3 Things That Happened to Your Google Business Profile in September (Google Only Emailed About One)
If you run a local business, your Google Business Profile is probably the most-viewed page you own. It’s seen more often than your homepage. In September 2026, three separate things happened to Google Business Profiles, and Google only emailed owners about one of them.
I’ve been doing this for 18 years, and I can tell you that most owners never heard about any of the three. That’s not because they aren’t paying attention. It’s because your Google profile is a shop window someone else controls, and the landlord doesn’t always tell you when the glass gets smashed.
Here’s what happened, what it means for you, and a simple monthly routine that covers all three.
Insights data went missing
September’s performance data didn’t show up in Business Profile reports.
No emailFake photos with a scammer’s phone number
AI-generated images were uploaded to real listings with a different number printed on them.
No emailThe spam review email
Google now tells you when it removes a spike of spam reviews and pauses new ones.
Email sent1. The spam review email (22 September)
Google has started sending owners an email that says it has “detected a spike in spam reviews on your Business Profile and removed them so they do not affect your Google rating.”
When it happens, Google does two things. It removes the reviews it has flagged. Then it temporarily pauses new reviews, ratings and other user contributions on your profile, usually for a few days, until it decides the threat has passed.
On the face of it, that’s good news. Fake reviews, whether they come from a competitor or a bot, can wreck a rating in a weekend, and now Google is stepping in automatically.
- Make sure the email address on your Business Profile is one somebody actually reads, not an old Gmail from when the listing was set up.
- If you get this email, compare your review count and recent reviews with what you had before. Screenshot them monthly so you have a baseline.
- If genuine reviews have gone, contact Google Business Profile support and ask them to reinstate them.
- Spread out your review requests. Asking every customer steadily beats sending 200 requests in one afternoon.
2. Fake photos with somebody else’s phone number (10 September)
This one is nasty. Scammers have been uploading AI-generated photos to real Business Profiles through Google Maps’ open contribution system. The photos look like ordinary images of the business, except there’s a phone number printed on them. It isn’t yours.
A customer searches, sees a photo with a number on it, and calls. The scammer answers. You lose the job, and possibly your reputation too, if the scammer takes a deposit and disappears.
The first reports came from the US, where it was spotted on a roofing company’s listing. One contributor had reportedly uploaded images to dozens, possibly hundreds, of profiles before Google removed the account. Trade and emergency-callout businesses are the obvious targets: roofers, plumbers, locksmiths and anyone a panicked customer rings without thinking. UK businesses shouldn’t assume it won’t reach them.
“Your website can look perfect while your Google listing quietly sends calls to someone else. Nothing on your side tells you it’s happening.”
Stuart Baddiley, Optimise Your Marketing- Open your profile on Google Maps as a customer would, and look through the photos uploaded “By customers”, not just your own.
- Report anything with a phone number, website or name that isn’t yours.
- Upload fresh photos of your own regularly: your logo, a cover photo, your team, your van, your work. This keeps your images at the front and pushes stray uploads further down.
- Ask new callers how they found you. “I rang the number on Google and nobody knew who I was” is an early warning.
3. The insights went dark (8 September)
On 8 September, owners opening their Business Profile performance reports found no September data at all. Reports are often a few days behind, but eight days into the month with nothing showing wasn’t normal.
The good news is that data started populating again around 11 September, so for most profiles this was a delay rather than a permanent loss. Even so, for over a week the dashboard you’d open to spot problems one and two was the part that wasn’t working.
- Add UTM tracking to the website link on your profile, so clicks from Google show up in your own Google Analytics.
- Use a call tracking number, or at least log “how did you hear about us?” on every enquiry.
- Export or screenshot your key profile numbers monthly and keep them in one place you control.
The pattern behind all three
None of these is really a Google problem you can fix. They’re a visibility problem. In each case, the issue was on a platform you don’t control, and the only question was how long it took you to notice.
Seth Godin talks about how the people who get noticed are the ones who notice. It works the other way round too: problems get bigger when nobody’s watching. You don’t need expensive software to be watching. You need a routine, and someone who owns it.
In the BIG12 framework, your Google Business Profile sits across two Get Found pillars: Local and Google. Both depend on the same thing: whether the information customers see about you is accurate, current and actually yours.
Your 15-minute monthly Google Business Profile check
Put this in the diary for the first working day of each month. Give it to one named person. If everyone’s responsible for it, nobody is.
- Reviews: Note your total review count and star rating. Has it dropped without explanation? Reply to every new review.
- Customer photos: Check photos uploaded by customers. Report anything showing a phone number, name or website that isn’t yours.
- Your own photos: Add at least two new, real photos of your business, team or work.
- Contact details: Check your phone number, website link, hours and service area are correct. Anyone can suggest edits to your profile.
- Owner email: Confirm the profile’s owner and manager emails still go to someone who reads them.
- Numbers: Record calls, website clicks and direction requests somewhere you control, alongside your GA4 and call tracking data.
- Map pack: Search your main service and town in incognito mode and note where you appear.
| Incident | Google tells you? | Your early warning |
|---|---|---|
| Spam reviews removed and paused | Yes, by email | Review count baseline and a monitored inbox |
| Fake photos with a scam number | No | Monthly check of customer photos |
| Insights data missing | No | Your own GA4, UTMs and call tracking |
How healthy is your Get Found cluster?
Take the free BIG12 Scorecard. It takes 5 minutes, scores all 12 pillars out of 100, and shows you where you’re leaking leads.
Take the BIG12 ScorecardWhat good looks like
When we worked with Etta Plumbing in Derby, the goal wasn’t just to rank. It was to be the plumber people found and could trust when they searched “plumbers near me”. That meant page one for the terms that matter, supported by more than 30 local blog posts and a profile that was checked and kept current. Rankings get you seen. A clean, accurate profile makes sure the phone rings in the right place.
As Alex Hormozi puts it, the goal is to make your offer so good people feel stupid saying no. But even the best offer is worthless if the customer rings a scammer’s number or never sees your five-star reviews.
Frequently asked questions
Why did Google pause reviews on my Business Profile?
If Google detects a sudden spike in reviews it believes are spam, it removes them and temporarily pauses new reviews, ratings and contributions, usually for a few days. You should receive an email when this happens. Check whether any genuine reviews were removed and contact Google Business Profile support if they were.
Can someone else add photos to my Google Business Profile?
Yes. Customers and Google Maps contributors can upload photos to any public listing. Most are genuine, but scammers have used this to upload images showing fake phone numbers. Check customer photos monthly and report anything misleading.
Why is my Google Business Profile insights data missing?
Profile performance data can be delayed by a few days. In September 2026 there was a longer delay, with data missing until around 11 September. Tracking clicks with UTMs in Google Analytics and using call tracking gives you a record that doesn’t depend on Google’s dashboard.
How often should I check my Google Business Profile?
At least once a month, with a quick weekly look at new reviews. A 15-minute monthly check covering reviews, photos, contact details and performance numbers catches most problems early.
Want a second pair of eyes on your profile?
Book a free 90-minute BIG12 audit with me. We’ll look at your Google profile, your local rankings and the other 10 pillars, and you’ll leave with a clear plan.
Book your free audit