Ranking Drops for Service Area Businesses

[julie-b]

I have already brought this problem to the community (Client's business profile suddenly not visible on desktop and dropped significantly on mobile - Google Business Profile Community)

My locksmith client's profile (KLS Locks) is no longer visible at all on desktop (although his profile is not suspended) and it has dropped over 30 places on mobile. Before this issue, he was usually appearing ~ #2 on desktop and mobile for 'locksmith Orpington'. He is a service area business with no address visible.

When I brought this problem to the community (Client's business profile suddenly not visible on desktop and dropped significantly on mobile - Google Business Profile Community), it was suggested that maybe because he has another business profile (Google Maps) the service area locations may be overlapping and causing a problem. I have tried to separate out the service areas to rule this out. However, my client was getting very worried about the large drop in business and decided to remove the second GBP (Google Maps)

I'm just worried that there's still something wrong with his main profile. He is losing a lot of business because of this and would be very grateful for your help.

 

[Desnr]

Has anyone heard updates on this bug yet? I'm in the same situation, my SAB listing has disappeared from search rankings and I don't think it's been suspended as it still appears on branded search. I contacted Google support asking about the (residential) address on the back end but haven't heard back yet.

My husband also recently started a business at our same address and has a SAB listing. His is ranking fourth in our area. I'm also wondering if I may have been filtered because of this? He is a handyman and I'm an interior designer so somewhat similar keywords (home, remodel etc). I did check that we don't have the exact same categories or services listed.

Thanks for any help the community can offer - so frustrating!

 

[Desnr]

Thank you so much Joy. Would anyone know if there is a way I can tell if I'm being filtered for sure? Will Google support tell me?

 

[Desnr]

Are the businesses using the same categories? No, Google support won't be able to tell you if you are being filtered nor will they be able to provide you with advice.

They are different categories and we removed any services from his listing that have the same words as mine (home, remodel etc). Will that help?

If this can't be fixed I'm considering either changing from SAB to showing my residential address or getting a space at a co-working facility, but I know that comes with its own challenges.

 

[keyserholiday]

Here is a side-by-side comparison for the first client that got her rankings back.

 

[Desnr]

If helpful to others I noticed that SABs in my area are now showing the red catchment on the map again - the last few days they were pinning about 20 miles away. I assume this is the bug being fixed.

Unfortunately for me my listing is still not showing in search so I'm guessing that is evidence that I'm being filtered due to my husband's listing.

 

[keyserholiday]

If helpful to others I noticed that SABs in my area are now showing the red catchment on the map again - the last few days they were pinning about 20 miles away. I assume this is the bug being fixed.

Unfortunately for me my listing is still not showing in search so I'm guessing that is evidence that I'm being filtered due to my husband's listing.

Did you lose rankings and visibility on September 7th?

 

[Desnr]

Did you lose rankings and visibility on September 7th?

I'm not 100% sure how to view those insights by day, but if I look at discovery search vs direct it goes to zero in the last week vs the last month is 200. So I think it is more recent than Sept 7 which makes me think it's filtering. My husband's profile was created about 6 weeks ago.

 

[Ryanmu]

Unfortunately for me my listing is still not showing in search so I'm guessing that is evidence that I'm being filtered due to my husband's listing.

I'm still not showing in search either. I only have 1 listing.

 

[keyserholiday]

I'm still not showing in search either. I only have 1 listing.

Are you able to find your business in your area for any of your keywords?

 

[Ryanmu]

Are you able to find your business in your area for any of your keywords?

No. Someone ran a local falcon scan a week ago and sent me this. I'm guessing that it searches key word "pressure washing" at different locations around my Service Area? I used to get plenty of calls/traffic before Sep. 7th. I haven't had anyone run that program since but when I manually search key words I don't see my listing.

 

[Desnr]

No. Someone ran a local falcon scan a week ago and sent me this. I'm guessing that it searches key word "pressure washing" at different locations around my Service Area? I used to get plenty of calls/traffic before Sep. 7th. I haven't had anyone run that program since but when I manually search key words I don't see my listing.

Is your business showing yet? Mine still is not. Plenty of other SABs in the same category are showing in my area.

 

[Ryanmu]

Is your business showing yet? Mine still is not. Plenty of other SABs in the same category are showing in my area.

Nope. Getting desperate. My seasons about to be over

 

[Desnr]

Nope. Getting desperate. My seasons about to be over

Ugh I'm sorry, me too! Hopefully someone here can help us. I'm thinking about showing my physical address again but worried that will trigger reverification and get me suspended again since it's a home address.

 

[Desnr]

Nope. Getting desperate. My seasons about to be over

Also I tried asking Google support about adding the address manually but they just answered saying they checked the service area and it looks fine. A pin is showing 20 miles away from me when I search branded listing which isn't supposed to happen for SABs. In case any of that info is helpful for you ...

 

[garrettkite]

Good news, one of my clients got their rankings back. They are back in the map pack, but not in the same number one spot as before.

Did this happen as a result of you/the client opening a Google support case? Or did it happen naturally? We have several clients affected by the September 7th bug, but none of them have regained their rankings yet.

When we contacted Google support we were told that there is no known issue and that we will simply need to add the address onto the listing manually. I explained that this is a SAB so we can't display an address, but was again told that there is no current technical issue so unless we want to display a physical address, there's nothing more that Google support can do to help.

 

[Ryanmu]

Also I tried asking Google support about adding the address manually but they just answered saying they checked the service area and it looks fine. A pin is showing 20 miles away from me when I search branded listing which isn't supposed to happen for SABs. In case any of that info is helpful for you ...

Also I tried asking Google support about adding the address manually but they just answered saying they checked the service area and it looks fine. A pin is showing 20 miles away from me when I search branded listing which isn't supposed to happen for SABs. In case any of that info is helpful for you ...

Did this happen as a result of you/the client opening a Google support case? Or did it happen naturally? We have several clients affected by the September 7th bug, but none of them have regained their rankings yet.

When we contacted Google support we were told that there is no known issue and that we will simply need to add the address onto the listing manually. I explained that this is a SAB so we can't display an address, but was again told that there is no current technical issue so unless we want to display a physical address, there's nothing more that Google support can do to help.

I was also shot down 3 times by Google support
Albeit by the same person but he said nothing he can do.

 

[Bas_L]

Hey guys. Here is Google's response for my particular case. Looks like I'm screwed

have you had any luck with google support yet mate?

 

[Ryanmu]

N

have you had any luck with google support yet mate?

No. They are clueless.

 

[Bas_L]

N

No. They are clueless.

Did you follow the experts advice over here and write the email as recommended by the experts?

https://localsearchforum.com/members/keyserholiday.12120/

"Google has acknowledged that this is a technical issue affecting SABs. Please check the backend of my business profile to ensure that my address is there and if not, please manually add my address (add your full address)."

 

[Desnr]

Did you follow the “experts” advice over here and write the email as recommended by the experts?

https://localsearchforum.com/members/keyserholiday.12120/

"Google has acknowledged that this is a technical issue affecting SABs. Please check the backend of my business profile to ensure that my address is there and if not, please manually add my address (add your full address)."

Yep sure did, twice. Google support said service area businesses are not supposed to show an address and they can't help with rankings. Um thanks.