How does the Google Business listing suspension affect your business?

A GMB or Google My Business listing is a very useful marketing tool for businesses large and small.

It is very easy to set up a Google business profile (formerly known as Google My Business). Since creating a Google Business listing is free, it is great for small businesses, startups or companies with limited budgets.

How does the Google Business listing suspension affect your business?

Suspending your Google listing is not ideal because depending on how long the suspension lasts, it can have different effects on your business.

Since your listing will be removed from search results and you will no longer be visible on Google Maps or in search results, a hard block is concerning. You run the risk of being discovered online by potential customers, and your online visibility could be compromised. The easiest way to be found by potential customers and build your business is through local search.

A soft block can also impact your business by preventing you from accessing your listing while the public can.

Since anyone can update your Google listing, it is more likely to contain inaccurate changes and incorrect information.

It is important to know that when Google deletes a listing, it is acting in the best interest of your business' customers. Google offers alternatives to restore the listing for your business, and there is a way to get Google my business suspended.

However, the Google My Business (GMB) account suspension is a major setback for any business trying to increase local organic traffic. The number of Google Business profiles that have been blocked recently seems to be much higher than expected. As a result, more and more businesses with Google Maps listings are being blocked and removed from Google's local search results.

If you are also one of those whose profile has been blocked, this "Ultimate Guide to Google My Business Blocking - Reasons and Remedies" explains everything you need to do to restore your Google Business profile.

What is Google My Business suspension?

Due to the increase of fake listings in recent years, Google has introduced the suspension of listings. By suspending Google My Business, users will only see trustworthy, legitimate businesses in their searches, as fraudulent businesses will be filtered out.

Google My Business suspends your account when your GMB listing is no longer visible on Google and Google Maps or you no longer have control over it (your business listing is essentially "unverified" and you cannot manage it).

If you receive the following warning in your GMB dashboard, you know your listing has been suspended:

What are the different types of suspensions?

How you can fix the Google listing suspension depends on the type of suspension. First of all, you need to know the different types of suspension, which are explained below:

1. Soft suspension:

A soft suspension means that your business has been classified as unverified for unknown reasons. If you are affected by a soft block, you will see a notice of the block when you access your GMB account, but your listing will still appear on Google and Google Maps. You will no longer be able to control your business until you provide verification documentation.

2. Hard blocking:

This is a very critical issue. Google has determined that your listing is either ineligible for listing or in violation of its policies. If you are affected by a hard suspension, you will not be able to see your listing when you log into your account and will receive a removal notification instead.

3. Suspension of a Manager Account:

Suspension of an account can be related to either the manager or the owner. A manager's ability to work with an entry is suspended, but the entry itself is not changed.

4. Owner account lockout:

This will completely delete the owner's Google account. All reviews and entries will be deleted. The entries will be restored if the account is successfully restored, but it is possible that all ratings will be lost.

Main reasons for Google My Business suspension

The Google listing for your business will be suspended for a variety of reasons. The following list of the main reasons for suspension can help you better understand the situation and take the necessary actions:

1) Inappropriate content:

Users should not be misled by the information you publish. You can focus on prices, discounts, offers and special promotions. Users will be distracted if you display inappropriate, irrelevant or low-quality content related to your business.

2) Filling the business name with keywords:

The name of your business should be the same that appears on your website, in-shop signage, and customer communications. For example, you can write "Kalakriti" but not "Kalakriti - Exclusive Designer Boutique".

3) Businesses without a physical location:

You cannot have a Google My Business listing if your business only operates online. The same applies to business profiles whose address is a post office, virtual office or co-working space.

4) Inadequately defined business:

If you are a business that provides home or doorstep services, you need to set up your business listing as a service area. Most importantly, you need to hide your address if you do not have staff serving customers.

5) Multiple listings for the same business:

It is not at all right and advisable to create duplicate or multiple listings for the same business, even if you offer multiple services. You must delete the duplicate listings immediately, otherwise your business listing will surely be suspended.

6) Website Address or URL:

If you have a website for your business, you need to add the website URL in the appropriate places.

7) Wrong working hours:

If you have only one website and your listing is shown as open 24/7, you need to add your business hours.

Other elements could also be:

- High risk industries such as lawyers, plumbers, HVAC, locksmiths, rehabilitation facilities, etc.

- You have recently made numerous updates/changes to your Google My Business listing.

- Change your listing from a retail business to a service business (SAB).

- The same address is used by another company or business.

How do I manage my Google Business Profile?

Make sure all the information you enter into the GMB form is accurate and up-to-date so you can be successful right away. Regular reviews and updates convince Google that the listed business is legitimate and of high quality, which reduces your risk of a costly suspension.

If the Google My Business app is no longer available, you can easily create and manage your business profile using the free Google Business Profile Growth Manager tool. This app is absolutely free and you can purchase a premium version for additional features.

With this app, you can effortlessly manage your profile, schedule your posts in advance, manage your reviews, geo-tag your images.

This app is not just a replacement for the Google My Business app, but has more features to make you visible in the top pages of local search.

How to fix a suspended Google My Business listing?

You will undoubtedly panic when you read the suspension notification, and you might be inclined to fill out the re-registration form right away.

But wait and see!

Before you can apply for reinstatement, you need to fix the problems with your record.

Many people whose listing has been suspended believe that the easiest way to not fix the suspended profile is to simply create a new profile.

Do not create a new business listing!

This will only make things more complicated.

The first thing you need to do to correct a suspended Google My Business listing is to review the Google guidelines. Once you have reviewed the policies and made sure that your business profile meets all the guidelines, you can request to reinstate your Google Business profile suspension by using the reinstatement form provided by Google and following the instructions.

After that, you may need to meet additional criteria to prove your legitimacy as a business before your Google listing will be unblocked.

In order for Google to reinstate your suspended Google listing, you must provide the following proof:

Actual photos of your place of business

The logo of the business is clearly visible

The correct address of the business location

Business or company vehicles with the correct logos parked in front of the building

State business permit or license (if required by the state)

Professional registration (if required by law)

Proof of occupancy for your business such as

Utility bills

Lease agreements/contracts

Tax identification documents

In some cases, Google may decide to recover your account using other techniques such as a phone or video verification. Google will decide whether or not less verification is required for your business.

It is undoubtedly important to follow Google's instructions promptly and carefully. If you rush the process, it could lead to further problems and permanently blacklist your business.

Conclusion

There can be a number of reasons for your Google My Business listing being suspended. But do not panic - first things first. The goal is to understand why GMB issues occur, even if they can negatively impact your business and get you in big trouble.

It's important to understand every detail of your GMB profile and stick to the rules. After all, you can only get back into business if you are a knowledgeable and honest owner.

Now that you know more about GMB suspensions, you should be better prepared when the "Suspended" message appears on your dashboard.

Remember that GMB suspensions can occasionally happen for random reasons, such as when you make too many changes at once, when a competitor suggests an edit, or even when there is an error on Google's part.

Be prepared for this and do not rely solely on Google My Business for your web marketing efforts.

And always try to follow Google's guidelines and rules when maintaining your Google Business profile.

However, if you are still struggling to fix your suspension, do not hesitate to consult the best local SEO agency that can help you. A competent local SEO agency deals with listing issues including Google My Business management as part of their local SEO work. They have experts in Google business profile blocking remediation.