Waking up to a “Google Business Profile Suspended” notice is one of the worst feelings you can have as a business owner, especially since it means that local customers are finding your competitors instead of your company. Don’t panic; there are often options to reinstate your profile. But it’s necessary to fix the root cause of your suspension before going through the appeal process.
First Step: Identifying the Reason for the Suspension
You need to know what you are dealing with in order to have a successful appeal. Typically, this information is shared in the suspension email that you receive. Google Business Profile suspensions fall into two categories:
- Hard Suspension: These types of penalties cause your profile to be removed from the search results completely.
- Soft Suspension: On the other hand, a soft suspension only limits certain features, such as posts or messaging.
Also, keep in mind that there are profile-level suspensions as well as account-level restrictions, which can impact several Google Business listings (if you have multiple businesses).
The Most Common Reasons for Google Profile Suspensions
There are a handful of common reasons why Google suspends business profiles, including:
- Algorithmic Sweeps: This is one of the most frequent reasons why businesses have profile suspensions, but a change in algorithm is also the hardest to diagnose. In this situation, there’s not usually a single, obvious cause of the suspension.
- Keyword Stuffing: Over-optimization and keyword stuffing can cause penalties, especially when the keyword stuffing is in the business name field.
- Unapproved Addresses: If you are using a virtual office, coworking space, or PO box for your business address, then there’s a high likelihood that this is a reason why your Google Business Profile was suspended.
- Profile Changes: Certain changes to core business information, such as updating your address or rebranding the company, might get flagged because they appear to be deceptive. Even if the change is legitimate, it could trigger a red flag that affects your account.
The Step-By-Step Process: How to Reinstate a Suspended Google Business Profile
Before using the Google Business Profile appeals tool, you need to fix your profile and address the issues that caused the suspension.
- Fix Every Violation: Check the suspension notification email so that you know every violation that needs to be fixed. These issues need to be corrected before submitting the appeal. If these issues are still outstanding, then you can expect the appeal to be denied.
- Gather Evidence: Take a proactive approach to gather as much documentation and evidence as possible. You need to show the legitimacy of your business if you are going to win the appeal. It’s best to have this evidence in hand before submitting the appeal, because there is usually a narrow upload window when the appeal opens.
- Submit the Appeal: Now that your account is fixed and you have evidence to back your claim, it’s time to submit the Google Business Profile reinstatement request form. If you have multiple business profiles, then make sure to select the right profile to avoid delays with the appeals process.
- After Reinstatement: Once your profile has been reinstated, check all of your business details to make sure that the information is accurate, including your NAP and profile information. Even small errors can trigger a repeat suspension. Also, keep an eye out for competitor edits or spam reports, which are far more common than most business owners realize.
Tip: When submitting the appeal, make sure to keep your information factual and straightforward. The reviewers will look at the evidence, not explanations of hardship. Google’s team cares more about the facts (not context).
Avoid These Things While Waiting for the Appeal
Once the appeal has been submitted, you need to sit back and wait for the review. It might be tempting to edit your listing, but you should leave it as-is until the review is completed. In fact, spam-editing could actually extend your suspension and make it harder to recover the profile.
Also, never create a new business profile after your original profile was suspended. Keep in mind that all of your previous reviews will usually survive a suspension, which means they reappear after your original profile has been reinstated. If you start over with a new listing, then those reviews will be lost.
What To Do If the First Appeal Comes Back Denied
Just because your appeal has been denied doesn’t mean that you are out of options. There is a special denial-only additional review form that is only available after the standard appeal didn’t work. Another possibility is to escalate your case through a Google Product Expert in the help community.
There’s no fixed limit on the number of appeals that you can submit. But each time you attempt to appeal, make sure that you are including newer or stronger evidence. Submitting the same appeal over and over again will just result in multiple denials since the original issue hasn’t been addressed.
FAQs
How long does a Google Business Profile suspension last?
The timeline varies, depending on what you do after the suspension occurs. If you do nothing, then the suspension might be indefinite. If you go through the appeal process, then it could be a few days to a few weeks before the profile is reinstated.
Will I lose my reviews if I’m suspended?
Reviews are usually preserved and will show up again when the profile is reinstated. But if you create a new Google Business Profile instead of appealing the profile that was suspended, then the reviews will be lost.
How many times can I appeal a suspension?
There isn’t a strict limit on the number of appeals that you can submit. But don’t repeat the same statement in each appeal. If you need to resubmit an appeal, make sure to include stronger evidence and more information to increase the likelihood that the appeal is approved.
ARYU Advertising is Here to Help If Your Google Business Profile is Suspended
The faster your business profile is reinstated, the sooner potential customers will be able to find your business through Google. Our team at ARYU Advertising is here to help with the reinstatement appeals process. We also offer ongoing profile protection to help you avoid these suspension issues again in the future.
For more information and personalized recommendations, contact us at ARYU Advertising. We offer full-service solutions to help businesses gain visibility and traction with their online presence.
