Google Ads accounts with multiple admins may be connected to more than one Google My Business (GMB) profile.
If you have a Google Ads account with multiple admins, you may find that you have several connections to multiple Google My Business (GMB) profiles in your locations assets. This can happen if different admins have connected different GMB profiles to the account.
This may not be a problem for all accounts. For example, accounts with only one associated GMB store will likely not need to restrict their location association. These accounts could simply remove the connection entirely if the GMB profile association is not relevant.
However, accounts with multiple admins may have multiple GMB profiles associated with their account. In the latter scenario, some GMB store profiles may be potentially unrelated to the ads campaigns, while other GMB profiles are related.
To avoid unrelated GMB associations, advertisers can restrict the location associations to only include the GMB profiles that are relevant to their ads campaigns.
Beware of Inconsistent Terminology: Location Listing vs GMB profile
Google has introduced complexity to the terminology surrounding the Google Ads and GMB connection process by inconsistently referring to what is commonly known as ‘GMB profiles‘ as ‘Location listings‘ and several other infrequently used descriptors.
This varied terminology specifically pertains to the Ad Destination reporting segments and Location Assets metrics within Google Ads.
Here are several descriptors in Google Ads that all pertain to a GMB listing:
- Google My Business Profiles
- Google Business Manager Accounts
- Location Listings
- GMB Profiles
- Business Listings
- Location Associations
These terms may be used interchangeably within Google Ads to signify the same concept of Google My Business profiles.
The inclusion of “Location” in the descriptor could have been avoided. In nearly all other instances in Google Ads and Analytics documentation, “Location” pertains to “Location Targeting,” which is an entirely distinct concept.
To mitigate confusion, it would be beneficial for Google to establish unified naming conventions for GMB features and integrations, preferably employing straightforward terms such as GMB listings or GMB profiles.
Until such unification occurs, it is important to recognize that “Location” references in Google Ads may indicate “Location Listings” (also known as GMB profiles) but can also refer to “Location Targeting.”
To only serve a specific GMB Listing (aka Location Listing) with your Google Ads, you can restrict the association.
You can restrict the location (GMB) association in your Google Ads admin by syncing only locations with a specific business name.
Here are some common scenarios why an advertiser or agency might need to update an account by restricting the Location Associations by Syncing only locations (GMB listing) with a specific business name:
- You have multiple Google My Business listings and you only want to sync locations with a specific business name.
- You have changed the business name of your Google My Business listing and you need to update your Google Ads account to reflect the change.
- You have added a new Google My Business listing and you want to sync it with your Google Ads account.
Step-by-Step Guide: How to restrict specific GMB profile associations in Google Ads
- Go to your Google Ads account.
- Click on the Assets tab.
- Under Legacy assets, click on Location.
- Under Location association, click on the Account drop-down menu.
- Select the account that you want to update.
- Click on the Edit button.
- Under Location, select the Sync only locations with a specific business name checkbox.
- Enter the business name that you want to sync locations with.
- Click on the Save button.
Once you have saved your changes, Google Ads will only sync locations that have the business name that you entered.
