Do you divide GBP management clients into different G accounts?

[Chris_Andrews]

I'm looking for what best practices I should put into place.

Do you put clients' GBP profiles that you manage into separate Google accounts so they don't affect each other? I'm concerned a suspension on one profile for some innocuous reason will cause a cascade effect on other profiles in the same account.

Does it matter if the Google accounts are on the same domain name?

Thanks,

Chris

 

[RMortis]

LOL I have already posted this like 5 times ... but am curious to see any responses you get here. Seems to be a popular question!

 

[RMortis]

I meant I am following similar threads ... not that *I* posted what you did. I, like you, and very eager for an answer.

 

[Chris_Andrews]

Either no one knows or they are keeping it a trade secret

I've actually been really appreciative of how helpful everyone is here, I'm not complaining

 

[RMortis]

Me either.

From the research I've done and seen, I don't think there are trade secrets, just a terrible Google product.

Even the people who know a lot seem to have to ask questions.

Crazy!

 

[Chris_Andrews]

Yep, Google is a mess.

 

[bfrazier]

I'm looking for what best practices I should put into place.

Do you put clients' GBP profiles that you manage into separate Google accounts so they don't affect each other? I'm concerned a suspension on one profile for some innocuous reason will cause a cascade effect on other profiles in the same account.

Does it matter if the Google accounts are on the same domain name?

Thanks,

Chris

Hi Chris! I'm not sure how everyone else does it, but... I like to create a dedicated Google Workspace account for each client. Makes communications with Google support so much easier.

Some people disagree and use one Google account and separate each client into Groups in that one profile. I've tried both and prefer the dedicated account. Our IT team sets them up upon request. So if my client is Joe Schmo's Bar, I might request for the Google account to be joeschmosgbp@whateverthedomainis.com

Hope that helps!

 

[Colan Nielsen]

We've been using an agency account for several years now. And then we have our clients organized into various location groups that are nested inside the agency account.

 

[keyserholiday]

I'm looking for what best practices I should put into place.

Do you put clients' GBP profiles that you manage into separate Google accounts so they don't affect each other? I'm concerned a suspension on one profile for some innocuous reason will cause a cascade effect on other profiles in the same account.

Does it matter if the Google accounts are on the same domain name?

Thanks,

Chris

No, never. This is a pain to have to keep logging into different accounts.

 

[Chris_Andrews]

Hi bfrazier, Colan, Keserholiday,

Thank you all for sharing that info with me and the others on the forum here that have asked about it, I really appreciate it!

Chris

 

[kathleen.rhodes]

We've been using an agency account for several years now. And then we have our clients organized into various location groups that are nested inside the agency account.

@Colan Nielsen these are probably a very basic questions, but:

1. I was managing GBPs under a Gmail account but am transferring the active clients into my agency account now. Is it a good idea, once transferred, to remove myself from those GBPs in that gmail account?

2. Is it also a good idea to just remove myself from accounts that I am no longer managing in that Gmail account?

3. I didn't set up nesting very well when I set up my agency account, so is it possible to create new groups and move the existing locations around to one of the new groups?

Thanks in advance for your assistance!

 

[keyserholiday]

@Colan Nielsen these are probably a very basic questions, but:

1. I was managing GBPs under a Gmail account but am transferring the active clients into my agency account now. Is it a good idea, once transferred, to remove myself from those GBPs in that gmail account?

2. Is it also a good idea to just remove myself from accounts that I am no longer managing in that Gmail account?

3. I didn't set up nesting very well when I set up my agency account, so is it possible to create new groups and move the existing locations around to one of the new groups?

Thanks in advance for your assistance!

1. You must wait 7 days before removing yourself. This is the new policy on Google's end. I would remove your Gmail address.

2. I would remove yourself from any GBPs of past clients.

3. Yes, you can do this to make things cleaner and simpler. I have three folders for the franchises. Brand Coming Soon, Brand, and Brand Closed. We sometimes set up a fourth for when we are running a special test. Make folders that make things easier for you. I hate clutter and ungrouped. Ungroup is where the locations go that you are not an owner.

 

[Jo Shaer]

We've been using an agency account for several years now. And then we have our clients organized into various location groups that are nested inside the agency account.

