Delete Google Business Listing

[KateOBrien]

Hi there,

I'm trying to delete a Google business address but need to know that this will not effect the other apps linked to my google business profile (analytics for example). Do these work independently? I dont really want to delete the profile but the company I work for feel the review section will be detrimental.

Thanks!

[MiriamEllis]

Hi Kate,

So long as your company remains in operation, it is likely to have a GMB listing (whether you, Google, or a member of the public create it), and there is no way to avoid reviews. Last summer, I wrote this guide to dealing with various types of GMB listing problems: https://moz.com/blog/delete-gmb-listing but unless your company is going  totally out of business and wants to mark the business as permanently closed, simply trying to delete the listing for a live business isn't really an option, as there's every chance your listing will get created again, and once again, be open to reviews. While doing something like marking the business as closed won't automatically shut down your Google analytics or close your gmail account, or anything like that, this is not a workable marketing plan.

I don't know all of the nuances of your client's scenario, but it has some of the hallmarks of one I commonly hear in which a  company is embarrassed by its GMB listing because it has negative reviews on it, and the business wishes it could just hide.

But, that's just not the way the Internet works. From the BBB, to Yelp, to Google My Business, all operating businesses are open to both professional and consumer reviews. Because of this, all businesses have to come up with a strategy for meeting this reality head-on. For local businesses, such a strategy typically looks like:

1. Offer the best possible consumer experience as the very best way to avoid most negative reviews.

2. Proactively seek reviews in compliance with the guidelines of the various review platforms.

3. Respond to all negative reviews in hopes of winning back the client with graciousness, accountability, empathy, and style.

4. Respond to all positive reviews with thanks.

5. Continuously monitor reviews for emerging problems and fix them quickly.

If your company can take this route, then chances are good it will begin to have a GMB listing and attendant reviews it can be proud of. Given that the only alternative is to pretend that the company has gone out of business (which will likely lead to it going out of business in actuality), there's not really any other advice I can give here.

If I've in any way misunderstood the nuances of what your company's situation is, please definitely let me know and provide any further details you can. I know it's really hard to deal with negative reviews. It can help to remember that all businesses are in the same boat, and that excellent customer service is the very best solution to maintaining an excellent online reputation.

[TucsonAZWebDesign]

I don't think it's a good idea to delete your Google business, and your new employer  shouldn't be telling you to delete your web property but instead be providing you with solutions to eliminate any negative reviews you may have.

I wrote an article awhile back on some of the negative hype Twitter was receiving due to their involvement in political censorship, and I couldn't help but notice when looking in Google maps that they had maintained the 4 stars. Looking at the first several reviews of Twitter all being 1 star I thought to myself, "How is this even possible?"

It turns out Twitter's solution to negative customer reviews is to create 1000s of Google accounts and orchestrate fake persona's by reviewing 1000s of other businesses ranking the social profile of the account to lvl 5 tour guides. Then they simply have the flood of 4 and 5 star reviews wash away the negative hype.

Personally my method is provide good customer service, but hey, to each their own

That being said, perhaps a more promising solution would be to get several positive reviews. It certainly is difficult to see a couple trolls commentary amongst 1000s of 5 star reviews.

Lastly, don't weigh too heavy into the fact that everyone cares about reviews. I pride myself on being a smart consumer, which is exactly why I could care less what other people think about a product or service. I do my own research and base my decisions off my own observations, I'm sure Im not the only one.

[KevnJr]

IF you mean delete from your Google account and allow your employer's business account to manage the listing, it's OK I've done that many times. Set up the new admin prior to removing yourself, I know that sounds elementary, but it's worth mentioning.

KJr

[KateOBrien]

Hi there,

Thank you for a really comprehensive and informed response! Unfortunately it seems the company is fairly certain they want to remove the business details from Google (I do agree with you). My worry is whether this will in turn affect data from GA? The 'delete account' page looks quite intimidating!

Thanks again

[MiriamEllis]

Hi Kate,

If you're talking about the delete account page I'm thinking of, it won't delete the listing. It will just unverify it. So, the listing will continue to exist, just outside of your client's ability to control it.

In your shoes, I would:

1. Explain to the client again that their only option is to mark the business as closed, which is equivalent to going out of business. Google My Business is not really an opt-in opt-out platform. If you're in business, you have to deal with it, because even if you don't create a GMB listing yourself, Google can automate one for you, based on their pull of data from around the web. So, educate the client once more that "hiding" from this reality isn't an option. In terms of Google Analytics, that's a separate product from GMB. Whether or not you have a listing doesn't affect use of GA, but, certainly, if the business marks itself as closed, I would expect that to impact their traffic, which will then be reflected in GA.

2. If the client isn't able to face the reality of how Google works, I would end the relationship. As a marketer, it's your job to offer information to the best of your ability. But if a client is unable to act on that information, success is unlikely for you or for them. So, I'd take one more shot at educating this client about basic local business operations, and if they're unable to work within the realities of that, I would walk away.

Hope this helps!