Why is the ranking of my Google Business Profile suddenly dropping?

Understanding the reason for a sudden drop in rankings or views on Google can be incredibly frustrating. As a business owner, you rely on your online presence to attract new customers and grow your business. That's why it's essential to have a checklist of things to check when assessing a ranking or view drop in your Google Business Profile.

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Here are some tips to help you get to the bottom of the problem:

1. Check Your City Name Defined by Google

One of the first things to check is the city name in your business profile defined by Google. This location pin appears on your profile and represents your business's location. If you're located on the border of two cities, such as London and Oxford, and Google defines your location as being in Oxford, you may not rank as well for searches including "London." To solve this, move the location pin inside the border of the city you want to rank for.

2. Check for Google Algorithm Changes

Google's algorithms are constantly evolving, and significant fluctuations in ranking can occur when changes are made. If you've noticed a sudden drop in rankings, check if any algorithm changes could affect your profile or other similar businesses.

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3. Check Your Competition

Another thing to consider is your competition. Are there new businesses in your essential keywords ranking higher than you? Have you dropped out of the local pack? Are there any spammy listings outranking your profile? Analyzing your competition can help you identify areas for improvement in your profile and online presence.

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4. Check for a Disappearing Knowledge Panel

A knowledge panel is a box on the right side of desktop searches with information about a business, such as hours of operation, reviews, and contact information. If you had a knowledge panel, but it's no longer showing up, it could impact your rankings and views. Identify why your knowledge panel disappeared and take steps to get it back.

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5. Check for Local Filters

Google's local filters can affect your profile if there are two or more profiles at the exact location. If another profile is shadowing yours, your profile views can drop. Identify which Google Business Profiles are casting a shadow on yours, and then check which categories they are using, how many reviews they have, and whether their GBP landing page is better than yours. Duplicate profiles can also lead to the original profile being filtered, so make sure to look for any duplicate profiles.

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5. Check for Disappearing Location Pins

Location pins can disappear for various reasons, such as a bug in Google's system or an error in your profile. To check if your location pin has disappeared, scroll on Google Maps to the business location without doing any search. If the location pin is missing, edit and accept the location pin again. If the location pin still doesn't appear, make a support request to Google to resolve the issue.

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To sum it up

In conclusion, actively managing your business listings on Google is the best way to stay on top of the search engines. Regularly monitoring your profile and making necessary updates ensures that your business remains visible to potential customers and continues to grow.

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