How do you get an Agency account? Don't worry, I found it Register your agency for Business Profiles - Google Business Profile Help

Is there a best practice for what email to use to set this up? @Colan Nielsen @keyserholiday

 

[Jo Shaer]

Hi Chris! I'm not sure how everyone else does it, but... I like to create a dedicated Google Workspace account for each client. Makes communications with Google support so much easier.

Some people disagree and use one Google account and separate each client into Groups in that one profile. I've tried both and prefer the dedicated account. Our IT team sets them up upon request. So if my client is Joe Schmo's Bar, I might request for the Google account to be joeschmosgbp@whateverthedomainis.com

Hope that helps!

Do you create the Google Workspaces within the Agency Google Business Profile account? @bfrazier

 

[Jo Shaer]

@Colan Nielsen these are probably a very basic questions, but:

1. I was managing GBPs under a Gmail account but am transferring the active clients into my agency account now. Is it a good idea, once transferred, to remove myself from those GBPs in that gmail account?

2. Is it also a good idea to just remove myself from accounts that I am no longer managing in that Gmail account?

3. I didn't set up nesting very well when I set up my agency account, so is it possible to create new groups and move the existing locations around to one of the new groups?

Thanks in advance for your assistance!

@kathleen.rhodes When you say you didn't set up the nesting very well... are there any particular gotchas relating to grouping that you would now want to avoid?

@Chris_Andrews Thank you for creating this thread. I had no idea there was an Agency version of GBP.
I have about 15 clients all in the same industry. None of them has more than one location and they are all in different towns. Not sure they fit into any particular groups.

 

[bfrazier]

Do you create the Google Workspaces within the Agency Google Business Profile account? @bfrazier

Yup! Totally separate workspaces for each client. I have to admit, I know that's overkill and most people prefer to work out of one account. I get why that makes sense for some other folks. For me, keeping everything separate makes it so much easier for organizational purposes, and I never have to worry about solving for an account-level suspension. I don't mind logging in and out of different accounts; it is an extra step (albeit a quick one), so I can see why anyone would want to avoid it!

 

[bfrazier]

@kathleen.rhodes When you say you didn't set up the nesting very well... are there any particular gotchas relating to grouping that you would now want to avoid?

@Chris_Andrews Thank you for creating this thread. I had no idea there was an Agency version of GBP.
I have about 15 clients all in the same industry. None of them has more than one location and they are all in different towns. Not sure they fit into any particular groups.

Chiming in here to say.... I'd aim for an agency account in these circumstances, for sure!

 

[Jo Shaer]

Yup! Totally separate workspaces for each client. I have to admit, I know that's overkill and most people prefer to work out of one account. I get why that makes sense for some other folks. For me, keeping everything separate makes it so much easier for organizational purposes, and I never have to worry about solving for an account-level suspension. I don't mind logging in and out of different accounts; it is an extra step (albeit a quick one), so I can see why anyone would want to avoid it!

Thanks @bfrazier Just to clarify - do you set up those Workspaces within the Agency Google Business Profile manager?
And you have a separate email address for each client? So CLIENT@YOURAGENCYDOMAIN.com

 

[Chris_Andrews]

I did just run across this in the GBP help center, for what it's worth:

A manager’s Google Account​

• We suspend the manager on the accounts that they manage. It doesn't affect the locations.
• If we reinstate a manager’s Google Account, they regain access to the locations.

(reference)

My biggest concern is a problem with one profile would cause other clients profiles to be penalized, but according to that, that shouldn't happen...

But there's this as well, someone in the GBP forum saying their profile was suspended because the agency managing their profile was suspended for violating polices (I don't know if the profile owner was guessing at that or had evidence of that actually being true),

Chris

 

[bfrazier]

Thanks @bfrazier Just to clarify - do you set up those Workspaces within the Agency Google Business Profile manager?
And you have a separate email address for each client? So CLIENT@YOURAGENCYDOMAIN.com

Hi Jo! I should clarify.... we're in the process of getting our agency account set up now. But until now, we were operating under separate workspaces for each client and they were NOT in an agency account. Totally separate logins for each one. Again, I don't really mind logging in and out and for me, it's easier to submit Google Support tickets and communicate with Google Support this way. However, the agency account will streamline our processes/structure in a way that is likely going to be easier for other people in our organization, so I'll happily conform to the processes that make life easier for everyone else!