Oh No! I Have a Suspended Google Account, Now What?

Few things can immediately induce panic in a business owner or SEO professional than logging into Google My Business only to find a giant red Google Suspended Account Banner on the page. There are a number of reasons why you may have violated Google's business guidelines. Finding out what to do to solve the problem can be a challenge. Here's what you need to know about Google suspended accounts and what you can do about them.

Why Won't Google Tell Me Why I've Been Suspended?

Google isn't about to help rule-breakers get better at breaking rules by making it easy for them to find out what rule has been broken. You'll need to work out for yourself what you've done to break Google's guidelines.

Where do I Find the Guidelines to Avoid a Google Suspended Account?

A Google My Business account is important for driving customer traffic. Having it down can be horrible for business. Thankfully, Google offers plenty of information about what they want and don’t want. Google My Business Help has all of the information that you need to follow instructions while listing your business. If you are unclear on any points, consider checking out the Google My Business Help community forum. You will probably find the answer to your question in the existing posts. If you don't, you can post your own question.

Soft Suspensions vs Hard Suspensions

• Soft suspensions: If your listing still shows up on Google and Google Maps but you see the suspension label when you log into Google My Business, you are under a soft suspension.
• Hard suspensions: A hard suspension is a very serious type of suspension. This means that your whole listing is gone from Google, including photos and reviews. If you pull your listing up on Google Maps, all it will say is "removed." The only way to recover from a hard suspension is to get Google to reinstate your account. It is very unlikely that you will succeed in convincing Google to reinstate your business. Hard suspensions only happen if Google has made a decision that your business shouldn't be on Google Maps.

Not only is this bad because you’ve lost your listing, but it can also hurt your reputation with customers. Reputation management is essential, so you may lose customers as a result.

Top 6 Reasons for a Suspended Google Account

1 - There is a forwarding URL in your website field

Your URL should bring users to a page that carries the same URL. If your URL sends traffic to another domain, Google will suspend your account.

What to do about it: Generally, Google puts a soft suspension on listings who have violated this guideline. Try changing the URL to what your actual URL is, not a redirect URL.

2 - Keyword stuffing your business name

Anything in your business name field besides your registered business name is a red flag for Google. It can be tempting to try to get your business to come up in search results more readily by including keywords, but it is best to be straightforward about creating a business name.

What to do about it: This generally results in a soft suspension. Fixing it once you create a new Google account is as simple as removing excess words in the business name. If your business name is "Smith Lawn Care, LLC" don't put "Best Lawn Services Smith Lawn Care, LLC"

3 - You have more than one verified listing for one business

You are only allowed to have one Google business listing for each location of your business. If Google finds that you have multiple listings for one business, they will suspend all listings. The real listing will generally have a soft suspension, while imitation listings will have a hard suspension and be entirely removed.

What to do about it: Ask the Google Help community, they are often a great resource for situations like this.

4 - You have a sensitive business type

Google may suspend some types of businesses, sometimes unexpectedly. Gun shops, adult entertainment, and other potentially questionable businesses may be flagged with a suspension.

What to do about it: You may be able to get your account reinstated with geographic and age restriction to make sure that only the right customers are finding your business.

5 - You have a listing at a virtual mailbox, office, or FedEx location

Only businesses that have staff during normal business hours can have a Google listing. Businesses who create multiple listings with virtual offices to rank in different towns are at risk of having all of their other listings removed. They will most likely be suspended if caught or reported.

What to do about it: If Google catches you creating multiple listings with virtual addresses, they will almost certainly remove the extra listings. There isn't much that you can do about it, but you should be able to recover your original listing. Make sure you either mark your listing as having an address (not virtual) or that it is a service area business.

6 - You have a listing for an online business

You can't have a Google business listing for an online business. You either have to have a brick and mortar store or mark it as a service area business.

What to do about it: If you are determined to have a listing for an online business, you will need to look into creating a brick-and-mortar presence for your business. Google has been known to suspend your account and ask you to provide proof of your brick and mortar store.

Tips for Creating a Listing that Won't Get Suspended

1. If in doubt, don't. If you are ever questioning whether you should or shouldn't do something based on the guidelines, err on the side of playing it safe. Google tends to be a harsh disciplinarian, and it's better to stay well within their good graces than try something that could result in a Google suspended account.
2. Don't mess with Google Maps too much. Too many edits to your Google Maps account may cause Google to question whether your business is legitimate.
3. Recheck the guidelines. You may create your listing and follow the guidelines carefully, but if you need to make changes to your listings over the years, you may forget some of the rules. Recheck the Google My Business guidelines whenever you need to make changes.

Get Help Building Your Google Business Listing

If you are worried about creating a Google listing that will stand the test of time, and terrified of losing your listing and all of the reviews and photos that go along with it, why not invest in a professional? We can help you create a listing that you know will follow guidelines. Perfectly Optimized has the experience to create a local listing for you that Google will love. Furthermore, we know how to optimize your listing so that it is more likely to come up in search results without any worries of being flagged. We'll thoroughly answer all of your questions and discuss our plan with you in detail. Contact us today!