Should You Delete Your Google Business Profile? Read This Before You Decide

Looking for advice on deleting your Google Business Profile?

Maybe your business is closing, you’ve restructured, or you’re overwhelmed by duplicate listings. Before you hit that delete button, let’s explore the real impact, smart alternatives, and why keeping a profile active can be a secret weapon for your success.

Below you’ll also find the full video from Torie Mathis, Marketing Agency CEO and Digital Marketing Coach, who’s been there, deleted her profile, and regretted it!

Reasons You Might Consider Deleting Your Profile

According to Torie Mathis, the top reasons include:

• Business Closure: If your doors have permanently closed, removing your profile prevents customer confusion and stops wrong turns to your old location.
• Business Restructuring: A major overhaul may mean your current profile no longer fits your new model; sometimes, updates aren’t enough.
• Duplicate Listings: Duplicate profiles can arise from mistakes, and consolidating them streamlines your online presence.

However, as Torie Mathis warns, such a move is more final than you think.

Why Deleting Can Hurt More Than Help

Before you delete, consider these critical drawbacks:

• Loss of Online Presence: Once gone, your business vanishes from Google Maps and Search, instantly impacting visibility.
• SEO Impact: Your profile powers your local SEO for free. Removing it means dropping from search results, where 91% of online customer journeys begin.
• Trust and Engagement: Reviews and updated info build customer trust and drive conversions. A deleted profile wipes out this trust-building asset.
• Customer Interaction: You lose a key feedback channel, making it harder to gather reviews or insights directly from your customers.
• Competitive Edge: A well-crafted profile gives you a leg up over competitors, especially those ignoring this free tool.

Remember, Torie Mathis shared her own regret after deleting a profile due to a business move; she lost not only visibility, but valuable history and reviews.

Smarter Alternatives to Deleting

Before you delete, consider these non-destructive options:

Mark as Permanently Closed 
If you’re shutting down, this preserves all history and reviews, making it clear to searchers without erasing your digital footprint.

Mark as Temporarily Closed
Going through short-term changes, a rebrand, or a relocation? Temporarily close the listing, and you retain your visibility and precious data while you make up your mind.

Update Your Profile
Changed address, services, or branding? Edit your info instead of starting from scratch. This route protects your existing SEO and customer engagement.

What If You Already Deleted?

Reinstating a deleted profile isn’t simple: you’ll need to start over. All reviews, pictures, and business history are lost for good, so caution is critical.

The step-by-step deletion process is straightforward, but permanent. For those who need more help, Torie Mathis recommends dropping a YouTube comment, visiting the Google Help Community, or contacting Google Support directly. Helpful links await in the video description.

Revitalize Your Profile

Not ready to let go? Instead, invigorate your Google Business Profile by gathering more reviews. Torie Mathis offers a free Review Boosting Bootcamp, packed with templates, scripts, automation tools, and a pro-designed review landing page, everything you need to multiply your reviews and reclaim your competitive edge!

Smart Marketing Is Bigger Than Just Google Profiles

But managing your Google Business Profile is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to a smart marketing strategy. Let me ask you a question: Do you know how your marketing stacks up?

Find out by taking the SMART Marketing quiz. Get customized results on how to get smarter with your marketing, you’ll learn exactly what YOUR business should focus on, get tailored recommendations for the best bang for your buck, and unleash your business’s true potential. It’s like having a personal marketing coach by your side!

And remember, you don’t need crazy tech skills, buckets of cash, or a dedicated staff to market your business. In fact, you don’t even need a lot of time.

What you need is to be smart, and managing your Google Business Profile is smart for your business.

If you're ready to grow your business with smart marketing you can:

1. Sign up for weekly FREE Business Bytes with CEO, Torie Mathis

2. Get a SMART Funnel and begin to automate your marketing

3. Learn Digital Marketing with a Smart Marketing Course

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: TORIE MATHIS

Torie Mathis helps entrepreneurs grow their business with Smart Marketing.  She is a best-selling author, Army veteran, international speaker + trainer, and the CEO + Creative Director at Lake Shark Media. She also teaches entrepreneurs how to get smart with digital marketing at toriemathis.com