Google has updated the Google Maps and Business Profiles Prohibited & restricted content policy's advertising and solicitation section to list what merchants and business owners cannot post on their listings and posts.
Google updated the advertising and solicitation section to expand what is included in what is prohibited in that section.
It now says:
Contributions to Google Maps should reflect genuine experiences or define a business's permanent identity. This helps users discover listings and ensures the platform remains reliable rather than a marketplace. Therefore, don't post content for advertising or solicitation purposes.
Google then added a "For merchants" section that lists what you cannot post in the listing and in the posts:
- In the listing: Promotional or commercial content that contains any of the following: Time-bound promotions, pricing, or direct calls-to-action.
- In posts: Email addresses, phone numbers, social media links, or links to other websites in your posts that are not related to your business. Offers and updates that may be seen as promotional or commercial content are otherwise permitted in posts.
This was spotted by Hiroko Imai who posted screenshots on LinkedIn of the before and after:
Before:
After:
Forum discussion at LinkedIn.
