This article is part of a Learning Module. To view or go back to Learning Modules, Click Here

What is profile suspension?

A suspension can occur when Google has determined that a business profile has violated their Google Business Profile (GBP) guidelines. When a profile is suspended, it is effectively removed from Search and Maps by Google. Profile owners are unable to view insights or respond to reviews but can still make edits to correct any violations. However, those changes are not publicly viewable until the profile has been reinstated by Google.

This is not something that Thryv has done, and is not under Thryv's direct control. Only Google has final say over the decision to suspend or reinstate a profile. Purchasing Thryv will not automatically reinstate a suspended profile.

Why did my profile get suspended?

Thryv is not able to determine exactly why a profile was suspended, this would have to come from Google. However, a profile may be suspended for any of the following reasons

• Address Issues: 
  • Ineligible location: PO Box or any other type of rented box (Ex: UPS, FedEx, etc.)
  • Visible address for businesses that do not accept customers at their location
  • Address on profile different from info on official registration documents
• Business Information is Not Consistent Online: All information should be consistent online: Business name, address, phone number, category, website URL, etc.
• Duplicate Issues: Multiple profiles created for the same business. Only 1 Business Profile per business/location
• Account Issues: Accounts deemed suspicious or consistently violating Google’s policies may cause your Google account to be flagged and unable to use Business Profile. This is up to Google's discretion
• Too Many Edits at Once: Especially when major information like categories, name, address or phone number are changed at once
• Related Google Account Suspended: If a manager's Google account is suspended or has a history of spam, then the business profile can be suspended along with it.

How do I reinstate my Google Business Profile?

Before submitting an appeal to Google Business Profile reinstatement, review and edit your profile to address any policy violations. Use the following checklist as a guide:

• Your business name is accurate and isn't stuffed with keywords or location tags
• Your categories accurately reflect the services your business offers
• For a storefront: your address is a real address and not a rented mailbox
• For a storefront: you don't have any service areas listed
• For a Service Area Business: your address is hidden
• For a Service Area Business: your service areas are accurate (within a 2-hour radius of location)
• You have documents to verify the legitimacy of your business, including but not limited to:
  • Tax documents
  • Utility bills for your place of business
  • Business License
  • Photos of storefront
• You have business hours listed
• Your phone number is accurate
• Your website is accurate
• Your services, products, and/or description content is on topic and non-offensive (by Google's standards)
• Your Google Post(s) are on topic and follow guidelines.
• You can fully trust all the Users on your listing.

Submit a reinstatement request to Google

After you’ve completed your review and corrected all profile violations, you are ready to submit a reinstatement request. Note that this must be completed by you and while Thryv can provide support along the way, we are not able to submit the request on your behalf.  To submit the request, follow these steps:

1. Log into the Google Account that owns your Business Profile

2. Navigate to your Business Profile

3. Click on “Learn more’ within the suspension dialogue or click here

4. Complete the prompt, then click Submit •

Google will respond via email if your appeal has been approved, denied, or requires additional documentation. Google will not provide context behind their decision, regardless of outcome. Therefore, it is critical to review and address any violations prior to submitting a reinstatement.

Tip: Once your reinstatement has been submitted, do not make additional edits to the profile. New edits to your profile will only delay Google’s review and create further suspicion.

Reinstatement requests typically take 1-5 weeks for Google to complete its review, although this timeline can be extended due to backlog. Thryv is unable to expedite this process, however, providing supporting evidence of your business's existence may improve resolution time. You should not submit a second appeal if you have been waiting a long time. Duplicate requests will confuse the system and extend your wait time, not shorten it.

How to contact Google Help & Support

Log into the Google account that manages your business profile

Click on the 9-Dot Application Menu in the upper right corner. Then, click on the Business Profile Manager Icon

Click on the tri-dots near the top-middle of the page, then click Help & Support

Scroll down to bottom of page, and click on Contact Us

FAQ

Can't Thryv handle this for me?

Unfortunately no. Google only accepts reinstatement requests from the owner of the business profile. This action must be completed by the business owner.

I only made a simple correction to my Business Profile, why was my profile suspended?

While this situation is definitely unfortunate, we are unable to provide any insight. Google has final say over whether a profile is suspended, and can do so for any reason they choose. 

Can I continue to make changes to my profile while my suspension is under review?

This is not advisable. It is a best practice to wait until Google completes their review before making changes, as they could view further changes as untrustworthy until their review is complete. Remember, a visitor to your profile will not be able to see the changes until the profile is reinstated.

What can I do to prevent my profile from being suspended?

Here are some best practices to avoid having your profile suspended:

• Ensure that the business owner is the primary owner of the profile
• It is best if the primary owner makes changes to the profile
• Double check to make sure any changes to the profile are accurate
• Avoid making frequent changes to critical information, as changing this information often increases the risk for getting flagged by Google