Are you panicking because you’re unable to find your Google Business Profile? 

Is your business suddenly invisible on Google Maps and in search results? 

If the answer is yes, I can relate to the panic you feel in your gut. One moment, your business profile is ranking on top of the results; the next, it’s disappeared as if it never existed. You check your account and notice that it states that your business profile has been suspended. 

I’m Tony John, and over the last two decades, I’ve seen businesses lose credibility and customers within days of their Google Business profile disappearing. In a world where a Google Business Profile acts as the digital storefront of your business or services, a suspension is a critical issue that can affect your overall business performance. 

Running a digital marketing agency has given me front-row seats to such experiences. I’ve had clients from across the world call me panicking, stating that their GBP has randomly disappeared without any warning! 

But the good news is that every one of those GBPs was recovered and made live with our structured approach. Google Business Profile Suspended? How to Fix It Fast, and that is what I want to share with you in this blog—a step-by-step guide with data compiled from real cases I’ve worked with. 

Critical Checklist for Google Business Profile

Before looking into the reasons for suspension and other strategies, you should take more practical steps. It is natural to panic as soon as you learn about the suspension of your GBP, however, it is important to follow the critical steps to prevent you from making costly mistakes at that particular moment. These steps include: 

• DO NOT Create a New Listing: Creating a new listing for your business may seem like a simple and straightforward solution, but it only complicates things further. Duplicate listings violate Google’s guidelines, making the reinstatement of your suspended account exceedingly challenging. Stick with your suspended account, as it can be fixed if approached properly.
  

• Check the Suspension Email from Google: Google will always notify you before it implements and enforces such suspensions. People often miss it, as it may seem like a promotional email or sound vague. Search your email inbox for terms like “Google Business Profile suspension.” This email will stand as the final clue regarding why your business profile was suspended.
  
  

• Screenshot your Dashboard and Suspension Notice: Take screenshots of your GBP dashboard showing the suspension notice as soon as you can. This screenshot will be highly useful in case of escalations or if you need to reference it in appeals and discussion forums.
  
  

• Audit your public listing via Incognito: Check how your profile looks on SERPs using an incognito window. Verify whether the account has disappeared from SERPs (hard suspension) or is still visible but does not show in search results (soft suspension).
  
  

• Prepare your evidence: Collect and compile all the essential documents on your business - trade licenses, utility bills, lease agreements, tax certificates, and more. Even if Google hasn’t asked for such documentation, attaching it to your reinstatement request may contribute to faster approvals. 

Understanding Google Business profile Suspension: Hard vs. Soft

Understanding the type of suspension that was imposed on your business profile gives you more power to deal with it effectively. Usually, agencies skip this step, but in my experience, knowing whether you’re facing a hard or soft suspension can help you determine the immediate actions to be taken, the documents required, and the level of aggressiveness you require in pursuing reinstatement procedures. Here’s how you can determine what kind of suspension you’ve received: 

Hard Suspension: A hard suspension completely removes your Google Business Profile from the maps and SERPs, making it impossible for your customers to find your business. This mostly happens when Google doubts the physical existence of your business at the proposed location or the address violates the guidelines.

Soft Suspension: A soft suspension partially removes your Google Business Profile from maps and SERPs but remains visible on your dashboard. This suspension happens when Google detects quality issues in your listing, from incomplete and incorrect information to spamming. This type of suspension is easier to resolve than hard suspensions. 

How to Diagnose your Suspension

The following are some of the quick checks you can conduct to figure out whether you’re dealing with a soft or hard suspension

• Search for your business: Search the exact name of your business on Google. If there are no results on both SERPs or maps, even with a location search, it means you’ve received a hard suspension.
  
  

• Check with the direct link: If you have the direct link to your profile, try opening it. If the profile is visible through that link but does not appear in normal results, it means you’ve received a soft suspension.
  
  

• Check your dashboard;Visit and check your Google Business Profile Manager suite. If you are able to access your profile and able to edit, but it remains invisible on SERPs, it means a soft suspension. On the other hand, a completely disabled dashboard means a hard suspension.

Conducting these checks will help you narrow down the type of suspension you’ve been slapped with, allowing you to take the next appropriate step. 

The Root Causes for GBP Suspensions 

Google only suspends GBPs who violate their guidelines, whether intentional or not. These causes can be obvious or hidden in plain sight. Over the years, I’ve analyzed hundreds of GBP suspension cases and narrowed down the cases where suspensions can be traced back to a few recurring issues: 

Business Model and Address Violations: One of the major reasons why Google suspends GBP is due to the absence of a real and verifiable business address where customers can physically interact with your business. Especially in situations where you run your business from a virtual office or a co-working space. 

Low-Quality Profiles: Google Business Profiles that overtly use keyword stuffing and spammy content, add different categories to cover more ground, and rename their business profile to enhance SEO are shut down as Google tags them as spam. I’ve noticed this with business owners who use shortcut methods to rank their profile faster. 

