How to fix and prevent issues with your Google My Business profile
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Google My Business (now known as Google Business Profile) is an essential part of any local SEO strategy as it is an easy way to get local businesses visible in the SERP.
Especially if you’re a small business with little to no budget for marketing, a Google Business Profile (GBP) is a great way to promote your company for free!
So if your GBP gets suspended for whatever reason, it can have detrimental effects on your business traffic and your overall digital marketing plan.
If you find yourself in this predicament, the stress and worry can feel overwhelming, but thankfully our experts have shared how to fix your GBP to get you back up and running as soon as possible.
How to fix your suspended Google Business Profile in 5 simple steps
You will know if you have a suspension on your GBP via an email from Google or you can check your account dashboard.
You will be informed of the type of violation so you will have a general understanding of the reason why this has happened. Google can give out two types of suspension.
Soft: Your profile still appears online and in your dashboard, but it isn’t verified and you cannot update the listing. However, users can edit it making it susceptible to incorrect information.
Hard: Your GBP doesn’t show up on the SERP or Google Maps – so no one can find your listing.
Here are five simple steps to get your profile back up and running.
1) Locate and amend the issue
Before you rectify anything, you first need to find out what the issue is that caused the suspension.
There are a number of common reasons why your GBP could’ve been suspended, such as:
- Keyword stuffing
- Adding a PO Box over the actual business address
- Another business has the same address
- Too many edits to your profile in one go
- Your profile’s URL redirects to a social media page or another website
- Your business hours are listed as 24/7
- Your address or hours don’t match what is on your website
- The account manager has been suspended (so your listing is also suspended)
- Multiple listings for the same business at the same address
- You change your listing from a storefront to a service as a business (SAB) – or the other way round
- Violated the terms of Google’s services
Note: Your profile can be suspended for multiple reasons so it’s essential to keep a note of any updates made so that if this occurs, you can look back and understand why.
Once you understand the cause, you should get into your profile (if possible) and make the necessary changes.
Don’t create a new profile! This creates even more issues and you’ll find yourself back at step one.
As you can see, there is a way to ensure your Google My Business is used correctly within the rules and keep your SEO presence secured.
2) Request a reinstatement
It’s no secret that Google Business Profiles are extremely important to every business – not just small, independent companies – so getting it reinstated as soon as possible is vital.
Once you have discovered the reason(s) for the suspension and amended your profile, you can fill out a reinstatement request form.
This is the first stage of the appeal process. Within the form, you should provide details of the suspension and have any necessary documentation to back up your claims.
Ben Carter
SEO Account Manager
"In March 2024, domains ending in business.site (basic websites created using Google Business Profiles) are no longer available and are now sent to a 'Page Not Found' - definitely not within Google’s Terms of Service! 'We recommend updating your business profile with a new website address - either with a new domain or maybe even a brand new website!' Remember Google My Business is a great place to showcase your business, share important information such as links to social platforms, and use photos to attract customers so it's vital to abide by the March update."
3) Turn to the Appeals tool
Technically, appeals and reinstatement requests are two separate processes – hence two different steps!
As mentioned previously, you should get an email from Google stating that your profile has been suspended. Within this, you will find a blue ‘Appeal’ button.
By providing both the appeal and the reinstatement form, you give your business every opportunity to get back on track.
For your appeal, you will likely be asked to verify the email linked to the profile and then provide evidence of ownership. This can include:
- Copy of your business license (a digital copy works great)
- Tax certificates
- Bill with corresponding business name and address
Note: If you are submitting an appeal, you have 60 minutes to upload all your documents – so make sure you aren’t distracted and have everything ready during this time!
4) Reply to Google’s email
Once you have submitted your reinstatement request, you will receive an email from Google support.
It has the characteristics of a bot email they send out to everyone (and it is) but you can reply to that email and (eventually) someone will reply back to you with an update.
Top tip: Keep a note of your case ID number and always use it when replying to Google – it’s an easier way for them to find your profile and (hopefully) rectify it!
5) Keep in contact with Google
When you do hear back from Google (we know it may seem like an if, but trust us, it’s a when) you should make sure to follow the instructions or directions to ensure your profile is definitely within the Google Business Profile rules.
Once amended, reply to the email and ask them to view the updates. Keep checking in every day or so to remind them to review your edits and hopefully, the ban will be lifted sooner rather than later so you can get the Google profile of your business back in the SERP.
What should you do if your reinstatement request gets denied?
If your reinstatement request is denied, you should be able to have an additional review to show why your profile should be reinstated. Within this secondary review, you will be able to add any additional evidence and anything you couldn’t include last time.
How does a suspension differ from a Google ban?
We understand that getting suspended from your Google Business account may seem like the end of the world, but there’s worse… trust us!
Suspension is where the profile is temporarily removed from the listing whereas a Google ban is a complete removal and cannot be accessed at all. The latter is typically due to consistent violations of Google’s terms of service.
Once you get your GBP back after a suspension, it’s best to adhere to the terms of service where possible to prevent future suspensions and potential bans.
5 ways to prevent a suspension in the future
For any business, a Google Business Profile is an essential aspect of their local SEO strategy.
What Is Local SEO?Therefore, it is important to prevent suspensions – especially after a previous one. These are just five ways to avert a suspension from our expert SEO team.
1. Regularly update your profile: If something changes in your business – whether that be your opening hours or address – make sure to update this in your GBP to prevent any misinformation.
2. Advanced verification methods: You can use enhanced verification methods such as video or two-factor authentication methods to make your account extra secure.
3. Avoid misleading information: If you have information on your profile that could be interpreted in different ways, you should rewrite this to make it more clear.
4. Keep an eye on UGC: As we already mentioned, users can make edits to listings so keep an eye out for any user-generated content (UGC) that could cause misleading or incorrect information.
5. Authentic photos: It’s easy to use stock photos for your GBP, however, anyone can use these – giving an inaccurate representation of your business. Therefore, it’s always best to use authentic photos of your company to prevent a suspension.
Feeling overwhelmed? Let our experts take care of any SEO issues
We hope this article has helped you to understand what to do if your Google Business Profile gets suspended.
There are quite a few steps and top tips to know though, so make sure you follow the steps accurately!
Why not let Embryo’s team of experts take care of your SEO? We cover three three pillars of SEO to provide a holistic approach that gets results. and we work with some of the biggest names in business – you don’t want to miss out.
Reach out to our expert team to find out more about our SEO services.
