Common reasons for GMB suspensions

Common reasons for GMB suspensions:-

Many local businesses rely on their Google My Business (GMB) list as a major online marketing tool.

For a large group of small businesses, a GMB profile is their only form of Internet marketing.

For small, local businesses that operate on a low marketing budget, a free GMB profile is often the only online marketing strategy they have.

When they run into issues with Google My Business, these issues can literally bankrupt them.

One of the biggest stressors for a small business owner in this situation is the suspension of their Google My Business listing.

With a suspension of Google My Business, the GMB file is no longer visible in Google search or on Maps, or we have lost control of the file.

Part of the angst about a GMB suspension is that Google won't tell merchants why their profile has been suspended.

A business owner or newbie marketer with no education in the rules and nuances of GMB is left guessing what he may have done wrong to cause the suspension.

Let's go over some of the most common reasons why Google My Business listings are suspended so that if you are in that position, you can better fix the problem.

Common reasons why the Google My Business listing has been suspended

A Google My Business suspension can be devastating.

If one is not paying attention to one's profile, one may not even notice that the ad has been paused until the phone calls slow down or the foot traffic is below normal.

If we verify the email, we will receive an email notification from Google informing them that the GMB profile has been suspended.

When you log into the Google My Business dashboard, you will also see a scary “Suspended” notification.

Google My Business address suspensions

Address-related suspensions are among the most common types of GMB suspensions.

Few reasons are

* Have an address near a UPS store.

* Using a PO Box, UPS, or Virtual Office / Workplace Address.

* Multiple GMB listings for the same business address/location.

* The list relates to a company that manages a service or a class that operates in a building/company which does not belong to it.

* A “move suspension” of the move from a virtual office / shared office to a new location.

* A service area business (SAB) displays its residential address on the GMB list.

Go to Google Maps and enter the address and use the satellite view to look around the neighborhood.

With that little bit of investigation, it could be said that this company was probably suspended because it was breaking the rule that companies in the service area cannot post their physical address on GMB if they did not. no showcase or manage the business. from their house.

Another problem with address suspension is when businesses rent out virtual offices or shared workspaces.

Virtual office addresses can only be used if the company has rented a dedicated / executive office for their exclusive use.

 In this case, they must also have:

Permanent signage in front of their office door, inside the office/hall.

Their own suite number.

Their business is listed in the office building directory with a unique suite number.

Their employees - not the co-workers - in their desks during office hours, etc.

If you are trying to figure out why one of the customers was suspended, do your research, i.e. all businesses in that location are violating GMB's terms of service.

If someone has a virtual office address and is suspended, there are a few options.

One option is to find a new dedicated office location.

It would be the safest and best thing to do.

One could also rent a dedicated office at the virtual office location if there is one and follow the guidelines listed above - permanent signage, employees during office hours, etc.

When submitting the suspension refurbishment request, proof of the rental of the dedicated office must be provided by submitting a copy of the dedicated office lease contract and photos and videos showing:

* Enter the building.

* The office directory with the company name and office number indicated.

* Dedicated office door showing signage.

* Commercial signage inside the office lobby, etc.

If we were a service area company with a virtual office / shared workspace that is suspended, we cannot keep the virtual office address and just remove that address from the GMB list and configure service areas. .

Either rent a dedicated office as described above or change the home address, then remove that address from the GMB list and set the list as SAB before submitting the restore request.

Note that whatever decision is made, care should be taken to ensure that all business documents - such as Secretary of State, trademark and patent information, resale license, business licenses, business insurance, utility bills with company name, etc. the new address.

Submit this proof when completing the reinstatement application.

The Google My Business listing has been suspended for making too many changes at once.

Working on the GMB profile can be a problem.

Well, making a bunch of changes to the GMB roster in one sitting can trigger a suspension.

No one is sure exactly why this is happening, but Google may consider all of these updates to be suspicious.

It's best to make one or two edits to the list, then do something else.

Come back about 30 minutes later and make another change.

Don't make too many changes at once. It's not worth risking a suspension.

Flukes, Bugs, Algos, and Google Sweeps ...

Bugs occur and sometimes GMB listings are suspended for no reason.

Google can also make small changes in the GMB dashboard that can trigger suspensions.

Google could do a scan to try to get rid of spam lists and since we weren't in that industry too, the legitimate list could get caught up in mass suspensions.

If this happens, read the Google My Business guidelines carefully to make sure they are compliant.

Then complete the recovery request, which typically takes Google around 72 hours to respond.

Online businesses only

It might sound like a no-brainer, but Google My Business was built to help local businesses.

Online-only businesses are not eligible for Google My Business listings.

If one of them was an online-only site and didn't work directly with local customers where they are located, owned an e-commerce website, or only offered online services, he was not eligible to have a GMB list.

That’s why the GMB profile has been (rightly) suspended.

Non-compliance with GMB guidelines/terms of use

Google My Business guidelines are intended for everyone.

It is a good idea to check these guidelines at least once a month to make sure nothing has been changed in the rules and to make sure that you understand all of the rules described.

GMB's guidelines can be a bit tricky, vague, and open to interpretation, which can make things confusing for even the most experienced GMB user.

Other common reasons for GMB suspension.

Covered some of the most common reasons for GMB registration suspension, but there are many more, including:

Someone reported the GMB listing using the GMB Terms of Service (TOS) appeal form.

GMB "manager" issues (that is, a person with "manager" rights on the GMB list has done something wrong / violated a GMB TOS, and all the lists it manages have been suspended)

Keyword filling the trade name or in the absence of a legal or legitimate trade name.

A listing's website URL is a redirect or links to a social media page.

Google User Report (ie anyone who flags a listing on Google Maps as "Spam" or "Does not exist" can have that listing suspended if approved for modification).

One was arrested several times for stuffing the company name with keywords.

Reintegration / verification loop.

This is when a successful reinstatement is achieved and the list is suspended either immediately or immediately after entering a verification code immediately after a reinstatement.

"Spammy" changes via Google Maps may result in account suspensions.

If one has enough rejected edits and one is automatically flagged as a spammer, the account may be suspended and managed ads will also be suspended.

If someone gets an account suspension, they will likely lose all photos and responses to reviews received.

This Google My Business Help Center resources on how to fix suspended Google My Business listings can help.

If the listing is restored at the request, it may take up to 72 hours for the knowledge panel to appear in search results.

Keep in mind that might see a drop in rank for a while.

The GMB profile is one of the most valuable assets.

It's best to be proactive and understand the common reasons GMB profiles are suspended in order to avoid being suspended in the first place.

Here is some more useful information on what to do if the GMB registration is suspended.

If one was still stuck, then one can still go to the Google My Business Help Forum and one of the volunteers can answer the question about the suspension.