My Google Business Profile Got Suspended — Here's What to Do

You log into Google one day and your Business Profile is suspended. Your listing is gone from Maps, your reviews are hidden, and customers searching for you find nothing but your competitors. It's frustrating, it feels unfair, and most people have no idea what to do next. Here's a straightforward guide to understanding why it happens and how to get it back.

Why Google suspends profiles

Google doesn't always tell you exactly why. But the most common reasons are pretty consistent — and a lot of them are things business owners do accidentally.

Sometimes it's something small you didn't even know was a violation. Sometimes a competitor flags your listing out of spite. The result is the same either way — you're invisible until you fix it.

Soft suspension vs. hard suspension

Before you do anything, you need to know which type you're dealing with — because the process is different.

Log into your Google Business Profile dashboard. If you can still see and edit your profile but it's not showing up publicly, that's a soft suspension. If you get an error message or the profile is completely gone, you're likely looking at a hard suspension. Soft suspensions are generally faster to resolve. Hard suspensions require more documentation and patience.

What to do first — audit everything

Do not submit a reinstatement request yet. If you send in the same profile that caused the suspension, you'll get denied and it sets you back further.

Go through every field and make sure it's clean:

• Business name — your exact legal name, no keywords, no city names stuffed in
• Address — must match your website, your Yelp listing, your Facebook page, everywhere
• Phone number — a real local number, not a call tracking number as the primary
• Category — should match what your business actually does, not what gets the most searches
• Website URL — make sure it loads and the information there matches your profile

Fix everything before you submit anything. One clean reinstatement request is worth ten rushed ones.

The reinstatement process — step by step

Go to the Google Business Profile Help center and find the reinstatement request form. You'll need to explain your business, why you believe the suspension was a mistake, and provide documentation. The documentation is the difference between getting approved and getting denied.

Submit as many of these as you have:

• Business license or registration
• Utility bill or bank statement with your business address
• Photos of your storefront, office, or work vehicle with your branding
• Your website URL
• Any other proof that you are a real, operating business at that location

The more evidence, the better. Google reviewers are looking for confidence that you're legitimate. Give them no reason to doubt it.

Be patient — but follow up

The review process can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. There's no way to speed it up. If you don't hear back after two weeks, follow up. If your first request gets denied, you can appeal — submit new evidence, write a clearer explanation, and try again.

It's not a fast process but it is fixable for most legitimate businesses. Don't give up after one denial.

How to make sure it never happens again

Once you're back up, keep the profile clean. A few simple habits prevent most suspensions:

• Never put keywords or city names in your business name field
• Keep your information consistent across every platform — website, Yelp, Facebook, Apple Maps, everywhere
• Don't make several big changes to your profile at once
• If you move or change your phone number, update everything simultaneously
• Respond to reviews consistently — active profiles are less likely to be flagged

The bottom line

A suspended Google Business Profile feels like a disaster but most of the time it's recoverable. The key is acting quickly, cleaning up your profile before requesting reinstatement, and submitting solid documentation. Don't panic, don't rush — do it right the first time.

If you've been through this and need help getting your listing restored and protected going forward, reach out. We've helped clients navigate exactly this situation and get their profiles back up and running.