Google Business Profile (GBP) is a free tool offered by Google to help you manage and boost the online visibility of your business on Google Search and Map by allowing you to customize your business information, such as address and phone number, to create a comprehensive listing. Additionally, for customers searching for your business or similar businesses on Google, GBP showcases customer reviews and photos which can attract potential customers. By connecting your website with GBP, you can streamline updates, ensuring consistency between your websites’s Business Info and GBP. This not only saves you time but also maintains the accuracy of your business data.
Note
The syncing mechanism exclusively operates between the Business Info section in the Content Library and the site owner’s Google Business Profile.
While Local Business Schema and Google Business Profile are related in the context of online business information, they are distinct. Local Business Schema enhances visibility in search results through markup language, whereas Google Business Profile manages online presence on Google.
Warning
Google has very specific restrictions in order to sync to Google Business Profile. Please review the Important Information section in this article for details.
Supported Fields
You can synchronize the following data between the Content Library and Google Business Profile:
Content Library Field | Required | Description |
Business Name (not Location Name) | Yes | The name of the business as it is most commonly represented to customers. |
Business Logo | No | A logo representing the business. While not required, it is strongly recommended. |
Address | Yes | The physical address of the business. |
Phone Number | No | Up to three phone numbers where the business can be contacted. |
Social Icons | No | The social media profiles of the business. |
Important Information
Google has very specific restrictions in terms of what information is necessary in order to sync to Google Business Profile as well as the formatting of this information. Please keep these limitations in mind when updating business data in the site’s Content Library when syncing to Google Business Profile. If you do not follow the requirements set by Google you will run into errors in syncing the data.
Limitations and Requirements:
Business name is mandatory.
An address, a phone number, or a site URL at the very least is required.
Phone numbers should have correct format.
You can have up to 3 phone numbers.
You can't change the address to a different country.
Google must be able to find the address in order to accept the data - therefore, it is recommended to stick to the exact formatting for addresses to avoid any errors.
Google limits the number of times you can update your business profile (within a certain time period) - we recommend limiting the number of updates you make for this reason. You will otherwise run into errors in syncing the data with Google. Once you pass the limit you will be restricted from updating the profile, therefore we recommend to make all changes in bulk when syncing.
Initial Setup
To sync the Content Library to the Google Business Profile:
In the side panel of the editor, click Content, and then click Business Info.
In the banner, click Connect to GBP to initiate Google’s OAuth consent flow.
After successful authentication, you will encounter one of two options:
A Google modal or a dropdown with an option to select the business you wish to connect.
A link to Google with instructions on how to create and claim a GBP if you have not already done so.
In case of data discrepancies between the Content Library and GBP, choose the initial source of truth to sync data by pulling from one system to another:
Selecting Google will update the Content Library GBP’s data. Subsequently, the default sync will continue from the Content Library to GBP.
Upon connecting GBP, a visual indication confirming synchronization between the Content Library and GBP will appear in a banner within the Content Library.
Whenever you (1) publish the site, (2) publish the Content Library, or (3) click on Sync with Google, the Business Info in the Content Library will publish and push the updated data to the Google Business Profile.
Ongoing Sync
By default, the toggle allowing continuous syncing between Content Library and GBP systems is off. However, you can enable the toggle to synchronize data every twelve hours. This means that Business Info in the Content Library will update by pulling data from Google, potentially overwriting unpublished changes made in the Content Library.
To enable continuous sync between the Content Library and Google Business Profile:
In the side panel of the editor, click Content, and then click Business Info.
In the banner, click Additional Options and select Settings to access the continuous sync toggle. Enable the toggle.
Banner Navigation
After connecting the Content Library and the Google Business Profile, the Content Library will display a banner containing important information, including:
Sync status (e.g. success state and fail state)
Timestamp of the last successful sync
Link to open the GBP console
Button to push Business Info data from Content Library to GBP
Button for additional options, including:
Pull Business Info data from GPB to Content Library
Link to support article
Settings button (i.e. continuous sync toggle)
Disconnect Google account
Disconnecting a Google account will disconnect GBP from the site and keep the existing data present in the Content Library.
Troubleshooting
I received a "this app is blocked" error
The issue was caused by a security change on Google's end that we had to comply with.
To fix it:
Navigate to myaccount.google.com/connections
Search for Website Builder
Click Delete all connections you have with Website Builder.
Go back to Maisey, and try to connect again.