GBP Phone Number Not Callable — How to Fix It

Imagine a customer who is all ready to contact your business through Google, but the phone number on your profile cannot be tapped or is wrongly formatted — the call never gets through, and you wouldn't even know it happened. This is the reality faced by many small and medium enterprise (SME) owners in Malaysia every single day. Based on data from BrightLocal (2024), 87% of users turn to Google to evaluate local businesses before making a decision — and a phone number that cannot be reached is the single most avoidable barrier, yet the most frequently overlooked.

This article will guide you step by step to identify and fix phone number issues in your Google Business Profile (GBP), even if you've never changed your GBP settings before.

What You'll Need

Before getting started, make sure you have the following:

A Google account linked to your business's Google Business Profile
GBP management access — you must be an Owner or Manager of the profile
A valid business phone number in Malaysian format (e.g. 03-XXXX XXXX for landlines, or 01X-XXX XXXX for mobile numbers)
A mobile device or computer with an internet connection
Time required: Approximately 10–15 minutes
Difficulty level: Easy (suitable for beginners)

Why a Wrong GBP Phone Number Has a Big Impact

Before we get into the technical steps, it's important for you to understand why this issue is serious. According to Moz (2023), Google Business Profile signals contribute as much as 36% of Local Pack ranking factors — meaning incomplete or incorrect information directly weakens your business's position in local search results.

What's more concerning, internal GBPAuditLab data from 17 Malaysian business audits over the past 90 days found that 100% of audited profiles had no complete business description, and 52.94% had no website link — indicating that basic information like a correct phone number is very likely being overlooked by many business owners as well.

Every time your phone number cannot be reached, you are quietly losing customers — without any notification, without any record.

Main Reasons Why a GBP Phone Number Cannot Be Called

Before fixing the issue, you need to know the common causes:

Incorrect number format — for example, entering +6012-345 6789 without the + sign, or using a format not recognised by Google's system.
An outdated number that hasn't been updated — the business phone number changed, but the GBP profile was never updated.
Inactive number — the SIM card or phone line is no longer in use but is still listed in GBP.
Personal number used as a business number — the number is not always active or answered during business hours.
No number entered at all — the phone number field is left empty or filled with only a WhatsApp number in the wrong format.

Step 1: Check Your Current Phone Number in GBP

Open and check your Google Business Profile to see the phone number currently being displayed to customers.

Go to business.google.com and log in with your Google account.
Select your business from the list (if you manage more than one).
On the left-hand menu, click "Info".
Look for the "Phone number" section and take note of the number displayed.

[Image: Screenshot of the Google Business Profile dashboard showing the business information section with the phone number field highlighted, viewed on a laptop screen placed on a wooden table in a small Malaysian shop]

Questions to ask yourself:

Is this number still active?
Is this number answered during operating hours?
Is the number format correct?

Pro Tip: Try calling that number from a different phone right now to confirm it is truly reachable.

Step 2: Test Your Phone Number Like a Customer Would

Test your phone number directly before making any changes, so you know exactly what the issue is.

Use a different mobile phone (not the same phone as your business number).
Search for your business on Google Maps or Google Search.
Tap the "Call" button that appears on your GBP panel.
Take note of what happens:

- Does the call go through? ✅ - Does a message appear saying "Number does not exist"? ❌ - Is it engaged or unanswered? ⚠️ - Does the call go to the wrong number? ❌

[Image: The hands of a shop owner holding a smartphone, tapping a phone number displayed in Google Maps search results on another device placed beside them on the shop counter]

Note down the results of this test — it will help you determine whether the issue is with the number format or with the number itself being inactive.

Step 3: Edit and Fix the Phone Number Format

Update your phone number using the correct format recognised by Google for Malaysian businesses.

Correct Phone Number Formats for Malaysia

Number Type	Correct Format	Example
Landline (Klang Valley)	0X-XXXX XXXX	03-2345 6789
Landline (other states)	0X-XXX XXXX	04-234 5678
Mobile	01X-XXX XXXX	012-345 6789
Mobile (11 digits)	011-XXXX XXXX	011-1234 5678

How to Edit the Phone Number

On the GBP dashboard, click the pencil (edit) icon next to the phone number field.
Delete the old incorrectly formatted number.
Re-type the number in the correct format. Google recommends the international format: +60 3-2345 6789 or the local format 03-2345 6789.
Click "Save" or "Apply".

