Google Business Profiles: Surviving Suspensions, Verification, and Reviews

I’ve worked through more of these cases than I can count. Each one is slightly different, but the patterns are always the same: Google rarely explains what’s happening, the appeals process is slow and opaque, and small mistakes can cost weeks of lost visibility. This article lays out the most common issues I see, what they mean in practice, and how you can approach fixing them.

📞 Get in touch today if you need your GBP reinstated or protected.  Set up a 30-minute call with me via Calendly

Suspensions: When Your Listing Disappears

A suspension is not a slap on the wrist. It is the complete removal of your profile from Google Maps and Search. To the customer, it looks as if you do not exist. Calls dry up, inquiries vanish, and confidence erodes quickly.

Google suspends listings for a range of reasons, often without providing specifics. Sometimes it’s triggered by competitors reporting you. Sometimes it’s because your address looks like a UPS box or a co-working suite. Other times it’s because you added too many keywords into your business name. And sometimes, honestly, there is no obvious reason—it just happens.

Q: Why does Google suspend profiles?
A: The most common triggers are questionable addresses, multiple businesses registered at the same location, keyword stuffing in the business name, or too many edits in a short period of time. But competitor reports and automated algorithm flags also play a role.

Hard Suspension: The listing is completely removed from Maps and Search.
Soft Suspension: The listing remains visible, but you lose the ability to manage it.

Verification: Proving You Exist

If you are setting up a new GBP or trying to reinstate a suspended one, you will need to pass verification. In the old days, Google mailed out postcards. Today, the process often involves video verification, where you record a walk-through of your business showing the signage, the workspace, and proof of occupancy such as utility bills or tax documents.

Verification failures are common. Sometimes the documentation is rejected with no explanation. Sometimes the video doesn’t clearly show what Google wants. And when that happens, you can be locked out of the process for weeks at a time.

Q: What documentation does Google accept?
A: Google typically accepts business licenses, utility bills, tax records, lease agreements, and clear signage photos. More is better—submitting redundant proof makes it harder for them to reject the verification.

Video Verification: A process where you record live footage of your business exterior, interior, and proof of occupancy for Google to review.

Pro Tip: Always provide more documentation than Google asks for. Clean, clear evidence shortens the review cycle.

Reviews: Why They Disappear

Reviews are the social proof every business depends on. Losing them is devastating, both to credibility and to search performance. Unfortunately, I’ve seen businesses lose dozens of reviews in a single night.

The reasons are not always transparent. Google’s review filter often removes reviews left by brand-new accounts, reviews that appear to use similar language, or reviews that are extremely short or overly enthusiastic. And then there are the unexplained glitches—cases where real customer feedback simply disappears.

Q: Why did my reviews vanish?
A: Reviews are removed when Google’s systems flag them as suspicious. This includes accounts that are brand new, text that looks repetitive or formulaic, and reviews that appear “too perfect.” But sometimes legitimate reviews are removed by mistake, and there is often no way to get them back.

Review Filter: An automated system used by Google to evaluate which reviews are displayed and which are suppressed. It frequently hides legitimate reviews while leaving fake ones untouched.

Rule of Thumb: Expect that 10–20% of reviews may not show up. Focus on long-term, steady review collection rather than one-time pushes.

The Restoration Process

If your GBP is suspended or crippled, the process of reinstatement is slow and frustrating, but it can be done. The first step is to file an appeal. The second step is to supply documentation proving your business is legitimate. After that, you wait—sometimes days, sometimes weeks. If the appeal fails, you refine your documentation and try again, and sometimes you escalate through Google’s higher-tier support.

Q: Can I call Google directly to resolve this?
A: No. There is no direct phone support. Every reinstatement must go through the online appeals process.

Duplicate Suppression: A situation where Google merges your listing with another business, often incorrectly, which can erase or confuse your visibility.

Why This Matters

When your GBP goes down, your business goes down. Potential customers think you’ve closed. Existing customers lose trust. And your pipeline of new leads simply dries up. That’s why these cases matter so much. They aren’t just about fixing a technical glitch—they’re about protecting your ability to stay visible and viable in your market.

Work With Me

I’ve worked with contractors, attorneys, healthcare clinics, retailers, and service providers across the country. I’ve seen every type of suspension, verification rejection, and review wipe. I know how to gather the right evidence, how to phrase appeals in ways that Google responds to, and how to keep pushing until the listing is restored.

If you are facing a suspension, a failed verification, or disappearing reviews, don’t wait. Every day your profile is down, you are losing opportunities.

Hire me to take over the process. I will manage the documentation, the appeals, and the persistence required to get your business back on Google.

Glossary of Key Terms

Suspension: Removal of a business listing from Google Maps and Search.
Verification: The process of proving that a business operates at its stated address.
Review Filter: Google’s automated system for deciding which reviews remain visible.
Duplicate Suppression: An error where Google merges two separate listings into one.

📞 Get in touch today if you need your GBP reinstated or protected.  Set up a 30-minute call with me via Calendly