Google Business Profile Suspended? What to Do Next (and What Not to Do)

You search for your own business and the map listing has gone. Or a customer rings to say they couldn’t find you. A suspended Google Business Profile is one of the most stressful things that can happen to a local business, because for a lot of local trades the map is where new customers find them.

The good news is that Google has an appeals process and tells you what it wants to see. The bad news is that you only get one go at the appeal, so it pays to get it right. Here is what to do, in order.

First, don’t make it worse

The instinct is to start again with a fresh profile. Don’t. Google’s own help page puts it plainly: “Do not create a new Business Profile for the same business.” A second profile is itself a breach of the guidelines, and it can turn a fixable problem into a much harder one.

Find out why Google suspended it

Google suspends or disables profiles that it thinks break its guidelines. You don’t have to guess the reason. The Google Business Profile appeals tool lists each decision against your profile, with the date, the reason, a link to the policy Google says you broke, and whether the decision can be appealed.

The usual causes are the ones Google names in its guidelines:

• Extra words in the business name. Google says unnecessary information in the name “could result in the suspension of your Business Profile”. Taglines and place names count. “Smith Plumbing” is fine. “Smith Plumbing Emergency Plumber Edinburgh” is not.
• An address you don’t work from. A virtual office isn’t eligible, and nor are P.O. boxes or remote mailboxes.
• A showroom address for a business that goes to its customers. If you visit customers rather than them visiting you, Google expects you to hide your address and list your service areas instead.
• More than one profile for the same location, often set up by someone trying to fix a problem with the first.
• A business that doesn’t meet the basic rule. Google says a business “must make in-person contact with customers during its stated hours”. Lead generation companies are not eligible.

If the whole Google account has been restricted, every profile on it is suspended. In that case you appeal the account restriction first, from the restrictions page in your Google account, and only then the profile.

Fix the cause before you appeal

An appeal is a request for Google to look again. If the thing it objected to is still there, the answer is likely to be no. So put it right first: trim the name back to what is on your signage and invoices, hide a home address, or remove a duplicate profile you control.

Then gather your evidence. Google’s help page lists the kind of documents it accepts:

• Official business registration, such as your Companies House record
• A business licence, where your trade needs one
• Tax certificates
• A utility bill for the business: electricity, phone, water or internet

Whatever you send, the business name and address must match the profile you are appealing for. A bill in your personal name at a different address won’t help. You can attach several files, and there is a text box to explain why the profile should be reinstated. Keep that short and factual: what the business is, where it operates, and what you have corrected.

Submit the appeal, once

Open the appeals tool, select the profile and the decision you want reviewed, add your documents and submit. The status moves to “Submitted”, and Google emails you with the decision. Its appeals page says reviews and decisions can take up to five business days.

Google is clear that “Appeals can only be submitted once” for each decision. That is why the preparation matters more than the speed.

If the appeal is turned down, there is one more route. Google can give a denied reinstatement request an additional review, through a separate form. You can only use it after the appeal through the tool has been refused, and it asks for the date of the suspension and your Business Profile ID. Google says you won’t get an email confirming that form has been received, so make a note of when you sent it.

Once you are back

When a profile is reinstated, Google restores it along with its owner and managers. Check every detail straight away: name, address, service areas, hours, phone number and categories. Then look at who has access. Remove former staff or agencies who no longer need it.

From then on, keep the profile tidy and in line with the guidelines, because that is what keeps it on the map. Our local SEO checklist covers the rest of the profile and website basics, and how to respond to Google reviews covers the part customers read most.

Most owners we talk to set the profile up once and never look at it again until something goes wrong. Our Google Business Profile service runs it for you, and it is part of Get Found, our plan “for local businesses that need to show up properly first”. Every month your Google Business Profile is “kept sharp, with four fresh posts a month”, with “a reply to every one” of your reviews, and “a map check showing where you appear across your area”.

Frequently asked questions

Why was my Google Business Profile suspended without warning?

Google suspends or disables profiles it believes break its guidelines, and the reason isn’t always obvious from the outside. The appeals tool shows the reason and the policy involved, so start there rather than guessing.

How long does a Google Business Profile appeal take?

Google’s appeals page says reviews and decisions can take up to five business days. Don’t send a second appeal for the same issue while you wait, as Google asks you not to.

Can I just create a new profile instead?

No. Google says not to create a new profile for the same business. A duplicate breaks the guidelines and can make reinstatement harder. Appeal the suspended one instead.

What documents does Google accept as proof?

Business registration, a business licence, tax certificates, or a utility bill for the business such as electricity, phone, water or internet. The name and address on them must match the profile.

What if my appeal is rejected?

You can request an additional review through Google’s separate form, but only after your appeal through the appeals tool has been denied. Have your Business Profile ID and the date of the suspension ready.

If your profile has been suspended and you’d like a second opinion before you appeal, get in touch and we’ll take a look at what Google has flagged.