New Google Business Profile Updates

There have been a lot of changes with how Google handles GBPs and we're gathering documentation in an effort to be proactive, prevent future issues and protect your profile. This is important because your GBP generates leads for your business. You may find it easier to print this page and work through each section.


Questions? Please contact your account manager or email us.

Part 1: Supporting Documentation

Once we’ve reviewed and approved this documentation, we will ask you to add us to your Google Business Profile (GBP).


Gather the items below and send them to us for review.


Each document must include your business name, address, and the issuing entity’s information and match what is on your Google Business Profile. Please let us know if you have any questions.


If there are multiple locations, please contact us as the Secretary of State document will not have the address of all locations.


If the document contains private financial information, you may redact it.

  • Secretary of State Documents (LLC, Corporation, etc.)
  • Trade Name or DBA documentation - if applicable
  • Utility Bill (Phone, Internet, Gas, Electricity, Water)
  • Business License – if applicable
  • Industry Licenses – if applicable

Required:

One or more of the following (for a total of 4):

  • Business Insurance
  • Business Bank Statement
  • Tax statement
  • Lease
  • EIN Letter from IRS

Provide us with the following:

We will need a total of 4 documents for each profile.

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  • Two photos of the outside of the business.

If your business has a physical storefront, provide the following:

  • One clearly showing the business's permanent signage.
  • The second further back showing your business and surrounding businesses.

Part 2: Set Up Email Filters

To help prevent GBP account hijacking, we ask that you add the following email filters:

  • Set up the following four email filters on your email account that is a User on your GBP. These should be four separate filters, not all included in one filter. The emails should never be sent to spam, marked important and starred.
  • From: businessprofile-noreply@google.com
  • From: googlebusinessprofile-support@google.com
  • Subject: “You’ve received an ownership request”
  • Subject: “Your Business Profile has been suspended”
  • This shows you how to set filters in Gmail https://support.google.com/mail/answer/6579
  • If this is an email address you don’t check daily, you should also set them up to forward to your primary email account.
  • If you receive an ownership request from Google (email address businessprofile-noreply@google.com), click on the Respond button and reject the request. Normally these go to account owners, however it’s best to notify all account users now and in the future of this process. This may prevent an account hijacking.
  • If you receive an email about an account suspension or other issue, please contact us so we can assist in getting your account back in good standing with Google. Google’s new reinstatement/appeal process was recently updated and more difficult to navigate if you're unfamiliar with it. There is a point of no return in the process where you have one shot at getting them the correct information once the process starts.

Additional Information: There are nefarious people online who attempt to hijack GBPs in order to gain access and update them to divert your business to them.


Anyone online can request access to your GBP and as the business owner, you need to be vigilant to maintain control over your GBP. Normally what happens is that Google will send out emails to Users who are Owners on the profile letting them know there has been an ownership request.

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Part 3: User Email Review

Google can suspend a business profile based on activity of a "user" on another Google Product.


Review the user email addresses on your profile.


You will want to delete any users you are not currently working with or that use this email address for any other Google products like YouTube, Google Ads, Google Maps, etc.


If you need to remove a User, don't ask a user to remove themselves. The wording is tricky and I've seen this cause issues (profiles deleted). Instead, log in with an account Owner and remove the user:

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How to Remove a User:


✓ Login to GBP: https://business.google.com/

✓ Click the 3 vertical dots at the top right of the dashboard  









✓Select "Business Profile Settings"

✓ Select “People and Access”

✓ Select User then Select "remove person"

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Tina Beltran

Tina@EasyAsPieDesign.com

425-793-2003

Thank you for your business. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.