Suspended Google business card - we suggest what to do next

For many small businesses, the Google My Business card (GMB) is the primary (and sometimes only) way to advertise online. Why? Because it's free and helps local businesses, to attract new customers. These, in turn, get in touch by phone or decide to visit a stationary business premises if the information they find online is satisfactory. On the one hand, there is no denying that if you have a limited marketing budget, GMF is an effective way to promote yourself online. On the other hand, putting everything on one card is risky (also in marketing). This means that if a business has any problems with its Google My Business profile, it will negatively affect its entire business and probably cause an immediate panic. Is it justified? Read in this article what a suspended Google Moja Firma business card means. Why might such a situation arise and, above all, how can it be resolved? We explain below.

What does the suspension of the Google business card mean?

Before you find out what the causes of Google Business Card suspension are and how to regain access, one important thing should be noted. Suspension does not equate to permanent removal of your business card - so don't panic. Everything is fixable. A suspended business card is not available to the public, but its owners and managers can still make changes to it and thus seek to restore its visibility.

How do you know if your business card has been suspended? By logging into your account, you will see the following message: Suspended. This site has been suspended due to data quality issues. For business card owners who do not regularly log into their dashboard, they first notice a drop in the number of calls or visitors to their business. Only then do they carry out a quick reserach and, unable to find their business card at all, they log into the GMF dashboard and see a heartening notification that it has been suspended. Importantly and disadvantageously for business owners, Google does not give an exact reason for the suspension.

Two types of suspension - soft and hard

Suspensions can be divided according to the 'seriousness of the situation'.

Soft suspension

When the business card is suspended in this way, the notification mentioned earlier in the article will appear on the account. The status of the business card changes to 'unverified', but it is still visible in search results in the so-called Google Knowledge Graph. You can access the Google My Business dashboard, but you cannot manage or update your profile. Soft suspensions are occurring less and less frequently.

Hard suspension

This type of suspension means that the business card has been 'disabled' from Google and is not visible in search results. This is extremely disadvantageous for small businesses, as potential customers will not be able to find the company's profile on Google Maps either. In order to get out of a hard suspension, you have to follow Google protocol and be baaar patient, as you will read further on.

Business card suspension in Google maps - the most common causes

Why is Google making life difficult for local businesses and suspending business cards? Unfortunately, there is no clear answer to this question. There could be many reasons. There are three main ones. Therefore, if you, too, are facing a suspension, you need to carefully analyse your business card to find out the reason and start the process of rectifying the situation.

The business card has a duplicate

If you delay verifying a business card or another Internet user (e.g. a customer) creates a duplicate, Google will not display any of them. Why? Because it will not be sure which one is the correct one and which one web users should see. The situation will need to be clarified and verified and, in the meantime, the company may unfortunately lose the chance to gain new customers.

Google's content policy was not followed

This is the most common reason why business cards are suspended. Failure to follow the guidelines for a business card and not respecting Google's restricted content rules leads to a soft suspension in the first place. Remember to always comply with Google's terms and conditions when setting up a business card and conducting activities on it!

Spam in the company name

The phenomenon of keyword phrase stuffing and spamming in Google maps is unfortunately becoming more and more common. Some business card owners conclude that unnaturally adding multiple keywords to their business name will get them to the top of the search results in a short period of time. However, this is not a good idea. Why? Such spam will quickly be detected and reported by competitors. Also, Google itself regularly confronts spam, which will result in the suspension of the business card.

Other actions that may lead to suspension are:

• indicating the address of your virtual office or coworking space as your business address on your business card
• many changes/edits to the GMF profile in a short space of time
• the address or opening hours do not correspond to what appears on the company's website or other web directories
• the Google account of the business card manager has been suspended. In this case, the business card is also suspended

Perhaps when you see the notification that your business card has been suspended, you will panic and want to fill in the reinstatement form straight away. Don't act too quickly, check the list above first. If you have done any of the things listed, you need to fix the problems before you try to regain access to Google My Business. Also, read the following again carefully business card guidelines.

Reclaiming access to your business card on Google step by step

If you have reviewed the list of actions that lead to suspension and have not found an error in your business card or have corrected it, it is time to complete the reinstatement form. Meticulously answer all questions, providing all necessary information about the company. This includes: contact details, information about any recent changes to the business card, telephone number, links to other business cards of the company e.g. in catalogues. In addition to the form, you can include screenshots and photos to prove that you are running a "real" company e.g. electricity bill, entry from CEIDG, photo of shop window.

What next? Google will send you an acceptance notice. You should then write down the number of the case in question so that you can check its status. This is particularly important if you manage more than one business card, as Google always uses the application number and not the company name. The processing of an appeal may take at least 2-3 weeks. If, despite submitting the form, your profile has not been restored, it is worth contacting Support. Describe your situation accurately and follow the advice of a Google employee. He or she may also ask you to send photos to verify the authenticity of the business card.

Need help getting your business card back?  Call SEOSki: 605 377 393

Getting your business card back - remember to be patient and don't panic!

A suspended business card is a problem that occurs more often than you might think. Therefore, if you see a message stating that your business card has been suspended, first of all remain calm and act in accordance with Google's recommendations. Under no circumstances should you try to create a new business card to replace the new one! This will only complicate the entire recovery process. Verify what might have caused Google's reaction, fill in the form carefully and be patient. And in future, ensure that your business card does not violate the guidelines and the problem will not recur.