How to Resolve Your Google Business Profile Listing Suspension

When a Google Business Profile listing — previously called Google My Business — is suspended, it either disappears from Google completely or becomes inaccessible to the profile owner or manager. Either way, it means you’re likely to miss out on valuable foot traffic, calls, and customer inquiries.

So, if your Google Business Profile listing has been suspended, it can have a big impact on your business. Here’s how you can minimize its effect by resolving your listing suspension as quickly as possible.

How to contest a Google Business Profile listing suspension

1. Work out why your listing was suspended

There are two main types of listing suspensions:

• Soft suspension: This means your business is unverified. Your listing will still show up in Google search results and on Google Maps, but you won’t be able to manage it or make changes until your suspension is resolved.
• Hard suspension: This means Google has determined your listing violates their guidelines or is otherwise ineligible for a listing. This is a more serious suspension as your business will stop appearing in search results and on Google Maps, so it’s important to contest this as quickly as possible.

You should receive an email or notification that your listing has been suspended. That should help you understand which type of suspension you’re dealing with.

Example of email letting you know your Google Business Profile has been suspended.

Example of notification that your Google Business Profile has been suspended.

2. Fix issues in your listing

Once you know why your listing has been suspended, you should make changes to fix the issues that are causing problems. Make sure it now complies with Google’s content guidelines. We share some common reasons for listing suspensions later in this article. Fixing any listing issues up front makes it more likely you’ll succeed when you contest your suspension.

3. Request reinstatement

If your Google Business Profile listing has been suspended, you have the chance to request that your listing be reinstated. 

Traditionally, you requested a reinstatement through a troubleshooter form in your Google Business Profile help center.

However, Google has rolled out a new reinstatement wizard to help you appeal suspensions more quickly. To use this new wizard, simply:

• Start by clicking on the “Appeal” button found on the email from Google informing you of your suspension.
• Confirm that you are signed into the correct account for that particular business.
• Select the appropriate business profile you’re appealing the suspension for.
• Upload any evidence you have to support your appeal (there is a 60-minute time limit on this).
• Click “Submit” and then await the appeal decision. 

Example of Google Business Profile listing reinstatement request.

If your request is successful, your listing should be restored. If not, there are a couple of additional steps you can take to contest your listing suspension.

4. Start an appeal against your listing suspension

When you appeal a listing suspension, you need to provide evidence to support that appeal. This evidence typically involves showing your business is legitimate and exists in the location you say it does. 

You can provide scanned versions of documents like your business license or a utility bill in your business name to prove the accuracy of your listing.

Example of form to appeal your Google Business Profile listing suspension.

You can also provide extra context on the appeal form. This gives you a chance to explain how you’ve fixed issues in your listing or why you believe your listing should be reinstated.

5. Wait for the outcome of your appeal

According to Google, it normally takes around two weeks to resolve a listing suspension. Don’t be tempted to submit additional reinstatement requests in that time — it won’t help and will be a waste of your time. 

If your appeal is successful, you’ll receive a notification, and your listing (and access) should be restored.

Example of notification that the appeal against your Google Business Profile suspension was successful.

Common reasons for Google Business Profile listing suspensions (and how to avoid them)

Address violations

Getting your address right on a local listing is crucial, or else customers won’t be able to find you. So it’s no surprise Google is pretty strict when it comes to addresses on Google Business Profile listings. There are several types of address violations that could get your listing suspended:

• Multiple businesses operating from the same address
• Not having a physical presence at that business address
• Using a P.O. Box.

To avoid having your listing suspended, make sure your address and other basic NAPWCHD information is correct on your listing and that it matches what’s on your website. 

Additionally, make sure you’re really doing business from that address — that means you have an actual location customers can visit rather than an online store or forwarding address.

Making changes to core business information

How often do you change your name, address, or phone number? Not that often. The same should be true of that information about your business. So if you’re making frequent changes to your core business information, you may find your Google Business Profile listing gets suspended as it looks like suspicious activity.

Avoid making unnecessary tweaks or changes to the main information about your business. This will help reduce the chances of an unexpected listing suspension.

Keyword stuffing in your listing

You might also have your Google Business Profile listing suspended if you try to get your profile to rank higher in search results by adding unnecessary keywords in your business name, address, or description. This practice is known as keyword stuffing, and Google doesn’t love blatant attempts to manipulate its algorithm.

To avoid having your listing suspended, make sure your listing name and description are accurate and not artificially filled out. Google’s guidance says the listing name “should reflect your business’s real-world name, as used consistently on your shopfront, website, stationery, and as known to customers.”

Having spammy business descriptions

The description section of your Google Business Profile should be used to “provide useful information on services and products offered, as well as the mission and history of your business.”

Don’t use it to add spammy, poor-quality, or irrelevant content to your listing. Otherwise, you may end up with a listing suspension. This could include using the description to promote discounts and special offers or adding any links to it at all (such as to product pages or new customer discounts). 

Creating a listing for an ineligible business

Another common reason for having your Google Business Profile listing suspended is if it’s not eligible for a listing in the first place. For example, if you have an online-only business, it’s not eligible for a business profile. 

To avoid suspension, make sure you double-check that your business meets the eligibility criteria before you set up a Google Business Profile listing. Otherwise, your listing will likely be suspended, and it’s unlikely your appeal will be successful.

Make it easy to stay on top of your Google Business Profile listings at scale

If you’re just managing one Google Business Profile listing, it can be relatively easy to keep on top of. But if you manage multiple listings, you need an easy way to monitor them, make sure they aren’t suspended, keep them updated, and know that you’re getting the most out of local Google traffic. 

Chatmeter makes it easy to manage multiple listings within one tool. Use it to edit listings in bulk, as well as complete any tasks related to individual listings, like fixing incorrect information. This helps you keep on top of your Google Business Profile listings more easily so you can quickly take action in the event of a listing suspension.