Google removing SAB's with no communication

[cillianbc]

My client has a franchise business and part of the what each franchisee gets is a GMB set up for their particular area. This was working fine for the past year or so but in the last 6 months google has removed the majority of the locations (with no warning or communication).

Some key info
Each location has a unique address for the postcard and was verified initially.
Phone numbers are different.
Business name is not a duplicate but the service area was included in the name to prevent duplication.
After the locations were removed we tried setting them up again but the postcards never get delivered.
Each location has a certain number of suburbs that they service, some of the listings may have had an overlapping suburb in the service area but not all.
Some of the removed locations had a number of genuine reviews.

Any suggestions as to what may be happening here and how to resolve?

 

[Phil Rozek]

@cillianbc, at least in the past, postcards sometimes wouldn't get delivered if you had overlapping service areas. You'll probably need to re-verify each page without a service area set, and then make sure the service areas do not overlap - or just not set a service area at all and leave the address up.

Of course, what I don't know is why the GMB pages were removed to begin with (like if they were not in-line with Google's policies).

 

[cillianbc]

@cillianbc, at least in the past, postcards sometimes wouldn't get delivered if you had overlapping service areas. You'll probably need to re-verify each page without a service area set, and then make sure the service areas do not overlap - or just not set a service area at all and leave the address up.

Of course, what I don't know is why the GMB pages were removed to begin with (like if they were not in-line with Google's policies).

Thanks, I didn't realise you can set it up without a service area set. These are mobile franchise's so displaying the physical address is not an option

 

[Phil Rozek]

@cillianbc, you may be stuck, then. Mobile services are fine, and multi-location businesses are fine (of course), but mobile services with multiple "locations" that aren't really locations are not compliant with GMB policies in general. And so whether at Google's hand or at a competitor's hand (by way of edit or redressal form), those GMB pages may be asking for trouble.