Google Business Profile Listing Suspended? How to Fix a Suspended GBP Listing

Your Google Business Profile (GBP) listing (formerly Google My Business) serves as a hub for helping you obtain local leads for your company. Since you claimed this listing, you find you get tons of calls and local traffic for your business. Great!

Then suddenly, one day, it stops. You aren’t getting calls like you used to, and you don’t know why. So, you decide to log into your GBP account to make sure everything looks good.

That’s when you see the word suspended marked with a bright red box. You say to yourself, “My GBP listing suspended? How could that be?” You begin to panic because your GBP profile was driving the most traffic for your business.

Before you start rapidly sending messages and emails to Google, take a breath. We’ve got all the information you need to understand your account suspension and how you can fix it. We’ll answer questions for you like:

• What is a GBP suspension?
• What types of Google suspensions are there?
• Why was my Google Business Profile suspended?
• How do I get my listing reinstated?
• How do I avoid a suspended GBP listing in the future?

Keep reading to get started and learn how to fix a suspended Google Business Profile listing!

What is a GBP listing suspension?

A GBP suspension is when your Google listing is no longer active or doesn’t appear in search results. A soft suspension leads your business to become unverified. A hard suspension, on the other hand, removes your entire listing from Google.

Typically, when someone conducts a local search, they see a box at the top of the search results, known as the local SEO 3-pack.

When your listing is suspended, you either can’t manage your listing, or your listing doesn’t appear in the local 3-pack. What happens to your listing depends upon the type of suspensions, which we mentioned briefly above. Let’s look more at the types of GBP suspensions.

Types of Google Business Profile suspensions

If your Google account gets suspended, it’s essential to figure out what type of suspension you’re experiencing.

Before we explain how to fix a suspended Google Business Profile listing, you need to know why it was suspended.

First, you’ll want to look at whether the listing or someone’s account got suspended:

• GBP Listing suspension: When your listing is suspended, the public can’t access the listing anymore. It doesn’t display in search results. You must take steps to fix the listing and appeal to Google to get reinstated.
• Owner account suspension: With the owner’s account suspension, the listing owner got their Google account suspended. When account suspensions happen, Google bans and removes any listings owned by that Google account owner from search results.
• Manager account suspension: With the manager account suspension, someone who manages your listing, but doesn’t own it, has their account suspended. In this case, your listings are not removed from search results.

Once you identify which scenario caused the suspension, you can figure out the type of suspension:

• Soft Google Business Profile suspension: A soft suspension means your business’s listing is labeled as unverified. Your listing will still show up in Google search results, but when you log into your account, you’ll see a suspended notice.
• Hard Google Business Profile suspension: A hard suspension is when your entire listing is removed from Google. This suspension is the more serious of the two and will require more work to reinstate your listing.

Why did my GBP listing get suspended? (and how to fix it)

When your account is suspended, Google won’t notify you of the suspension or why your listing was suspended. If you want to know precisely why your listing got suspended, you have to contact Google.

While waiting for a response, look at some reasons for GBP suspension and how to fix a suspended listing on Google. If you can identify one of these mistakes on your listing, you’ll know what you need to repair for reinstatement of your GBP. Here are some common reasons for GBP listing suspension:

Problem: Another business has the same address.

You can get your GBP listing suspended if you and another business have the same address.

Your address should only be yours — no other company should share your address. Even if you’re in an office building with multiple businesses that have the same building address, adding in the suite number is critical to ensuring you provide the right address.

Solution: Verify your address.

Make sure you’ve input your exact address into your GBP listing. Check to make sure the street name is correct.

If you have a suite number, include it. You can see if another business took your address by searching your address on Google and seeing if other companies pop up. If one does, report that business to Google.

Problem: Your address on your website is different than your address on your GBP listing.

A GBP suspension can occur if there’s inconsistency with your address on your website and your listing.

Something as simple as a typo, like “123 Apple Lane” instead of “132 Apple Lane,” could cause this issue. Google wants to deliver accurate information to searchers, so an inconsistent address can lead to your GBP listing getting suspended.

Solution: Make sure your address is correct on your website and listing.

If you want to know how to fix a suspended Google Business Profile listing, start by checking your address on your website. Make sure your address is the same as your Google Business Profile listing, down to using “N” for “North” or inputting your suite number.

Problem:  Your address, categories, name, website, or phone number has changed.

If your business moves, changes its name, or gets a new website, Google wants to have that information on your listing.

It’s easy to forget to update your listing with the latest information, but it can lead to a GBP suspension. As stated previously, Google wants to have the most up-to-date information to deliver to users, so outdated information can hurt your GBP listing.

Solution: Update your GBP listing.

