It will happen at some point or another. You’ll get that dreaded email that your Business’s Google Account was Suspended. Naturally, you freak out. Relax. Your business won’t fail if the account is down for a bit. It will still show in search results. You may just have lost the ability to access your Google Business Profile (GBP) or the GBP is not showing.


First, understand from Google’s point of view. They want to present the most accurate information relevant to a searcher’s query. If Google’s algorithm discovers any discrepancy, it suspends your account until it is fixed.
Above all, don’t panic. It can be fixed.
What if Your Google Account was Suspended?
This includes your vital Google Business Profile (GBP), which Google relies on for accurate information about your business.
Remember, GBP is NOT social media! It’s your company’s profile on Google. It’s 100% business. This is not a place to post your kids’ or grandkids’ birthday pictures. Save those for your Facebook and Instagram pages.


There are two types of suspensions: a hard or soft suspension.
A hard suspension is when your business profile doesn’t appear when you Google your business name and city. This isn’t good. This may happen when there’s a change in management or ownership or an employee leaves and takes all your passwords with them.
Another is that your business is “unverified”.
Google may have suspended you if it thinks your business is closed or you’re using spammy tactics.
A soft suspension is when your profile comes up and you do have access to your dashboard, but it looks like it’s never been verified as a local business and you can’t manage or update your listing.
How do you know if your profile was suspended?
More than likely, you’ll receive an error message or email like…
Your access has been suspended (or disabled) because this profile doesn’t follow the guidelines…
They should provide a button for you to be able to edit your profile and fix the problem, like the image above.
They also may send you an email saying…
Your business profile has been suspended… Violation type: content that violates our policies on deceptive content and behavior isn’t allowed. Deceptive content intentionally misleads or deceives others.
You’ll see an “Appeal” button to appeal the violation. Most times, they won’t tell you what the offense was. It’s up to you to determine what it was and avoid doing it again. You must fix what’s wrong before you submit your appeal.
Possibly, you’ve been overzealous in your posting and Google thinks you’re spamming. Maybe something you posted offended someone with a lot of clout. It may even be a competitor behind bad reviews or reporting your business.
How to Avoid Being Suspended by Google
- No keyword stuffing — that’s overusing your keywords in your description.
- Don’t make a lot of changes or edits to your profile in one sitting.
- Make sure your business hours are correct. People will complain if they go to your location and find it closed.
Maybe you accidentally created more than one listing for the same location. In this case, disable the one that’s less complete. By no means should you create a new listing if your current one was suspended! Make sure any managers of your listing(s) are in good standing with Google. Finally, don’t violate any of Google’s terms of service.
All in all, your Google Business Profile should complement your website. You need both. GBP limits the amount and type of information that you can include. Thus, your website can provide details.
If you need help with your GBP or your website, please schedule a free 15-minute Zoom consult so I can review your efforts.