Got ATMs or kiosks? Your marketing agency probably told you they can’t get Google Business Profiles. Total nonsense. I hear it constantly: “ATMs don’t have ‘in-person contact,’ so Google won’t list them.” This myth is costing businesses a fortune.
The truth? Yes, they can.
Google’s guidelines, while sometimes confusing, explicitly make exceptions for ATMs, Redbox-style kiosks, and express mail dropboxes. They get it: sometimes the machine is the business. It makes perfect sense when you consider how often people search for “ATM near me.”
This isn’t about arguing with Google’s rules; it’s about knowing how to make them work. Forget the vague advice floating around online. After setting up hundreds of these listings, I can tell you exactly what matters and how to turn those automated machines into powerful local search assets.”
Google’s Rules vs. Reality
Google says businesses need in-person customer contact. Fine for restaurants and dentists. Then they list their exceptions: ATMs, video rental kiosks, express mail dropboxes. Clear as day.
What they don’t tell you is how to actually implement this correctly. That knowledge comes from years of trial and error, plus those conference bar conversations where Google employees actually speak freely.
What Actually Matters
Forget the forum advice. After setting up hundreds of these listings, these are the only requirements that count:
Permanent Locations Only
No county fair pop-ups. No seasonal kiosks. The credit union I mentioned earlier had a mobile ATM they’d park at events. Doesn’t qualify. Google wants machines that stay put.
Dedicated Support Numbers
Each location needs its own customer support contact. Not the branch number. Not the main bank line. A real support number someone can call when the machine eats their card.
I watched a major bank chain lose half their ATM listings because they used branch numbers. When the branches closed, Google thought the ATMs were gone too. Took six months to fix that mess.
The Merger Problem
Never use the host location’s phone number. Your ATM in Walmart? Don’t use Walmart’s number. I’ve untangled dozens of merged listings where Google decided the ATM and the store were the same business.
One client had their entire network of grocery store ATMs merged with the stores themselves. Customers searching for “Chase ATM” were getting grocery store hours and deli counter reviews. Nightmare.
Accurate Access Hours
Your ATM inside a mall that closes at 9 PM isn’t available 24/7, no matter what the machine’s capabilities are. List the actual access hours.
Had a crypto ATM operator list all their machines as 24-hour access. Half were inside businesses with limited hours. The negative reviews about “lying about hours” tanked their visibility across the board.
Simple Names Work Best
“Bank Name ATM” is all you need. Not “Bank Name ATM – Main Street Location” or “Bank Name ATM Inside Kroger.” Google’s algorithm interprets extra location info as keyword stuffing.
Beyond The Basics
Getting listed is step one. Making those listings work for you is where the real value lies.
The Citation Problem Nobody Talks About
Your NAP data has to match everywhere. Not similar. Identical. I mean character-for-character identical.
Found a client’s ATM network with 14 different phone number formats across various directories. Some had parentheses, some had dots, some had dashes. Their local pack visibility was basically zero. Fixed the consistency, saw a 40% traffic increase in two months.
Individual Landing Pages Change Everything
Generic location pages are worthless. Each ATM needs its own page with specific details. Not just an address.
Where exactly in the building? Which entrance? Where’s parking? One client added “Enter through the north doors by the pharmacy, ATM is immediately on your left” to their pages. Foot traffic jumped 25%.
People searching at 11 PM don’t want to wander around a dark shopping center looking for your machine.
Mobile Experience Is Everything
Nobody’s searching for ATMs from their couch. They’re on foot or in their car, using their phone. Your site needs to load fast and show the critical info immediately.
Watched a major kiosk operator’s traffic plummet after a site redesign that looked great on desktop but took 8 seconds to load the location on mobile. Eight seconds might as well be eight years when someone needs cash now.
The Transaction Location Test
The sale has to happen at the machine. This trips people up constantly.
Propane exchanges? Usually no good. You pay inside.
Crypto ATMs? Perfect. Transaction happens right there.
DVD rental kiosks? Absolutely.
Ice machines where you pay at the register? Nope.
Had a vending machine company try to list their snack machines in office buildings. Google rejected them all because the payment happened through a mobile app, not at the machine. Details matter.
Real Numbers From Real Implementations
That credit union I mentioned? After properly setting up their 200 ATM listings:
- 35% increase in non-customer usage (transaction fees)
- 22% reduction in “where’s the nearest ATM” support calls
- $140K additional annual revenue from increased foot traffic
Another client with Bitcoin ATMs saw their machines go from invisible in local search to dominating their market. Went from 3-4 transactions per day per machine to 8-10. At their margins, that’s serious money.
The frustrating part? Their competitors still aren’t doing this. Free money sitting on the table.
Making It Happen
Start with your highest-traffic locations. Get those listings perfect before moving to the rest. Google’s more likely to approve a bulk upload if your initial listings are squeaky clean.
Document everything. Take photos. Keep records of your support numbers. Save your landing page URLs. You’ll need all of it when Google inevitably asks for verification.
One last thing about Localseo.net since you’re probably wondering why I mentioned them. They handle the mind-numbing parts of managing hundreds of locations. Tried doing 500+ ATM listings manually once. Never again. Some things are worth outsourcing, and data consistency across that many locations is definitely one of them.
Because while your competitors are still arguing about whether ATMs can have profiles, you could already be showing up in every “ATM near me” search in your market. In local search, showing up is 90% of the battle