What steps should I take to get my suspended and denied Google My business approved?

[raphaelb30]

Short story: New Account suspended, appeal denied, making changes for appeal to appeal, what do you think?.....

Long Story:

I buy and sell phones, meet people in at a rented desk to buy their phones and wanted to get a GMB. At first I used the Co-Working Space's address with pictures of the desks but no signs. I also had local service area there first and listed the nearby towns. I changed the service area to 9-5, and made a 'reinstatement request'. That failed saying....

"We've looked at your account and it looks like your business is not eligible to display on Google Maps per our quality guidelines..."

I emailed support and the auto respond said that if they were wrong you can send them an email and they'll review it. I'm trying to make sure everything is in order before I respond. I...

-Rented my own office, will ask them to put up a suite number
-Will Get a big sign in my office with my business name
-Will get my name on the screen in front of the secretary's window (secretary is still in process of being hired)
-Will get a picture of me at the office to show there is a full time employee
-Will show a picture of me greeting a customer.
-Will take a video walk in passing the secretary and going into my office (apparently somebody had to do that once).

Should I get an LLC? And what should I do about office hours?

I kinda don't encourage walk ins because I go to the bank and post office half the day. I do things by appointment, but am at the office full time and meet customers there all day. Should I write 9-5 and somewhere, have a picture or write in description 'by appointment only?'

Thanks for the help! It's a little harder than I thought to get a Google My business.

 

[Phil Rozek]

@raphaelb30, yeah, based on what you describe, that kind of business just isn't eligible for GMB. That's not necessarily my view, but rather Google's.

Not sure what category you picked (was it "Cell phone store"?), but you probably got suspended right away because Google saw you use a category Google doesn't tend to see at coworking addresses. As you know, all kinds of businesses get away with using coworking spaces. Again, that probably shouldn't be the case, but that's how it is. So the coworking space alone probably didn't do you in. Which is also why the plan you describe is unlikely to work. You'd just be confirming that you're at an address that Google thinks your particular business shouldn't be at.

Let's just assume for a minute that Google is in the wrong, and that you should have a GMB page. Have you considered verifying at your home address, and then hiding the address? That seems like a good fit here, given the by-appointment nature of your business.