There have been so many issues with reviews since Google My Business was rolled out. Really, if the reviews being lost aren’t spam, then it comes down to the way business information is stored in Google’s system. Your business Name, Address, and Phone number make up your online identity to Google. When one of these things changes then what can happen is Google starts thinking that there are two identities and sometimes your data (reviews or citations) will be stored with the wrong identity. Here is Google’s advice on moving:
If a business no longer exists at a location, you can mark it as closed or moved on Google Maps. Follow these steps to have the listing moderated:
- Find the closed or moved business on Google Maps.
- Use the Report a problem link from the Google Maps result.
- Select Place is permanently closed
- If the place has moved to a new location, give us the new location’s information in the comment box.
- If your business has moved and you manage the business’s new location, you should add the new locationas a separate listing in your GMB dashboard.
Word is that if you move, you lose your reviews. There is a discussion on Linda’s forum on this very subject where a couple of Googlers dropped in. In the example that is mentioned in the forum, the old business listing shows the old reviews and says it has moved locations and shows (and links) to the new address. The reviews have transferred so they exist on both listings as well. Hopefully this means that following Google’s advice will help you keep your reviews, but sometimes the same path leads to different outcomes in the Googleverse. My best advice is never change your name, never move your address, never change your phone number.
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