What changed in September 2026
On September 25, 2026, Google updated its help pages for posts. It now says it may remove posts with unverified contact information, which includes phone numbers, email addresses and social media handles in the post text. If Google cannot confirm that a number belongs to the business, the post can be rejected.
Google's own advice is simple. Do not type your phone number into the post. Add a Call now button instead. That button uses the phone number already verified on your profile.
What we saw on 8 salon profiles
Element Nail Bar, the salon group where we test our work first, posted every day to 8 Google profiles from a scheduling tool. Each caption ended with the address and the phone number.
- From October 14, 2026, Google rejected the daily posts at 5 of the 8 profiles.
- At 2 other profiles, the same kind of post went live, so the problem was easy to miss.
- On October 28, we posted the same day's text to 3 of the rejected profiles with the address and phone number removed and a Call now button added. All 3 went live within 2 minutes and stayed live.
We also found a second problem. On 4 profiles, the Book button opened a different salon's website. Clients who tapped it landed on the wrong location. Every profile's buttons should point to that location's own page.
Element is owned by EDGE's founder and is our proving ground, not a client testimonial.
The fix, step by step
- Remove phone numbers, email addresses and social handles from the post text.
- Add a button instead: Call now for calls, or Book, Learn more or Order online with a link to that location's own page.
- Check that every link opens the right location, not your main site or another salon.
- Post to each location's profile separately, with that location's details.
- Use real photos of your work and your salon when you can.
- Once a week, open the Posts list on each profile and look for posts marked as rejected.
Why this matters for your map ranking
Google does not say that posts move your ranking. Posts do help the people who already see your profile decide to call, book or visit. A rejected post does nothing at all, so a daily posting habit that is mostly rejected is wasted work. If your posts come from a scheduling tool, check its settings for the phone number and the button link.
Questions
Can I put my phone number in a Google post?+
It is safer not to. Since September 2026, Google says it may remove posts with unverified contact information. Use the Call now button, which uses your verified number.
How do I know if a post was rejected?+
Open your Business Profile, go to your posts, and look at the status of each one. Rejected posts do not show on Google.
Do Google posts improve my ranking?+
Google does not say they do. They help people who see your profile choose you, which is why every post should go live.