Google No Longer Allowing Tracking Numbers In GMB?

[Dan Foland]

Per my twitter thread earlier:
We had a few listings that use tracking numbers to see the full scope of how many people call from GMB/maps.
The tracking numbers were constantly getting removed and replaced with the original number, so we decided to reach out to GMB support.

This is the first time I've seen Google directly say tracking numbers are not allowed.

Here's the conversation:

Thoughts?

 

[Phil Rozek]

Interesting, @Dan Foland. Funny the rep should say that, because "per policy" Google doesn't say anything about tracking numbers. The guidelines say to "use a local phone number instead of central, call center helpline number whenever possible."

Then again, GMB reps say a lot of crazy stuff.

 

[Casey Donovan]

@Dan Foland just for clarification, was the main number listed as an additional number in the GMB account when the GMB rep said this?

 

[Dan Foland]

@Casey Donovan

Good question, yes it was.

 

[Brian Bender]

Interesting, @Dan Foland. Funny the rep should say that, because "per policy" Google doesn't say anything about tracking numbers. The guidelines say to "use a local phone number instead of central, call center helpline number whenever possible."

Then again, GMB reps say a lot of crazy stuff.

This is true, but there's a bullet point right under that one that may give us more insight into Google's thoughts on call tracking within GMB. Here's what it says (I bolded the parts that particularly pertain to the situation in this thread):

• Do not provide phone numbers or URLs that redirect or "refer" users to landing pages or phone numbers other than those of the actual business, including pages created on social media sites.
  
  Still ambiguous, but that could be what the GMB rep is/was referring to.

 

[Phil Rozek]

@Brian Bender, yeah, mighty ambiguous. As you said. What the GMB rep can't say is, "Well, it's in black and white, right there in the guidelines."

 

[Dan Foland]

GMB Support got back to me and as suspected by many of us, this was a mistake on Google's end.

 

[Tim Colling]

Thanks for getting that cleared up, @Dan Foland !

 

[obcted]

Wow - disaster averted. Sorry I run lead capture and lead tracking platform and we've always been advising agencies to use our Call Tracking for GMB. This scared the Beejbus out of me. Love the Google Follow up tweet. They're so on top of things!

Do you mind if I turn this into a little blog post? Happy to give credit where credit is do in the form of links if you want them

 

[Dan Foland]

@obcted

Feel free.

I'm trying to increase my visibility a bit, so I'd love a link to my twitter Dan Foland (@DanFoland) | Twitter and website Legal Marketing - Direct Mail, SEO & Website Design | Postali but feel free to do it however you want. Let me know if you have any questions, I'm happy to provide extra info if I have it.

 

[Yourname]

Nice @Dan Foland!

Slightly off-topic, but .. having a call tracking number specifically for GMB, isn't that against the whole NAP thing?

 

[Yourname]

To elaborate, I mean isn't the point of NAP to be identical across the internet? So if most of the citations say 1800-111-2222, and then the GMB number shows 1855-999-8888... isn't that bad?

 

[Rich Owings]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but in GMB you add the tracking number as your primary number, and your main number as an additional number. Don't use the tracking number anywhere else and it shouldn't cause any NAP issues.

 

[Tim Colling]

Right-o, @Rich Owings

 

[EfrenCP]

GMB Support got back to me and as suspected by many of us, this was a mistake on Google's end.

Does this mean that they "locked" in your tracking number or is it still changing? I mean, what they say vs what they do... ;P

 

[Colan Nielsen]

To elaborate, I mean isn't the point of NAP to be identical across the internet? So if most of the citations say 1800-111-2222, and then the GMB number shows 1855-999-8888... isn't that bad?

Adding the local number to the "additional number" field in GMB is what prevents this from being a problem. So missing that step is what would make it bad.

 

[Yourname]

Ah, thanks @EfrenCP and @Colan Nielsen!