I wrote this guide to help you if you have your Google Business Profile suspended for suspicious activity or other reasons. Sometimes you may not realize that your Google Business Profile has been suspended until you see the following message on your GBP dashboard: “Your access has been suspended because this profile doesn’t follow the guidelines.“

I’ll walk you through everything you need to know to remove the suspension from your Google Business Profile (for suspicious activity or otherwise).

I will explore the most common reasons why your Google Business Profile was suspended (for suspicious activity or otherwise) and how you can fix your Google Business Profile suspension and get reinstated. In my experience, 99% of suspended profiles can be reinstated but each suspension is unique.

Most likely, you received an email from Google to advise: “Your Business profile on Google has been suspended because it was flagged for suspicious activity.”

Or perhaps, you didn’t receive the email but when you go to your Google Business Profile dashboard you see the following message:

“Your business is not visible to customers” followed by “Your access has been suspended because this profile doesn’t follow the guidelines. Edit your business info and learn how to regain access. Learn more“

Why Was My Google Business Profile Suspended For Suspicious Activity?

This is the top question people ask, the “why”. It makes sense as we want to know what we did so wrong that Google suspended our Google Business Profile (GBP).

Below are the general reasons why your Google Business Profile was suspended, and in the next section, I explore the main reasons in detail.

• Google Algorithm signalized issues with your  profile, most of the time because:
  • Finds conflicting information about your business on the web (directories, Social Networks, your website)
  • Identifies your address as a residential address, co-working space, PO Box, UPS Store, Virtual address
  • Found duplicates
• User(s) reported the profile on Google through the “Suggest an edit” feature – Google AI suspension if it “thinks” reporting is justified
• User(s) reported through Google’s redressal form – manual suspension by a Google Support Agent
• Editing important profile information (Business name, Address, Service Area Business, Phone number, Primary Category)
• Several edits were made in one single session
• The owner’s Google User Account was suspended

What suspicious activities/main reasons will get your Google Business Profile suspended?

• Keyword stuffing your business name, you have to use your correct business name.
• Changing to a business address other than the one used for verification.
• Using a P.O. Box or UPS store address, not acceptable by Google.
• If you use a virtual office or a co-working space as your business address, there are specific strict rules that must be followed.
• Your business is a service-area business but your profile is showing a physical address.
• You have an online-only business, not normally eligible.
• You are in a high-risk business category, like lawyers, plumbers, HVAC, locksmiths, electricians, rehab centers, etc.
• Similar business shares the same address.
• You have made a bunch of changes/edits to your Google Business Profile in one go.
• The URL you added to your business profile forwards/redirects to another website or links to a social media page.
• If you changed your profile from a Storefront to a Service Area Business (SAB), by removing the address.
• Your address or hours don’t match what is listed on your website or other online business directories/citations.
• Your business hours are 24/7.
• An owner user (sometimes a manager) on your profile got their user account suspended – so your business profile got suspended because they got suspended.
• You created multiple listings for the same business at the same address (duplicate profiles).
• Photos, Posts, Services, Business Description spammy or against Google’s policies.
• False-positives, Google AI is not sure the profile is eligible.

I actually created a list with 75 reasons/issues that can suspend a profile. Not allowing your profile to be reinstated by Google.

Does Google advise the reasons why your business was suspended for suspicious activity?

Part of the anxiety of a Google Business Profile suspension is that Google doesn’t tell you why your profile was suspended. Even if you contact support asking for the reasons.

They tell you to go through the guidelines and try to figure out by yourself the why:

How To Fix A Suspended Google Business Profile Flagged For Suspicious Activity and Other Suspension Reasons

• Google’s reinstatement process for a Google Business Profile suspended
• Expert help to reinstate your suspended Google Business profile

Google Business Profile Suspended Reinstatement Steps

1. Check the Google Business Profile guidelines. 
2. Review your profile and make any necessary changes to ensure your profile meets all guidelines.
3. After making sure your profile meets the guidelines, you submit the reinstatement form.

Notes:

Even though the reinstatement process can be very frustrating, you should never:

• remove the profile from the dashboard (you will lose all the reviews);
• create a new profile (high chances of getting suspended, even if Google support tells you to do it);
• Submit multiple reinstatements yourself (will only delay your case).

According to Google, the response times is up to 2 weeks – to review, investigate, and clear up most requests. Even though my clients’ cases take less than a week on average, some of them are reinstated after 24 hours. If your request is denied, you can appeal but it can take longer to get a response.

Also, you will need to provide evidence, the very least the business license and utility bill but the amount of evidence and the type of evidence can depend on your business type and location.

if you fill the reinstatement form incorrectly, send the wrong evidence, or don’t resolve all issues, it can take weeks or months before your profile is reinstated or may never get reinstated, unfortunately. I know many cases where this has happened:

Expert Google Business Profile Reinstatement Help

Unfortunately, Google Support cannot help you reinstate your suspended business listing because Google is afraid of inadvertently helping spammers. But I can help you!

I am a Google Business Profile Product Expert and a specialist in reinstating suspended/disabled profiles and having reinstated over 700 listings in the last 12 years.

Even when Google denies your reinstatement request advising your profile is not eligible, I can help you. Through my years of experience, I know all the issues that prevent your profile from being reinstated and what we need to provide Google Support Team to reinstate your profile.

I offer 2 services to help you reinstate your profile, giving you complete control over how you wish to proceed.

My guarantees:
– 99% reinstatement success rate and 100% success rate over the past 12 months. If I can’t reinstate your profile, unfortunately no one else can.
– And I will refund you the Reinstatement Assistance Service fee if I am unable to reinstate your profile.

Google Business Profile Suspended FAQ