Your Clinic’s Google Listing Isn’t Set and Forget: Why You Need to Keep an Eye on It

Google Business Profile (GBP) is one of the most powerful tools for helping local pet owners find your veterinary clinic online. But just setting it up and walking away is risky, especially when Google can change your details without warning, or suspend your listing if you update it incorrectly.

In this article, we explain why every vet clinic should be regularly checking their Google listing, and how to handle rebrands or location changes without putting your online visibility at risk.

Many practice owners are surprised to learn that anyone can suggest edits to a Google listing. A well-meaning client or even a local competitor could make a change to your name, phone number, business hours or address and if Google thinks it looks legitimate, they might publish the change automatically.

This can lead to serious problems for vet clinics, such as:

• Clients calling the wrong number or being told it’s disconnected
• Pet owners turning up at an old location after you’ve moved
• Lower rankings if your business details are inconsistent online

Tip: Log in to your Google Business dashboard every few weeks to check that your details are still accurate and look out for any unauthorised changes.

If you’re moving to a new address or changing your practice name, it might feel logical to update your Google listing straight away. But doing this too early can trigger a re-verification process, and in some cases, a suspension.

When you change key information like your:

• Practice name
• Street address
• Phone number

Google may ask you to re-verify the listing. This could be as simple as receiving a text, or as complicated as recording a video tour showing your clinic’s signage, reception, treatment rooms, and more.

If you’re renaming your veterinary business, talk to us first. A name change often means updating your website domain, email addresses, backlinks, and search engine rankings. These changes can affect your visibility online and should be carefully managed to mitigate a lesser effect on your SEO and patient enquiries.

Many businesses make the mistake of changing their Google Business Profile address first, but this can lead to suspension or trigger the dreaded video verification process. Based on expert advice from Whitespark, here’s a smarter way to update your location that gives you the best chance of a smooth transition:

1. Update Your Business Registration Details:
   Make sure your official government business records reflect your new clinic address. Google often checks these sources during verification.

2. Update All Online Directories:
   This includes Facebook, Bing, LinkedIn, Yelp, and any veterinary-specific sites (like PetYeti, LocalVet, or your state vet association directory). Don’t forget about data aggregators. If these still show your old address, they can overwrite your manual updates elsewhere.

3. Update Your Website:
   Add the new address to the page linked to your GBP, and ensure it’s visible in the footer of every page across your site.

4. Wait 10-14 Days for Google to Catch Up:
   Give Google time to crawl and index your updated information across the web.

5. Try “Suggest an Edit” from a Trusted Source:
   If someone who is not a GBP manager (e.g. a client or Local Guide) suggests your new address via Google Maps, the change is more likely to be accepted without triggering re-verification.

6. Update Through Your GBP Dashboard Only as a Last Resort:
   If step 5 doesn’t work, go ahead and update the address through the Google Business Profile editor (NMX). Because your digital footprint has already been updated, it’s less likely to raise red flags, though not guaranteed.

By following this process, you reduce your risk of suspension and may be offered a text or phone verification rather than the much more complex video process.

Source: Whitespark’s GBP verification tips

When changes appear inconsistent, or when a listing looks like it's been keyword-stuffed (e.g. “Happy Paws Vet Gold Coast Animal Emergency Clinic Vaccinations”), Google may flag or suspend the profile.

Vet clinics should use their real-world business name, not a list of services or locations. If your profile is suspended, you’ll have to go through a reinstatement process,  and in the meantime, your listing will disappear from Maps and search results.

Sometimes, especially if you're relocating far away or merging with another clinic, it may make more sense to create a new Google Business Profile instead of updating the existing one. But this approach comes with its own downsides:

• You’ll lose your existing reviews
• It may take weeks to regain the same visibility
• You’ll need to mark the old listing as moved or closed

It’s best to speak to a marketing expert who understands veterinary practice SEO and the nuances of Google listings before making the call.

We help vet clinics across Australia manage their online presence and Google Business Profile is one of the tools we pay close attention to. Our team can:

• Monitor your listing for incorrect changes
• Help you plan safe updates to your business name or location
• Improve your local visibility on Google Maps and search
• Ensure your online directory listings are accurate and consistent

Whether you’re about to move, rebrand, or just want peace of mind that your profile is helping not hurting your visibility, we’re here to help.

Get in touch with our team before you update your Google Business Profile. We’ll help you roll it out the right way and help mitigate potential challenges along the way for not just with Google Business profile, but with your whole presence online to mitigate it so you don't drastically drop off all together.