About 20 years ago, we decided to start an online flower shop. The idea was simple—provide our customers with beautiful, high-quality flowers they could order online. However, things became far more complicated when we entered the digital world, particularly when dealing with Google My Business (GMB).

We’ve always believed that having a strong online presence is key, and GMB appeared to be a vital tool for businesses like ours. But over the years, using it has felt like trying to solve a never-ending puzzle. It’s not just confusing; it’s like stepping into a maze that constantly shifts. It’s not just about adding the right information—sometimes it’s about hoping that your business information doesn’t disappear into the void.

The Maze of Inconsistent Policies

One of the most frustrating aspects of GMB is the inconsistency of its policies. We’ve seen our business listings undergo changes that we didn’t make ourselves. Sometimes details like our hours or location will be suddenly incorrect, and attempts to correct them don’t always stick. On other occasions, reviews will disappear for no apparent reason. It’s like Google plays by its own set of rules—rules they don’t feel the need to share.

Unexplained Suspensions and the "Black Box"

Another challenge we've faced is account suspensions or certain listings being flagged for reasons that are never clear. You’d think that when your business is suspended or flagged, Google would provide a detailed explanation or guidance. But no, often it feels like we’re dealing with a faceless giant that doesn’t care. Their automated responses leave us with more questions than answers.

The worst part is, if your listing gets removed or altered, it can have serious impacts on your business. Suddenly, customers can’t find you, orders drop, and you’re left scrambling to fix an issue you didn’t even know existed. And trying to get a human response from Google is like waiting for rain in the desert.

Fighting for Visibility

Here’s a scary thought: even this blog post might make things worse for us. We are fully aware that sticking our neck out could backfire. We’ve heard stories about businesses that voiced their frustrations with Google, only to have their listings mysteriously plummet in rankings or face additional scrutiny. We’re not saying that this will happen to us, but the fear is real.

As a small business, we rely on tools like GMB to survive, but the reality is, we have little control over how it works. Our only option is to keep trying to navigate this system, even if we feel like we’re swimming upstream.

Moving Forward

Despite the frustrations, we will continue to serve our loyal customers with the same dedication we’ve had for the past two decades. We will keep trying to make Google My Business work for us, even if it feels impossible sometimes. Hopefully, in the future, the platform becomes more transparent and user-friendly, so businesses like ours can spend more time focusing on delivering great products and less time trying to understand how we’re being seen online.