Uptick in suspensions occurring (not related to reinstatement response times)

[Jaimie S]

Hi All,

Is anyone else experiencing an unprecedented amount of GBP suspensions? I had 3 separate profiles suspend after doing a post on the account. Other accounts are suspending after making changes to business hours or main categories.

These are across 3 different countries and listings are managed by different Users (in different countries, different logins etc).

Its been about 1-2 weeks of this.

Is this the same for any other agencies?

Thanks ahead!

 

[ai2ik]

I had 3 listings suspended without making changes. Very frustrating at the lost revenue for the client.

 

[Jaimie S]

I've got a listing that has been suspended right after verifying it with a code via postcard. This is so frustrating.

Was this today? I’m trying to track if it’s improving or not

 

[Jurant Dika]

Was this today? I’m trying to track if it’s improving or not

Its not improving! Same pace of suspensions for days, without touching or posting anything.

 

[JS Girard]

This thread was about businesses getting suspended after updating information. So if you didn't create a Google post, edit the service area, phone number, add a UTM to the website, or update the description, your issue(s) is unrelated.

I worked with several nationwide franchises and one of the first things I discover is that the addresses are not set up properly. A very common mistake is people add the suite on line one. They don't know to click add a line to add the suite to line 2. So when Google looks at the profile they see a violation and may suspend the profile. Google may take a look at the history of the business profile and if they see a lot of changes that they deem suspicious this can also lead to suspension. I had a client that was denied reinstatement because of their business description. There are a lot of factors that can cause a suspension and nobody can tell you why you were suspended unless we know the history of the profile.

Maybe I missed something, but the few times I've had to create a GBP (I usually get involved after a profile is validated), but as far as I know it is literally impossible to add extra lines within the normal workflow that Google pipelines users through for profile creation

I know it is technically possible to get it to work, but it is extremely counterintuitive. You have to specifically not go through the validating method (strike 1), go back to the business.google.com dashboard and navigate to the unvalidated profile that was created there once you reached the validating method screen. None of my colleagues even knew profiles were getting created at that stage, so our agency account was littered with 'em! (strike #2) And then you have to be aware what changes you can actually make to that profile before sending out a postcard and after without fucking things up (strike #3).

None of this is intuitive whatsoever, and no one can possibly expect the average user to be aware of this. I suspect plenty of SEO expert do not either. Our agency's been doing GBP management since the Google Plus era and we found out this summer!

 

[JS Girard]

Okay, that's on me. My apologies.

 

[Marcin Karwowski]

I experienced a slight improvement in the situation. GBP are much less frequently suspended for editing (we do testing every few days) as well as less frequently suspended immediately after verification.

Anyone noticed anything similar?

 

[JS Girard]

I suspect the postcard-to-suspension pipeline is an undesirable side effect of introducing a change in the way different modes of validation are favored. I.E. the postcards sent before the "switch" to prioritize video make for validations that are no longer considered correct by the algorithm, hence the instant suspension.

 

[Marcin Karwowski]

Hey Marcin, what do you mean by less frequently? Are you still seeing some suspensions?

Hey

Yes. Previously, almost every editing of a profile or entering a PIN code caused a suspension. Now I have noticed an improvement and many more changes are accepted without problems.

 

[keyserholiday]

Just saw your post Jason, is the chatter still saying to hold off on changes?

CC: @JoyHawkins

There is no update from Google yet, tread lightly.

 

[SamOgg]

We are down from 117 10/10/22 to 28 as of today. Hoping for 0 by the end of this month.

 

[JoyHawkins]

I haven't found that this is something Google cares about at all (whether or not it's a legal name) if it's reflected in your branding. So if it's in your logo, I would add it.

 

[Wilsongs]

We have one location which purchased another local business and moved to a new location. We have verified the new location 4 times by mail. Each time we verify google asks us to verify again. Then they requested video verification but when we went to do the video verification it was no longer available. We've sent images of the old office with a new business in it, the new office with logo and branded vehicles in front and copies of utility bills with company name and new address on it. Then they suspended the listing again. Frustrating.

