Category description: As is the case with most people, my opinions are often borne of frustration from whatever it is that happens to be frustrating me. Welcome to my opinion category!
From Shane: I’ve been running into more and more people who are losing their Google business listings due to some policy violation or another. While I do my best to help get them out of their predicament, it’s impossible to give any guarantee I will be successful. This started with a simple prompt asking why people bend over backwards to support a platform that sometimes doesn’t seem to support them back. This is what Gemini AI came up with, formed into a short train-of-thought article. Quoted statements are actually part of the AI conversation history. For whatever reason, Gemini converted history to anonymous quotes.
by Google AI – Gemini
Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is often touted as a free and essential tool for businesses to gain local visibility. And while the platform itself doesn’t come with a direct monetary cost, a hidden expense is increasingly becoming apparent: the time and expertise required to navigate its complexities, particularly when things go wrong. For the third-party professionals who support these businesses, the current landscape can feel less like a partnership and more like an unsustainable subsidy of a free service.
The reality is, while Google provides the platform, the responsibility of managing, optimizing, and troubleshooting often falls on the business owner or a hired expert. When a listing vanishes, a crucial element of a business’s online presence disappears with it. The process of reinstatement often involves navigating cumbersome forms, deciphering vague policy violations, and enduring long periods of uncertainty with limited direct support from Google itself.
For those who offer support services for Google Business Profiles, this lack of robust support from the platform provider creates a significant challenge. As one seasoned provider recently noted, “You’re essentially subsidizing Google’s free offering with your labor and expertise. When the support processes are cumbersome and the outcomes uncertain, it’s natural to question the sustainability of that model for your business. Time is money, and if you’re spending significant hours navigating Google’s systems with limited success and without adequate compensation, it’s a losing proposition in the long run.”
The equation becomes even more unbalanced when considering the value proposition for the support provider. Offering extensive support for a free service that doesn’t provide robust support channels in return forces a difficult calculation: “You have to weigh the value you provide to your clients against the cost to your business.” Spending countless hours attempting to reinstate a listing with limited avenues for direct assistance can quickly erode profitability and strain resources.
Interestingly, the shortcomings in Google’s business support are being noticed elsewhere. As another provider pointed out, “If other search engines like Bing are providing more accessible and effective business support, it puts Google at a potential disadvantage in terms of user satisfaction and loyalty, especially among small business owners who might not have dedicated marketing teams.” In a competitive digital landscape, prioritizing accessible and efficient support can be a significant differentiator. Businesses, particularly smaller ones with tight resources, are likely to gravitate towards platforms that not only offer valuable tools but also provide reliable assistance when needed.
Google’s dominance in search is undeniable. However, its approach to supporting the businesses that contribute to its local search ecosystem warrants a closer look. By placing a significant burden on users and their support providers to navigate complex issues with limited direct assistance, Google risks alienating a crucial segment of its user base.