Inconsistency in Business Information: The name, address, and phone number of your business act as your digital identity. If this information varies across the internet, Google will start equating this inconsistency with the legitimacy of your business. 

Suspicious Behavior: Google’s algorithms catch unusual and spammy behavior, like sudden and major edits done within a short period of time. Similarly, creating multiple profiles for your business to target different locations will be considered spam by Google. Additionally, granting access to managers with a history of suspended accounts and persistently requesting reinstatement of their GBP without resolving the existing issues can trigger suspensions. 

The Six-Step Reinstatement Plan

In this section, I’ll walk you through the exact framework we use at our agency to reinstate suspended Google Business Profiles. This has a high success rate. and has worked for our multiple clients across the globe

Step 1: Conduct a Profile Audit before Applying for Reinstatement

• Start with the audit of your live GBP listing. Check your business name, business category, phone number, description/bio, website URL, and working hours.
  
  
• Make sure you give only the right information and remove unnecessary keywords and similar signifiers.
  
  
• Cross-check whether your name, address, and phone number (NAP) align throughout the web on different platforms. 

Step 2: Build Your Evidence File—The Documentation Checklist

Google requires proof that you’re running a legitimate business. Having the right and appropriate documents can help speed up the reinstatement process:

Basic Documentation Required for all Businesses:

• Business License
• Tag Registration 
• Recent Tax certificate
• Business owner’s government-issued ID 

For businesses with offices:

• Recent utility bills
• Lease agreement or Property ownership deed 
• Photo/Video of your office 

For Service-Based Businesses:

• A statement explaining why your business doesn’t need a physical office for the services you provide. 
• Recent utility bills

Make sure that you provide all the appropriate evidence for a smoother appeal process.

Step 3: Craft a Proper Appeal

Google requires facts, not excuses. Businesses usually send long explanations without stating facts. I recommend using a simple and well-structured appeal as follows: 

• Keep the reinstatement appeal short while following a professional and respectful tone. 
• State that you’ve thoroughly reviewed Google’s guidelines and corrected the possible issues. 
• Provide all the supporting documentation without being requested. 
• Avoid emotional language and limit it to factual information. 
• If you do not know the reason for your GBP to be suspended, state it beforehand and ask for clarification. 

Step 4: Submit the Official Reinstatement Request

After compiling and curating a proper reinstatement request, you must share it with Google through the right channel. Go to the Google Business Profile Appeals Tool and log in with the email tied to your suspended profile. 

Keep all your answers factual and give prompt information without overexplaining. Double-check that your details match the corresponding documents. And make sure that you provide all the documents in high quality. Following the best practices will assist with the reinstatement process. 

Step 5: Navigate the Waiting Period

Most of the businesses fail here as they panic and keep reapplying. Patience during this period is critical. In my experience, the timeline expectations for reinstatement are as follows:

• 3-14 days for most casts
• Hard suspensions or complex cases can take several weeks. 

The status of the appeal can be seen on the particular business profile: 

• Submitted 
• Approved 
• Not Approved 
• Can't be appealed 
• Eligible for appeal

Please note that even in situations where it indicates "not approved" or "can’t be approved," you should recheck all the guidelines and attempt again. The status is typically not final, allowing you chances to try again. Make sure that you do not resubmit the appeal during the waiting period, as it can reset the clock and drag the process out for a longer period. 

Step 6: Take Help from Professionals

Oftentimes, the first appeal may not work, mostly because of minor detail errors. Check every detail thoroughly before applying again. Get into communities that are dedicated to issues with GBP suspensions and share your issues. Google product experts are usually active in such communities and can provide you with working solutions. 

If you feel that you’ve tried everything but still haven’t gotten reinstated, it’s time to get professional help. Digital marketing agencies in the UAE will know how to handle the reinstatement process efficiently by presenting documents, avoiding mistakes, and navigating the exact concerns.

Getting the Right Help for Recovering Your Google Business Profile

Recovering a suspended Google Business Profile can be a hectic process. But if approached in a structured manner, with proper documentation, even Google Business Profiles with a hard suspension can be recovered easily. Having worked with countless clients, patience and compliance with Google's guidelines are the only two things you need to recover your GBP. 

For the last two decades, I’ve helped countless clients with digital marketing and local search optimization solutions, which has helped me learn ways to navigate Google’s policies and guidelines effectively. This blog has been a compilation of data on how to reinstate a GBP profile, based on all the experience I’ve gained over the years. At my digital marketing agency in the UAE, SpiderWorks, we’ve found ways to handle situations related to GBP effectively.

I hope this guide has been supportive in restoring your profile. However, if you require further guidance or assistance in this scenario, feel free to reach out to our team in Dubai. 

Google Business Profile Suspended? Fix it fast and effectively through this guide!