The author's views are entirely his or her own (excluding the unlikely event of hypnosis) and may not always reflect the views of Moz.
How should you handle Google My Business listings when circumstances force a multi-location brand to consolidate?
This question is one I’m now increasingly receiving from local enterprises. Brands which made rapid adaptations in 2020[2] to continue serving the public are now having to make longer-term decisions based on the COVID-19 recession, altered consumer behavior, and budget.
Uprooting branches is painful. I believe it’s still too early to predict whether customers’ habits have been permanently changed by the pandemic and adoption of emergent service methodologies, such as telemeetings or home delivery. Forever is a very long time. That being said, Black Friday 2020 saw foot traffic cut in half[3] and some multi-location brands faced with this reality are having to evaluate how to consolidate their bases of operation. A brand which formerly maintained five storefronts in a single city wants to know if it can weather the storm and build a future from just one physical locale.
Each business scenario is different, but there are general questions you should ask prior to consolidation, and there are specific steps to take if you determine the business you’re marketing must retrench. I want to be sure to mention that this article deals with permanent location closure. If you need to temporarily close a location due to COVID, read Google’s guidance on this[4].
Today, we’ll help you consider important factors in the decision-making process about permanent closure of locations, walk you through managing Google My Business listing consolidation with help from a Google Gold Product Expert, and prepare you