From # 1 to Nowhere - What the crap happened?

[wilnadon]

I am in need of some serious help here. For over a year I had the # 1 listing for "health insurance" in Google Maps in my local town. Now I don't even show up! I don't know when this happened but I noticed I was seeing a huge decline in phone calls over the past few weeks so I searched it today from multiple devices and locations and it won't show up on ANY google maps page, all the way down to the last listing. Just gone !!! If I search using the EXACT name of my business as it is on my GMB, then it shows that the GMB is still there, as well as my reviews and nothing has changed.

There are NOBODYS with unclaimed pages that have 0 reviews, 0 websites, 0 citations that are on that list but mine with dozens of citations is nowhere to be found.

Did google "shadow ban" me or something? I've not done anything against the ToS to my knowledge.... no fake reviews, no SEOing of any kind other than citations that I did 4 years ago. Contact info is up to date. I don't get it.

Please, what the heck am I supposed to do now?

 

[wilnadon]

Surely I'm not the only person this has ever happened to....

 

[everydayimhustling]

I would also like to know why this happens

 

[bartosimpsonio]

Could be many things. A server outage could cause the site to disappear from SERPs. But since it's been weeks, I'd say it's a penalty.

Do you have search console enabled for this site? If so go take a look and see if they've penalized it.

If they haven't then it may be some random penalty or you may have taken a hit in recent updates.

 

[Aptably]

For how many days/weeks did you see decline in calls ?

 

[wilnadon]

Do you have search console enabled for this site? If so go take a look and see if they've penalized it.

Does Search Console work for GMB listings? I thought that was just for websites. And FYI, my business doesn't have a website. But remember, I spent the last few years as # 1 in google maps for "health insurance" without a website.

I heard there was some updates in June, I wonder if they are penalizing me for not having a website now when before they didn't(?)

 

[wilnadon]

For how many days/weeks did you see decline in calls ?

It's been at least 2

 

[Aptably]

It's been at least 2

2 what ? Days or weeks ?

 

[wilnadon]

2 what ? Days or weeks ?

Sorry, weeks.

 

[aidenhera]

Sorry, weeks.

Then its permanent break up

Id suggest no contact rule

 

[wilnadon]

Then its permanent break up

Id suggest no contact rule

 

[bartosimpsonio]

Does Search Console work for GMB listings? I thought that was just for websites. And FYI, my business doesn't have a website. But remember, I spent the last few years as # 1 in google maps for "health insurance" without a website.

I heard there was some updates in June, I wonder if they are penalizing me for not having a website now when before they didn't(?)

There were big updates in march, may and june. Could be related.

Nope, console only works for your own sites that I know of.

 

[Hira Ramzan]

This brings up an important question, is there some way to contact Google local offices for such issues?

 

[LGNDFRVR23]

Yep. You definitely need a website.

 

[yourdady]

Could be these reasons

Not updating your listing often, no new posts, photos or any kind of offers. These types of listing looks dead

Ctr rate decreases cuz a new listing took over.

No website.

No citation being built.

These are some of things I will start doing if i was you. But can be an update effect alot of listing so see if you are updated with everything.

 

[TheFBI]

Google is working hard to keep black hat and deceptive marketers behind the legit ones.

 

[wilnadon]

Google is working hard to keep black hat and deceptive marketers behind the legit ones.

Yeah but that's not the problem here. This listing is 100% legit and white hat. Health Insurance is my ACTUAL business and everything connected to that listing is 100% accurate, not deceptive. The reviews are between 4 and 5 star and all of them are real. Clearly I've just dropped the ball somewhere.

Could be these reasons

Not updating your listing often, no new posts, photos or any kind of offers. These types of listing looks dead

Ctr rate decreases cuz a new listing took over.

No website.

No citation being built.

These are some of things I will start doing if i was you. But can be an update effect a lot of listing so see if you are updated with everything.

Thanks. I'm redoing the entire thing from the ground up and changing the website up a bit. Fingers crossed...

 

[Optima20]

Do you add a short name tag by chance? I read something about some users being effected by that and it might be a GMB glitch.

 

[alonelywriter]

Get a website maintain it around your keyword. Sure you will get your listing back. or try changing the name of your listing..