Temporary and Permanent Google Business Profile Closure: Determining the Best Choice

If you own a Google Business Profile in Washington DC and are looking to delete it, whether permanently or temporarily. There are a few options available to you: permanent closure or temporary or seasonal closure. Let us look at the different procedures entailed in these two closure processes and how to decide your best option.

What are the top reasons people delete a GBP?

Business owners in Washington, DC, delete their Google Business Profile for many reasons, depending on their peculiar situations. Some of the most common reasons why you may need to remove your business listings on Google include:

• Your business is closing down permanently
• You created a business profile for a business that is ineligible for listing or does not exist
• You temporarily or seasonally closed your business; temporary removal allows you to still appear on search and maps despite being closed to customers

Marking your Google Profile listing as permanently closed: How can you get that done?

With permanent GBP closure, your profile will be permanently closed and removed from Maps so that prospects can no longer see it. “One important point many miss is that when you mark your business as permanently closed, your GBP may still appear on Maps and Search,” says Seth Price of BluShark Digital. Users who search for your business specifically will see it; however, it will show that you are closed.

However, while your listings are still visible on Maps and Search, they will be difficult for users to find. Considering that they are no longer of much value to users, Google intentionally hides them. Usually, users can only find them on Google when they search for them exactly or when they combine their names and addresses.

With that said, below is the process to follow if you want to mark your Google Profile listings as permanently closed:

• Go to your Google Business Profile
• Select “Edit Profile”
• Select the “Hours” tab close to the top
• An “Edit” tab will pop up beside “Hours” once clicked, select that and then choose “permanently closed.”
• Save changes and exit

What to note before completely deleting a Google Profile listing

Note that once you completely delete your listing, it is permanent; you cannot reverse this action. Therefore, before you completely remove a Google listing in DC, ensure you are sure this is what you want. If you are sure you want your listing permanently deleted, note the following before taking the action:

• Every content you added to your profile will be removed permanently, including posts, videos, and photos
• If you created your website with Google Business Profile, permanently deleting your listing will result in your website’s permanent removal.
• You cannot recover or manage content on a deleted or removed profile
• You can only remove a Google Business Profile if you are the owner or primary owner

To permanently remove your profile listing, go to your profile and navigate to the upper right corner. Click on the three dots you see and then select “Business Profile Settings” and then “Remove Business Profile.” 

Afterward, click on “Remove Profile Content and Managers,” then “Continue,” “Remove,” and “Done.” Once you have permanently removed your profile managers and content, go ahead and unselect “mark your business as permanently closed.”

What is a temporary Google Profile listing closure?

If you only want to close your profile temporarily or seasonally, the process is fairly simple and short. As usual, go to your Google Business Profile dashboard and select “Edit Profile,” and then click on the “Edit” button. You can find the edit button beside the hours section; once selected, you will see the listing marked as temporarily closed.

Meanwhile, if you are temporarily closing your business, avoid setting the opening date to a future date. Using this opening date feature will cause Google to hide your listing and reviews on Google Search and Maps.

Conclusion: Deciding the best option for your business

Your choice between permanent and temporary Google listing closures is dependent on your specific circumstances, goals, and business needs. Generally, however, in Washington, DC, business owners close a Google Business listing for reasons such as rebranding, relocation, or business discontinuation. If you are not sure what the best course of action is, a Google Business Profile Product expert can guide you.