A Google My Business account can be incredibly beneficial as it helps drive more customers to your business by enhancing your online presence. However, if you no longer see the value in managing a Google My Business listing or if it no longer serves your needs, you might want to learn how to delete your Google My Business account. This guide will walk you through the steps to remove your Google business profile and manage your online reputation effectively.
A Google My Business listing provides potential customers with your contact details, making it easier for them to find your business. However, if Google provides incorrect information or confuses your customers, you might need to consider deleting your Google My Business account. Additionally, closing your business is another reason why you might want to remove your Google business profile. This guide will help you understand the steps for managing and deleting your Google My Business listing effectively.
Usual reasons for businesses deciding to delete their Google Business Profile
- The business is permanently closed
- The business address changed
- There are duplicate listings
- The owner sold the business
- There are negative Google reviews
How to Delete a Google My Business Listing: Steps for Removing Your Business Profile
A Google My Business account may contain multiple business listings. Therefore, it’s essential to remove the listing that no longer serves your needs before deleting it.
To proceed, you must have Primary Owner Access. For further guidance on requesting access to Google My Business, check out this blog.
You can follow a few simple steps to delete any listing. Before getting started, log in to your Google My Business account from a desktop computer and do the following:
- Go to Businesses on the sidebar
- Click the edit icon to the business that you want to remove.
- On the next page, click “Mark as permanently closed” to inform Google that the business is now closed.
- Next, select “Close Business“.
- When you close your business on Google, you can click “remove listing” from your Google My Business account to delete it.
How to Delete Multiple Google Business Listings: Steps for Effective Profile Management
The previous process applies when you want to delete one listing. But you also have the option to close or remove multiple business listings at once. You can follow the next steps:
- Go to the page with the business listings and tick the checkboxes to the left of each business you wish to delete.
- Click the button “Actions” that you can see at the top of the list.
- It will show you a dropdown menu. You can choose to close all the selected businesses permanently or delete them from your business listings.
If you choose to delete all these business listings, you would successfully remove them from your Google My Business account.
What Happens When You Delete A Business From Your Google My Business Account
When you mark a business as closed and subsequently delete it from your Google My Business account, Google removes all associated information. This means that your contact details, reviews, images, and videos will be deleted as well.
While other people may still find information about your business through searches, its visibility will be significantly reduced. Google does not prioritize closed businesses in search results but continues to rank mentions from other sources like websites and social media.
Additionally, your business will experience diminished visibility on features such as Google Maps. If you choose to delete your business from Google, be aware that this action is permanent and irreversible.
When to Remove a Google Business Profile
Shutting Down the Business
If your client decides to close their business, removing their Google Business Profile is crucial to inform customers of the closure. This step ensures that outdated information does not mislead potential customers.
Business Sale or Acquisition
When a business is sold or acquired, it might be necessary to delete the Google My Business account. If your client has purchased a new business and is shutting down the old one, removing the old profile could be appropriate. However, transferring the profile to the new owner is often a better option, ensuring continuity and accuracy in business information.
Managing Duplicate Profiles
For clients who control multiple Google My Business listings for the same business, it’s essential to merge or delete the duplicates. Google may suspend listings with duplicate profiles, and having several listings for one business can confuse customers and negatively impact their experience.
Things To Consider Before Deleting A Google My Business Listing
Removing a business from Google is a permanent decision, so you may need to consider other options before this last step.
- If you have changed the locations of your business, you can edit the location and any other contact details. It will allow Google to show your business at the right place and save your data.
- If you are not the manager of a business listing anymore, you can change ownership instead of deleting and lose all the previous work. Learn How to Transfer Ownership of Google My Business Here
- You don’t have to delete a business listing. Google allows you to close it temporarily and reopen it later. This option allows you to reconsider your options later and take advantage of any updates in the future.
- Many people want to delete their business listings after getting negative reviews. In this case, it’s a better idea to fix the issues that cause negative reviews. Next, you can try to delete the negative reviews.
If you have really closed your business permanently, you must inform your Google My Business and your customers. In this case, deleting your listing is the best option.
Conclusion
If you decide to delete your Google My Business listing, follow the steps provided for managing one or multiple business profiles. Keep in mind that this is a significant decision, as Google will not permit you to create a new listing for the same business in the future. Before you proceed with removing your Google My Business profile, carefully consider the factors discussed above to ensure it aligns with your long-term business goals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What Happens If I Delete My Google My Business Account?
Ans: If you choose to delete your Google My Business account, your business listing will be removed from Google Maps and search results. Consequently, your customers will no longer be able to find your business online, and you will lose all associated reviews, photos, and messages.
Q2. Can You Recover a Deleted Google My Business Account?
Ans: Once you have deleted your Google My Business account, all your business information will be permanently removed from Google Maps and search results. If you believe you may have accidentally deleted your account, or need to recover it for any reason, it’s best to contact Google directly for assistance.
Q3. How Long Does It Take to Remove My Business from Google?
Ans: After your business listing has been removed, it can take up to a week for the change to be fully reflected on Google Maps and in search results. In the meantime, you can mark your business as “permanently closed” to inform potential customers that your business is no longer operating.
Q4. How to Delete a Gmail Business Account?
Ans: To delete a Gmail business account, sign in to your Google My Business dashboard, go to the “Info” section, scroll down to the bottom, and select “Close or remove this listing.” Follow the prompts to complete the deletion process.
Q5. Can I Delete My Google Business Account and Start Over?
Ans: Yes, you can delete your Google Business account and then create a new one. However, be aware that once your account is deleted, you will not be able to recover any previous data, so it’s important to proceed with caution.