4 Reasons for GBP Profile Suspension and How to Avoid It
GBP profile suspension is a nightmare for business owners. Click here to learn about 4 reasons for suspension and how you can avoid them.
Google Business Profile (GBP) is an essential element of many businesses’ hyperlocal discovery and SEO strategy. Businesses put a lot of effort into optimising and updating their profile with new content and try their best to optimise the listings.
But suddenly finding the profile suspended for no apparent reason can lead to frustration and send anyone into panic mode as well. After putting in all that effort and time, the last thing you want is a suspended GBP profile, especially when the reason for the suspension is hard to understand.
This blog post explores why it is essential to understand the various reasons for suspension and offers some steps you can take to prevent it.
Reasons for suspension of a GBP profile
- Using a virtual office or co-working space address
You can use your home address if you operate your business from a virtual office or co-working space. Alternatively, you can use a service area business (SAB) listing. It is a GBP feature that allows businesses to list their service areas instead of a physical address. With this option, you can list the areas you serve and your business phone number. However, you won’t be able to display a physical address or the map location of your business.
2. Violation of guidelines for GBP profiles
Google’s guidelines for Google Business Profiles (GBPs) are intended for businesses that want to list their information on Google Maps and other Google services. These include providing accurate and up-to-date information about your location, business hours, website, and phone number. You should also ensure that the information is not false, inaccurate, fake, illegal, or offensive.
By adhering to these guidelines, businesses can ensure that their GBP profile will be accurate, informative, and compliant with Google’s policies. Companies that violate these guidelines may have their profile suspended or removed and may not be able to create new profiles.
To avoid violating Google’s guidelines for Google My Business (GBP) profiles, businesses should carefully read Google’s guidelines and adhere to them. Also, they should keep an eye out for additional policies or changes. Listing owners can avoid any issues with suspension or removal by ensuring the accuracy and appropriateness of the information on their GBP profile.
3. Keyword-stuffed business name
First, it can make your business name appear spammy and unprofessional, discouraging potential customers from engaging with your business. Second, Google’s algorithm is designed to detect and penalise companies that use keyword stuffing to manipulate search engine rankings. This can result in your GMB profile being demoted in search results, making it less visible to potential customers.
Additionally, it is against Google My Business policy to have a keyword-stuffed business name, like Ramcharan LG TV Samsung Phones Shop. It can lead to the suspension or termination of your GMB profile. In short, it is best to have a professional and accurate business name that accurately represents your business rather than one that is keyword stuffed.
4. Two businesses have the same address
Having two businesses with the same address listed on Google My Business (GMB) can lead to suspension because it violates Google’s guidelines for GBP profiles.
Google’s policies state that each business location must be unique and that a physical address can only be associated with one business listing. Multiple listings for the same address can be seen as an attempt to manipulate search engine rankings, which Google strictly prohibits. Additionally, having multiple listings for the same address can lead to confusion for customers, who may not know which listing corresponds to the business they are trying to find.
Suppose you have multiple businesses operating from the same address. In that case, you should create one GMB listing for the main business and list the other undertakings as additional locations under that main listing. This way, you can still promote all the businesses under a single main listing.
Bottom Line
There are several reasons for GBP profile suspension. To avoid suspension of your profile, carefully read Google’s guidelines for Google Business Profiles.
Moreover, you should consistently maintain and optimise your listing. It can be time-consuming, so take the help of a modern GBP optimisation tool such as ProManage.
With ProManage, you can publish posts to multiple listings from a single platform, increase store’s online visibility and credibility of the brand, respond to reviews, and engage with targeted customers for more conversion. It provides users with a unique Business Virtual Number (BVN) for easy call tracking.
Furthermore, ProManage also offers Reports and Resolutions for avoiding GBP suspension and delivers immediate patches from the integrated Google ecosystem.
Schedule a demo to learn more about how ProManage can help you manage your Google Business Profile.