Finally resolved. Took multiple emails and multiple starts and stops.

 

[Marcin Karwowski]

We have exactly the same. From Friday, September 23, it is impossible to work. Each time a new profile is set up, each access is obtained, each change to GMB causes its suspension. There are already hundreds of profiles.

We stopped doing anything on business cards, because it doesn't make sense, now it takes 3-4 weeks to recover a suspended profile.

Does anyone have any info? Any update? Sometimes it happens that the entire GMB panel returns a 404 error, as well as the contact with GMB support.

 

[keyserholiday]

In my case, I am on the first year working with this portfolio, and there tons of listings that have information that breaks Googles guidelines, so I am trying to correct this.. A lot of listings with their address visible when the shouldn't, but when I try to correct it.. suspended..

It's just weird, and doesn't make sense.

But also regarding BRAND NEW listings, they get suspended when I try to add i.e a business description after creating it, as I don't add it right away when creating it.. Maybe I should though..

I don't know how to proceed from here.. Just stay away from info, even though I KNOW it breaks guidelines? I even tried to remove the opening hours as it was a SAB with appointment only.. suspended, hehe..

It's weird that no one has any real info on this, because it has been a MAJOR change in the sensitivity of edits..

That's just it, you didn't set up the entire profile prior to verifying it. You made edits after the fact and Google choose to suspend the business profile or require a new verification. Set up the business profile entirely and then get it verified.

 

[Wary Goose]

In the self-storage vertical, I have experienced two client profile suspensions today for verified listings without making any major changes to either listing. One listing has been verified for ~ 2 weeks and was suspended this morning without any changes being made to the profile since it was verified. I just changed the "Opening Date" on another email verified self-storage listing from today to 10/26 and the listing was then immediately suspended. As JamieS, GBP-Rob and Marcin mention, it seems that any changes made to Profiles that are not in response to Google "Suggested Edits" are causing listing suspensions. A bug maybe?

 

[keyserholiday]

Hi Keyser - appreciate all this information.

We have this for established listings, that just have an update to their opening hours, then that listing is getting suspended. It is also in some instances triggering account level suspension just after updates to


Yep this is exactly what is happening to us!

An account level suspension would trigger a suspension on all business profiles in your dashboard. You wouldn't be able to use that email to manage another business profile.

 

[GBP-Rob]

In the self-storage vertical, I have experienced two client profile suspensions today for verified listings without making any major changes to either listing. One listing has been verified for ~ 2 weeks and was suspended this morning without any changes being made to the profile since it was verified. I just changed the "Opening Date" on another email verified self-storage listing from today to 10/26 and the listing was then immediately suspended. As JamieS, GBP-Rob and Marcin mention, it seems that any changes made to Profiles that are not in response to Google "Suggested Edits" are causing listing suspensions. A bug maybe?

Even accepting suggested edits are resulting in suspensions for me..

 

[Wary Goose]

Just tried to mark one of our self-storage facilities in Englewood FL as "Temporarily Closed" due to Hurricane Ian and it was immediately suspended! This listing is not new, has been in our GBP dashboard for months and was email verified. Suspensions are out of control now......it's a "soft" suspension though, as I can see it in Maps. What the heck is going on here?

 

[keyserholiday]

Just tried to mark one of our self-storage facilities in Englewood FL as "Temporarily Closed" due to Hurricane Ian and it was immediately suspended! This listing is not new, has been in our GBP dashboard for months and was email verified. Suspensions are out of control now......it's a "soft" suspension though, as I can see it in Maps. What the heck is going on here?

That's not normal and shouldn't happen.

 

[Marcin Karwowski]

It looks as if the algorithms are maximally and too sensitive to EVERY change and EVERY action on the profile. And then as standard, GMB is suspended. It has been going on for 5 days with us.