DO YOU WANT TO RANK HIGHER ON GOOGLE?
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For businesses trying to build a digital footprint, Google My Business or Google Business Profile is an essential tool. But what if you decide to shut shop? In that case, you might want to know how to completely delete your business from Google’s listings.
Interestingly, until recently, this was impossible to achieve. The closest you could get was marking your business as “closed.” But the rules have changed in 2023, and we’re here to break it down for you. In this guide, we’ll show you the step-by-step process to completely delete your business from Google.
A Brief History
In the past, businesses seeking to remove their profile from Google had to mark their status as “closed.” This action would flag the business with a conspicuous red label indicating its inactive status. Over time, typically spanning one to three years, Google might (or might not) decide to remove the business profile from the internet. The lack of control over this process was frustrating for many businesses.
The 2023 Change
However, in 2023, Google has given businesses the much-needed control to manage their digital presence effectively. Now, businesses have the option to completely delete their Google Business Profile if they wish.
How to Delete Your Google Business Profile
Before you proceed, you should know that only the primary owner of the business has the authority to remove the business profile. If you’re a manager or a normal owner, you’ll need to find out who the primary owner is and request them to perform these steps.
Here’s how to remove your Google Business Profile:
- First, log in to Google as the primary owner of the business.
- Next, go to the Google search screen and type in your business name. Since you are logged in as the primary owner, you will see a box with options to edit your business.
- In this box, locate the three little dots that will guide you to ‘Business Profile Settings.’
- Here, you’ll see an option that says ‘Remove Business Profile.’ This is where you can take decisive action.
Now, you’ll find three choices:
- Stop managing it’ to remove yourself as the primary owner.
- ‘Mark this business as closed’ to leave the business profile online but indicate that the business is closed.
- ‘Delete your business profile’ to entirely remove the business from Google.
Warning: It’s Not a Reset Button!
If you’re planning to delete your account and start fresh with the same business name, address, and phone number, you should know that it won’t be a clean slate. Google retains this information in its database. If you or your SEO agency were involved in tactics that violated Google’s guidelines, leading to suspension or messy situations, merely deleting the account won’t solve your issues.
Deleting your business profile should be the last resort. It’s always better to fix the issues by contacting Google and abiding by their guidelines.
A Resource for Ranking Your Business
If you’re looking to rank your business on Google, I’ve created a comprehensive cheat sheet that guides you through the process step-by-step. This valuable resource, available for free in the description below, outlines everything we do for our clients to help them achieve high rankings on Google.
In conclusion
Google’s 2023 update has provided businesses with much-needed control over their digital presence. However, deleting a business profile should be the last resort. Instead, focus on improving your SEO practices and comply with Google’s guidelines to build a robust and lasting digital footprint.
Once again, this is Joe Burnich from Big West Academy, and I look forward to seeing you in our next discussion!
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