When something goes wrong: suspensions, drops and wrong edits

One morning, something’s wrong. Your business has vanished from Google Maps. Or the phone’s gone quiet. Or Google says you close at three on Saturdays, and you don’t.

First, breathe. Most of these problems have a clear cause and a clear fix. In this lesson, you’ll get a calm checklist for each one, and an evidence folder ready before you need it.

Problem one: a suspended profile. Google says it may suspend or disable profiles that don’t follow its guidelines.

Step one: don’t create a new profile. Google says it plainly: “Do not create a new Business Profile for the same business.”

Step two: find out why. Open Google’s Business Profile appeals tool and choose your profile. It shows each decision, its date, and the reason.

Step three: fix the cause before you appeal. The usual suspects are the rules from Module 2. A name with extra words in it. An address customers can’t visit. Or more than one profile for the same business.

Step four: appeal once, with evidence. Google lists business registration, a business licence, tax certificates and utility bills, and the name and address on them should match your profile. Explain briefly what you fixed. Appeals can only be submitted once, so make yours complete.

Step five: wait. Google says decisions can take up to five business days, and it emails you the result. If it’s turned down, Google may be able to do an additional review, but only if you can send more evidence.

And if your whole Google account is restricted, not just the profile, appeal the account first. Then appeal the profile.

Problem two: a drop. Fewer calls, or you’ve slipped down the map.

First, check it’s real. Look at three months of your Performance report, and the same months last year if you have them. Then check your position from several places, like we did in the last lesson. One search from your shop proves very little.

If the drop is real, work down this list, in order.

One: is your profile suspended, or has something on it changed? In your profile editor, Google shows the information it has updated in blue.

Two: did you change something yourself? Check the change log on W14.

Three: do your hours show you as closed when people search?

Four: have new reviews dried up? Local search experts rank recent reviews, and a steady flow of them, among the factors for the map.

Five: has a new competitor, or a spam listing, appeared above you?

Six: did your website change, or did the page your profile links to break?

And seven: did Google announce an update? Google lists its Search ranking updates on its Search Status Dashboard.

Fix one thing at a time, write down the date, and give each change time before you judge it.

Problem three: wrong information goes live. The public, and Google itself, can change details on your profile. Google says that once you’re notified of a suggested edit, you have four days to accept or reject it. After that, it may publish the change if other public information, like your website, supports it.

So keep notifications on, going to an inbox someone reads, and check your profile every week. If something wrong does go live, correct it straight away in your profile. And keep your website showing the same details, because Google looks there too.

A quick country note. If Google rejects a correct change to your name, category, address, phone or website, businesses in the UK can appeal in Google’s appeals tool. In the US and Australia, you use Google’s contact form instead.

Problem four: you can’t get in, or someone else has taken over.

If you can still sign in, check who has access. Choose “More”, then “Business Profile settings”, then “People and access”. Remove anyone who shouldn’t be there, like an ex-employee or an old agency. Only owners can remove people, so make sure at least one owner is you.

Never share a verification code. Google says it will never ask for your code.

And if someone else owns the profile and won’t hand it back, you can request ownership through Google. The current owner has three days to respond. If they don’t, you may get the option to claim it yourself.

A rules check, because when things go wrong, it’s tempting to report again and again. Don’t. Google asks every Business Profile user to use its support channels responsibly, and it warns: “Repeated unfounded submissions can result in rejection of all further complaints without assessment.”

So report each problem once, with the facts and your evidence. Note the date, and wait for the answer. And remember: Google makes the final decision.

The best time to prepare for a suspension is before it happens. So build an evidence folder this week. Your business registration or licence. A utility bill or tax document with your exact business name and address. Photos of your permanent sign and premises, if customers visit you. And a list of everyone with access to your profile. Keep it where you can find it in two minutes.

Let’s recap. One: if you’re suspended, don’t create a new profile. Fix the cause, then appeal once, with matching evidence. Two: if you drop, check it’s real, then work down the checklist, one change at a time. Three: keep notifications on, know who has access, and report problems once.

Your task: fill in W15, and build your evidence folder this week. In the last lesson, we’ll put everything into a thirty-minute monthly routine, and score your business again.

If you’re stuck, our team can look at it with you. Google makes the final decision, so nobody can guarantee the outcome.