Include the latest information about your business on your listing. This solution is an easy way to fix your GBP suspension if outdated information is the cause.

Problem: Name, address, and phone number on different directories don’t match your GBP profile.

If you haven’t noticed by now, a lot of Google’s suspensions revolve around consistency.

When your company’s information on directories doesn’t match your GBP profile, it can lead to suspension. After all, how can Google know it’s delivering the right information if it’s not the same across the web?

Solution: Check places with your business’s information and update it.

If you think this is the reason for your GBP suspension, you’ll need to put in some work to resolve it. You’ll need to look through local directories to figure out if they list your business and if the information is correct.

Check popular websites like Yelp, Yellow Book, and Yahoo! Local. To simplify the process, you can use a tool like LocalFX, which will help you automatically manage your listings across the web.

Problem: Your name isn’t accurate across the web.

Again, you must list your business the same way across the Internet.

Even if your company goes by a nickname, you need to use your business’s official name on all your listings.

Solution: Check your business’s listing across the web.

If you want to know how to fix a suspended listing on Google, check your company’s name on your website, Yelp listing, and more. Make sure your name is the same on all platforms.

Problem: You added extra keywords to your business’s name.

When you entered your company’s name on your Google Business Profile listing, you may have tried to slip in a keyword to help you rank in relevant search results. So, for example, you may have put “Nick’s Pizzeria and Pasta” when your official company name is “Nick’s Pizzeria.” Trying to input related keywords can get your GBP listing suspended.

Solution: Nix the keywords.

You can fix a suspended listing on Google by nixing unnecessary keywords from your business’s name.

Only input your company’s legal name to resolve the issue and prevent future problems.

Problem: You have multiple listings for the same business/location.

You’ll get a GBP suspension if your business has multiple listings across Google Business Profile (this doesn’t include franchises or multiple locations). Also, if you have numerous companies at your exact location that don’t specify a suite number, you can get your GBP listing suspended.

Solution: Eliminate other listings.

If you created multiple listings for your business, go into your account and delete the duplicate locations. For instances where someone else created a duplicate account, you can report it to Google.

You can find instructions on how to eliminate duplicate listings in the Google Business Profile Help Center.

How do I get my listing reinstated?

Once you know how to fix a suspended Google Business Profile listing, you can get on the path to reinstating your listing. To end your suspension, you need to figure out what’s wrong with your listing. If you’re struggling to find a reason, you can contact Google to see if they can provide you with insight on what’s wrong with your listing.

Once you know what’s wrong, you can submit a reinstatement of GBP request. When you apply for reinstatement, you may have to provide proof to verify you’re the business owner. Google may ask to see:

• A utility bill to verify the address
• A business license or tax form with the address
• Proof of a physical address with a storefront, signage, and address

Your GBP reinstatement will take time, but it’s essential to be patient and not overload Google with emails and questions. It will only hinder your reinstatement efforts. Remember – once your GBP listing is reinstated, the reviews may take up to a month to repopulate.

If they do not appear after one month, reach out to the GBP support team for assistance.

How do I avoid getting my GBP listing suspended in the future?

Now that you know how to fix a suspended listing on Google and can get your listing reinstated, you may want to know how you can prevent this in the future. Here are three simple tips for preventing your listing from being suspended:

1. Make sure all your information is accurate

If you don’t want to get your GBP listing suspended in the future, make sure all your information is correct across the web. From your GBP listing to your Yelp profile to your website, your information must be the same and up to date. Again, a tool like LocalFX can help you make sure your information is accurate across the web.

Remember, consistency is a significant factor in GBP suspension. If you make any changes to your business, whether it’s the name or address, make sure you update it everywhere. It will help prevent your GBP listing from getting suspended in the future.

2. Remove people who don’t need profile access

In some cases, a GBP listing can get suspended because of someone attached to the profile. Look at who’s able to manage your profile and remove anyone who doesn’t need to be on your listing. So, if someone left the company or changed roles, for instance, remove them from your GBP listing.

If you have fewer people on the listing, you’ll lower the chance of getting suspended for someone’s behavior on Google.

3. Follow the content and conduct guidelines

Prevent GBP suspension in the future by following Google’s guidelines. Matching their guidelines for filling out your listing will prevent you from getting your GBP listing suspended in the future. Plus, it’ll make sure you’re providing users with everything they need to know about your business.

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Fix your suspended listing today

Having a suspended listing can feel like a nightmare, but you can take steps to fix it.

Get started with reinstating your GBP listing with Google’s steps for fixing a suspended listing. P.S. Maintaining a GBP listing involves optimizing your GBP listing properly and consistently. By investing in local search engine optimization (SEO) services, you can prevent suspensions, optimize your local presence, and build consistent local listings to drive more local leads and sales.