Question 1

I am not visible on Google Maps or in search results. What to do ?

Accepted Answer

The first question to ask yourself... Have you set up a business listing published and validated by Google?

If so, you must perform actions on your card for it to be visible. 
What you need to understand is that Google Business Profile (aka Google My Business, is not only a visibility tool, but also a tool to increase credibility.

To sum up, this tool allows you to gain notoriety to become credible with Internet users who are looking for your services.

We advise you to post regularly, respond to reviews, and have a good local SEO strategy.

The processing times for the information transmitted are also an important factor to take into account.

Also, the classification is illusory, and it is not the primary objective of this tool. It is quite rare, in the absence of notoriety, to see an explosion of statistics in the 1st year, the number of views of publications and photos being the most authentic signal to verify the increase in its visibility.

Take the time to complete your establishment listing as harmoniously as possible, take the time to post regularly and you will see, you will succeed in boosting the number of your customers.

If you don't have a form, you will find in our FAQ, a tutorial to do it with ease. 
The My Local BuZiness team.

Question 2

Create a Google Business Profile business listing. How to do ?

Accepted Answer

Before you can interact with potential customers, make sure your business listing is set up and verified.

Customers can't find your business listing on Google until verified.

To create a business listing.1. On your computer, access the business listing manager: 
http://business.google.com/

2. Log in or create a Google account.Use your institution's domain with an associated email address if you have one. 
Create your Google account

3. Enter the name of your establishment, then click Next. 
- You can select your establishment from the list of suggestions that appear when typing. If this is the case, you will receive a message indicating that another user has validated the establishment.
If you receive a message, you must claim the business listing:
https://support.google.com/business/answer/4566671

4. Find and select an activity category.5. Indicate if you own an establishment that can receive the public.- Make sure you have an accessible and physical postal address to receive the form validation mail.

6. Enter Phone Number, Website URL.

7. There you go, you can click done.
8. Following the finalization of the registration, we recommend that you verify the information before sending your validation request.

If ever you are not authorized to manage the establishment's file, you must contact the person holding this authorization in your company so that they can continue the pro

To help manage your online presence, you can add users to your business listing or to a group establishments containing several of your listings.
To add or remove members from your listing, you must:
 - indicate their e-mail address;
 - select a role for each member.
The My Local BuZiness team.

Question 3

I did not receive the validation code following the creation of the establishment file. What to do ?

Accepted Answer

Following your request to create a Google Business Profile, you must wait for the postal mail containing a validation code.To validate the file of your establishment with the code, here is a video tutorial to help you: 
https://youtu.be/Gokt33Y66pU

If you have not received a validation code within 15 days of your request, you must contact Google Support: https://support.google.com/business/gethelp/

The My Local BuZiness team.

Question 4

Is your business listing suspended? Here are the possible reasons.

Accepted Answer

To correct business listing suspension issues, you must first verify that all the information on your listing is correct.

Consult the guidelines applicable to business listings: 
Guidelines for representing your business on Google - Google Business Listing Help

Among the most common reasons:
 
- Listing name in all caps (acronyms only) or with business category or location.
The name of your business listing must be the exact name of your business.

- If the website contains a redirect URL.

- The phone number associated with the account is invalid due to an incorrect format.

- Your business address must be a real address. 
If you use the areas served, be sure to respect their use as well (more details here).

- Your field of activity does not correspond to the categories authorized on Google

Log in to your Google space and access the establishment manager to be able to modify the information.

If your establishment record is compliant and verifies all the instructions, you can request reinstatement.

To avoid excessive processing times, be sure to submit the reinstatement request only once per suspended account.

If your application was denied in error, we can help you verify your eligibility.

When you receive an email from us, reply to it by providing us with the following:
 - Photos of the store window
 - A summary of your business activities

Be aware that Google cannot provide reasons for a business listing suspension. If you encounter problems with your file, you must make a contact request on customer support.

The response time to suspension requests is 3 working days.

The My Local BuZiness team.

Question 5

Users modify the information on my file without asking me. What to do ?

Accepted Answer

It is currently not possible to block changes to an establishment's information.

However, by claiming your listing, you have the opportunity to review the suggested changes within 7 days before they are applied.

You must therefore go to Google BuZiness Profile from time to time to check if a modification has been suggested on your file.

Be aware that you can now directly modify your business listing on the Google Maps application.
The My Local BuZiness team.

Question 6

Validation code received but not working. What to do ?

Accepted Answer

If you have not received a validation code within 15 days of your request, you must contact Google Support: https://support.google.com/business/gethelp/

They will be able to use an alternative validation method to confirm your request.

The My Local BuZiness team

Question 7

Mention: "Seen by other buyers."

Accepted Answer

When you search for a business or place near its location, you get nearby results in Google products like Maps and Search.

For example, you'll likely get these kinds of results if you search for "Italian restaurant" on your mobile device. 
Google will then try to offer you the types of restaurants that are likely to interest you.

Nearby search results are primarily based on relevance, distance, and importance criteria. 
The combination of these factors helps Google find the best match for each search. 
Algorithms may, for example, decide that an establishment that is not the closest may be better suited to you than one located right next to where you are.

This establishment will then obtain a better position in the nearby search results.

The My Local BuZiness team.

Question 8

Why my photo posts are not accepted by Google.

Accepted Answer

Here are the different criteria for validating your photos on your Google Business Profile listing.

You should not upload screenshots, photo banks, GIFs, manually created images, or images taken by third parties. To be relevant, photos or videos must be taken by users at the location in question.

If the main topic is irrelevant to the location, the content may be removed.

- Stylistic adjustments (applying filters, for example) are tolerated, provided they are minimal and do not involve the addition of elements such as borders, text, montages, etc.< /p>

- Any content that prevents other users from properly viewing the environment you share may be disapproved.

- This is the case, for example, of images that are too dark or too blurry, compositions that have been rotated too much and filters that modify the representation of the place.

- The resolution of the images must be sufficient. Exact requirements may vary by photo type and import source.

- When uploading videos, make sure the content is stable and of good visual quality. Don't upload content that is out of frame, shaky, or lacks visibility. Distorted videos or corrupted videos are not allowed.

Find out more: 
Photo and video guidelines - Maps (google.com) User Content Policy Help

The My Local BuZiness team.