
Yes, Google allows the use of UTM codes in websites and other urls such as appointment url.