Do you know that anyone can edit your listing on Google My Business without your knowledge!? And, this “anyone” could also be a spammer. Yes! Spammers can update genuine information on Google as a way to send more leads elsewhere. This information could definitely shock you! If you are in the list of people who have been shocked by the above mentioned points, then you are definitely one of those who has completely believed this statement by Google.
“Merchants who manage their business listing info through Google My Business (which is free to use), are notified via email when edits are suggested. Spammers and others with negative intent are a problem for consumers, businesses, and technology companies that provide local business information. We use automated systems to detect for spam and fraud, but we tend not to share details behind our processes so as not to tip off spammers or others with bad intent.”
The above statement by Google could have you feel relaxed and safe, with nothing to worry about. But, those who have been in this space for a long time know that there is definitely a lot to worry about. These experienced people will agree with the fact that there are many incorrect and misleading declarations in the above statement by Google. Here are those declarations.
“Merchants are notified via email”
This is not completely misleading, but yes it hasn’t proved true ever since Google stated it. This is because after reading the above statement, anyone would feel safe and secured that in case of any suggestion for edits, they would be first notified by Google through email. But, this hasn’t been true until only last month. It was only in September 2017 that Google had emails going to people about edits being made.
“Merchants are notified when edits are suggested”
Although it has been cleared above that Google has now begun to send emails about suggestions, but it is equally important to understand that these emails are not sent when the edits are suggested. In fact, people are notified only when the edits are already live. If an edit has been suggested but hasn’t gone live, no notification would be received, either through email, or inside the Google My Business dashboard.
Moreover, in the Google My Business dashboard, edits show up as “Updates from Google”. Seeing this, many people think that if they don’t accept these edits shown in the Google My Business dashboard, the edits won’t go live. But, the harsh reality is that by accepting these edits, you are only confirming something that is already live on Google. Furthermore, if you don’t accept the edits, you will have to edit the listing to revert it back because there is no option to deny or refuse the edit.
Another important consideration is that all types of pending edits can only be seen via “Check the Facts” on Google Maps; and almost no business owner knows about this, and thus doesn’t check it there.
So, after learning all about what Google has said and what the truth actually is, we can frame Google’s statement as this.
“Merchants who manage their business listing info through Google My Business (which is free to use), are notified via email or inside the Google My Business dashboard, when edits made by others have already gone live.”
However, whatever the case, we can’t deny the fact that Google is our savior when we want brand recognition, visibility, traffic, sales, and boosted revenue. In spite of any errors, Google My Business is one vital tool for any kind of business. And, the above declaration doesn’t mean that you stop using this amazing and successful tool. You need Google to help you boost your business and sales. So, hire professional SEO services in Bangalore, and make sure that all the required efforts are being put in at your end to have your site rank higher in SERPs.
