As you may or may not be aware, Google announced on November 5 that Google My Business (GMB) listings will now have a limit of 20 total service areas. This means any listings with more than 20 service areas specified will need to update their listings.

Within the announcement, Google stated, “Businesses with more than 20 service areas will receive suggested updates to their service areas to cover the same geographic area while only using 20 areas.”

At first glance, you may think, “Thanks, Google, for making these suggestions for us,” and if so, you’ll definitely want to think again. Keep reading to find out why.

The Google My Business Service Areas Goof-Up Is Causing Concern

The goof-up I am referring to above is tied to the service areas Google is suggesting. For one of the franchises we manage GMB listings for, Google has pushed out their suggestions and the service areas don’t make sense. Some are not even close to the businesses’ actual service areas. For one location, they are recommending a school district as the service area. This is a big goof-up and an even bigger concern.

So, What’s This Google My Business Service Area Change-Up Mean for Businesses?

1. You need to audit the GMB listings for all the service-area businesses you represent right away.
2. You should probably make sure your local business customers realize you are aware of the change and that you are on top of the issue.
3. You need to put a plan in place to review all your clients’ GMB listings on the regular.

The proof is in the pudding, and Google is proving once again that while they think they know what is best, this isn’t always the case.

Are You Taking Full Advantage of Google My Business?

• Are you claiming each GMB listing for the businesses you represent?
• Are you monitoring the GMB photos and reviews?
• Are you using Google My Business Insights to understand how customers are finding your clients’ GMB listings?
• Are you using the Google My Business App to stay on top of changes while on-the-go?

If you answered Yes to all these questions, great job. If not, be sure to click the linked text above. We have a how-to on each at the ready for you!

Is Google’s Service Area Goof-Up Impacting Your Clients’ #Google My Business Listings? asks @BernieColeman #SEO #GMB
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