Google My Business profile Suspended? Here is what you need to do

Google My Business is one of the most effective and free tools to advertise your business. But what if you find out your Google My Business profile is suspended?

Keep calm and keep reading.

In detail, we will discuss suspensions, their types, and the reasons that led to the suspension.

Google, search the nearest cafe

Have you ever searched for a business on Google? Sure that you would often do it. As results are displayed, you will notice a section on the right side of the screen with an introduction of the business, its timings, location, customer reviews, and rating - this is Google My Business profile.

For many businesses that do not have a marketing team or a marketing budget, Google My Business is a free service and easy-to-use tool to manage a brand’s online presence.

Did you know around 64% of people will find your contact details by using Google My Business? And since this data is accurate, in the future, the number will only rise.

Related Blog: How To Get Listed On Google Maps In The Cayman Islands

Let’s dig further into what is Google My Business

As mentioned above, Google My business is an ideal and free of cost marketing tool for small businesses and start-ups. Large organizations too use the same as having a Google My Business profile helps a business gain more visibility.

When you create a Business Profile, the process is similar to adding a place on Google Map. Now you should know that anyone (a stranger or an automatic listing generator) can do that.

To prove the organization is legitimate, Google will verify the business name, location, and category. Once its authenticity is confirmed, it will create a Business Profile for the location. Once the profile is live, people will find, search, stumble upon (your) business profile. They will be able to call, post pictures of the services/products/location, and rate & review the business.

The Benefits of Google My Business

Google My Business is nothing short of a genie, obviously granting more than three bene’wishes’ (benefits+wishes). It can do wonders for the business, be it a startup, small, medium, or large enterprise.

Related Blog: Step-By-Step Guide To Master Local SEO In The Cayman Islands

Here are bene’wishes’

• Listing the business with Google is FREE!

  We rightly called it a genie, don't you agree? If you are a start-up, small or medium business with little to no marketing or online advertisement budget, Google My Business can do wonders for you!

• Google My Business can help streamline the business location and hours and keep it consistent throughout the search engine directory. It allows only the business manager/owner to input all the information and updates it.
• GMB will improve SEO ranking and enable people to find your business easily online.
• Google My Business has a very simple dashboard interface and a dedicated App.
• Google My Business creates the finest first impression on browsers searching (for you) and generating a high probability of converting them into potential clients.
• Interacting and connecting with customers is easy as a breeze with a Google My Business profile as the reviews and queries can be answered on the spot. It increases your engagement opportunities and nurtures relationships with them.
• Google My Business profile helps the business gain an online reputation. By knowing these insights, you can improve and grow your experience.

Now, when Google suspends your Google My Business Profile!

All is treading smooth; your business is getting views and calls from customers; suddenly, you come to know that Google has suspended Google My Business profile.

Why did it happen?
What to do next?
Questions like these will come flooding!
We will address it below!
Before we list the reason for profile suspension, let’s know more about the types.

There are two kinds of suspensions

Soft Suspension

Although the business is suspended in the “soft suspension,” your listing will still pop up in the search results. You can reclaim and re-verify the listing with a new Google Account. Nowadays, these soft suspensions have become rare.

Hard Suspension

The “hard suspension” will remove your business listing for the search results. This will require you to follow Google protocol and wait since it takes time, and patience becomes a friend.

Answer to the "Why" in Why is your google listing suspended?

There can be multiple reasons leading to the suspension. Google decides to suspend your business listing because they respond to several red flags related to suspicious activity and violation of any policy/ regulations.

The perplexing bit is that Google will not tell you why it suspended your business listing. Here are some reasons that may lead to it.

If any of the below information changed within your listing

• Business primary or secondary categories
• Name of the business
• Location
• Contact number
• Website URL
• Change in company or management ownership, more importantly when there is a change in the log-in location
• Moving to an area with a hidden address (after operating with a visible address)

The Primary category is a high-risk industry since it attracts many commercial disputes and legal restrictions—for example, lawyers, plumbers, HVAC, locksmiths, rehab centers, etc.

If your address violates the Google policy

• Don't include any other information apart from the business locations, for example, URLs or keywords.
• Only create one page for each location of your business, be it in a single account or multiple accounts.
• P.O. Box, virtual address, FedEx/UPS Store boxes
• Forwarding URL or phone numbers
• If the listing is for an online-only business.

Other reasons include

• Your address matches with other business
• Creating multiple listings for your business.
• Hours of operation and address do not match the ones mentioned on your website.

Although it will be difficult to zero down on one reason that causes your Google My Business suspension, those mentioned above are common; you can go through them to get the idea of what might have led to the profile suspension.

The Course of Action - What NEXT?

Don’t let the world crash down on realizing a sudden suspension of Google My Business profile. Although we know you are self-sufficient in figuring how to get your business back on Google, it can get overwhelming.

You can have a team to back you up in times like these; meanwhile, you can focus on your business and customers.

Netclues will get your business listing up in no time. The professionals will go to the bottom of the reason and find out why the listing was suspended in the first place by getting in touch with Google and working out the entire process.

It's excellent cog work.

What is more?

Netclues with years of experience can help you build a lucrative Google My Business Profile. From writing SEO-centric business descriptions to getting them verified and optimizing them for maximum visibility, our team of experts does it all!

Boost your ranking and let your business be positioned on the first page of the Google search result page.

Sounds good?

Get in touch today!