[Image: Google Business Profile dashboard with the phone number editing dialog box open, showing an empty input field ready to be filled in, viewed from a desk angle in a small office]

Important Warning: Do not enter a WhatsApp number as the primary phone number unless that number can also receive normal voice calls. Google uses this number for standard phone call verification.

Step 4: Add a Secondary Phone Number (If Needed)

Add a secondary phone number if your business has more than one reachable number.

GBP allows you to enter additional phone numbers besides the primary number. This is useful if:

You have a landline number and a mobile number
You want to list your WhatsApp Business number as a second number
You have different branches with different numbers

How to Add a Second Number

In the phone number section, click "Add phone number".
Enter the second number in the correct format.
Click "Save".

[Image: A Malaysian female business owner dressed professionally, smiling while talking on the phone in front of her clean and well-kept shop, with the shop signage facing the street]

Step 5: Wait for Verification and Check Update Status

Monitor the changes you've made, as Google needs time to process and verify business information updates.

Phone number changes typically take anywhere from a few minutes to 3 business days to appear live in Google Search.
In some cases, Google may request re-verification via a phone call or SMS.
You will receive an email notification once the changes have been approved or if there are any issues.

How to Check Update Status

Log in to business.google.com.
Check whether there are any notifications or alerts at the top of the dashboard.
Search for your business again on Google after 24 hours to confirm the new number is showing.

Note: According to Google (2024), complete and accurate GBP information directly improves local search rankings — so every update you make is an investment in your business's visibility.

Step 6: Ensure Your Phone Number Is Consistent Across All Platforms (NAP Consistency)

Check and align your phone number across all online platforms to ensure consistency of your NAP (Name, Address, Phone) information.

Inconsistencies in phone numbers between GBP, your website, social media, and other business directories can:

Confuse customers
Weaken Google's confidence in the accuracy of your business information
Negatively impact your local SEO rankings

Platform Checklist to Review

[ ] Your official business website (header, footer, "Contact Us" page)
[ ] Facebook Business Page
[ ] Instagram Business Profile
[ ] Yelp, Foursquare, or other business directories
[ ] Digital or physical name cards
[ ] E-commerce platforms (Shopee, Lazada if relevant)

Step 7: Audit Your GBP Profile Thoroughly with GBPAuditLab

Run a full audit of your Google Business Profile to make sure your phone number isn't the only information that needs fixing.

Fixing your phone number is a good start, but it's just one of many factors that affect your GBP's performance. GBPAuditLab data shows that the average audit score for Malaysian businesses is only 71.4/100 — meaning there is plenty of room for improvement.

Other commonly found issues include:

100% of profiles have no complete business description — the most frequently missed signal
52.94% have no website link
5.88% have no updated operating hours

How to Use GBPAuditLab

Visit gbpauditlab.com.
Enter your business name or Google Maps URL.
Click "Start Audit" and wait for the report to be generated (takes less than 1 minute).
Review the detailed report that will highlight all weaknesses in your GBP profile — including phone number, description, photos, operating hours, and more.
Follow the recommendations provided to fix each issue according to priority.

[Image: A well-dressed Malaysian male business owner standing confidently in front of his bright and clean shop in the morning, looking ready to start the business day]

Start your free audit today at gbpauditlab.com — get a full report on your GBP profile health in less than a minute.

Summary: Quick Checklist

Use this checklist to make sure you've completed all the steps:

[ ] ✅ Check current phone number in GBP
[ ] ✅ Test phone number like a customer would (use Google Maps)
[ ] ✅ Edit and fix phone number format
[ ] ✅ Add secondary phone number if needed
[ ] ✅ Wait and check update status (1–3 days)
[ ] ✅ Ensure NAP consistency across all platforms
[ ] ✅ Run a full GBP audit at GBPAuditLab

Conclusion

A phone number that cannot be called on your Google Business Profile is a small problem with a big impact — every failed call is a potential customer who may go to your competitor instead. By following the seven easy steps in this guide, you can fix this issue in under 15 minutes. Remember, according to Google (2024), complete and accurate GBP information directly improves local search rankings — and that means more customers can find and contact your business.

Don't let a simple technical issue hold back your business growth. Start by fixing your phone number today, then run a thorough audit at gbpauditlab.com to make sure every aspect of your GBP profile is in tip-top shape.