The Shark Tank

Remember back in October when Google Business Profile users were experiencing the suspension bug, in which the slightest activity triggered your GBP into suspension? A few weeks later, in November, another bug came to do its disservice within GBPs.

What is the Bug?

This bug is referred to as the Google Reviews Bug – and its name is pretty self-explanatory. GBP users have reported cases of their important business reviews going missing. A flurry of tweets spotted these developments in November, highlighting an increasing number of disappearing GBP reviews.

Following a suggested edits update, it seems as if Google pushed live changes to Google Business Profiles. But, as was discovered, the updates were also changing the Ludocid (often called a CID) numbers of the profiles. In Google’s eyes, the changes in the CID numbers meant that new listings were being created. Therefore, existing reviews were dissociated from the profiles and then removed altogether.

What Impact Can a Google Reviews Bug Have?

Local business reviews are essential when it comes to credibility and presence. This bug could result in businesses losing out on hard-earned positive reviews. That is why it is imperative to know what to do if you are affected by this bug and to have experienced professionals behind your business to ensure this bug and other similar errors do not negatively affect your presence on Google.

To ensure that you are prepared in case this bug does affect you, make sure that you keep a record of all your business reviews. This includes the name of the reviewer and its content. To do this, you can set up an email folder and set your profile so you receive email notifications for each new review your business receives. In addition, you should know your Google CID number and store the CID somewhere that you will remember and find easily. Last but not least, you should monitor any Suggested Edits changes on your Google Business Profile in order to spot any inaccuracies on Google.