4 Reasons Your GBP Profile May Be Suspended
Monday, December 04, 2023
4 Reasons Your GBP Profile May Be Suspended
Your company can use your Google Business Profile to increase your advertising reach, improve your ranking on the Google results page, and get your message in front of the right customers at the right time. Unfortunately, GBP has become harder to use over the years as updates and changes have complicated the features and made them harder to navigate. If your company’s GBP is suspended, you could be missing out on valuable opportunities to maximize your presence in the digital marketplace. Here are the most common reasons GBPs are suspended, and how you can fix them.
Your Business Address
Google does not allow you to use a P.O. Box or a UPS store for your business address. You also can’t use a virtual office or co-working space address or display a physical address if you are a service-area only business. If another business is using your same address, you are also at risk of having your GBP suspended. So, what can you do about this? You will need to either correct your GBP address or file an appeal for reinstatement with Google. They will ask you to provide proof that you are a legitimate business and give them photos or screenshots showing your address and storefront.
Multiple GBP Changes at Once
When you make many changes to your GBP at one time, the system thinks that a hacker has gained access to your profile, and so it suspends it pending an investigation or appeal. If you have a lot of updates to make, try to space them out over the course of several weeks so that they don’t trigger a GBP suspension.
Using the Wrong URL
Another common reason for a GBP suspension is using a URL that redirects to another website or links to a social media page. If this happens to you, just update your URL, and then submit an appeal for reinstatement to Google.
Keyword Stuffing
Google doesn’t like it when businesses ‘keyword stuff’ their business name. Keyword stuffing is when you load keywords into metal tags, content, or anchor text to try to improve your ranking in Google search results pages. Google considers it a spammy technique and will suspend your GBP profile. If this happens, correct your keywords, and submit an appeal for reinstatement.
At Plumfun Media, our goal is to help our clients get more exposure from Google without paying for it. We offer business owners personalized marketing advice and strategies that will help you keep up with digital marketing trends in your industry and region. Call us today or book a strategy session online to learn more about becoming a member of the Plumfun Media family.
