How to Fix a Suspended Google Business Profile for a Service-Area Type Business

by EZlocal

Apr 14

Have you ever logged into your Google Business Profile only to find it's been suspended, leaving you puzzled about what went wrong? If you run a service-area business, such as a limousine service, contractor, plumber, or cleaning service, this could be because you listed your corporate address. Don't worry; it's a common mistake, and there's a straightforward way to fix it. In this article, we'll walk you through the steps to reinstate your profile and explain how to avoid this issue moving forward. Plus, we'll clarify what hybrid businesses are and how they differ from pure service-area businesses.

Why Your Profile Might Be Suspended

Google has specific rules for service-area businesses, those that travel to customers or deliver services rather than having customers visit a physical location. Examples include:

A limousine service picking up clients at their homes or event venues.
A plumber fixing leaks at customers' properties.
A cleaning service tidying offices or residences.

For these businesses, Google's guidelines state that you should not list your address in the "Info" tab of your Business Profile Manager. Instead, you define your service areas, the regions where you operate. If you've added your corporate address (say, an office where no customers are served), Google might suspend your profile for violating these rules. This applies across the board to service-area businesses, whether you're a contractor, landscaper, or mobile repair service.

How to Fix a Suspended Profile

If your profile is suspended because of an incorrect address, here’s how to get it back online:

1. Edit Your Profile

Even with a suspended profile, you can typically still log in and make changes:

Remove the address: Delete your corporate address since it’s not where you serve customers.
Add service areas: Specify the cities, postal codes, or regions where you provide services. For a limousine business, this might be "Greater Chicago Area"; for a plumber, it could be "Austin and surrounding suburbs."

2. Submit an Appeal

Once your profile aligns with Google's guidelines:

Go to the Google Business Profile appeals tool.
Explain that you’ve removed the address because it was listed by mistake and that your business now complies with service-area business rules.

3. Provide Supporting Evidence (Optional)

To boost your appeal’s chances:

Business license: Proves your legitimacy.
Photos of branded vehicles: Great for limousine services or contractors to show you operate on the go.
Other docs: Tax certificates or similar items can help, though focus on what ties to your service delivery.

4. Wait for Google’s Decision

After submitting:

The review process can take 1 to 5 weeks (due to backlog).
If approved, your profile will be reinstated. If denied, you may need to tweak your profile further or submit additional evidence.

What Are Hybrid Businesses?

You might be thinking, "What if I serve customers at my location AND in service areas?" That's where hybrid businesses come in. According to Google's guidelines, hybrid businesses both welcome customers at their address and serve them elsewhere. Examples include:

A restaurant with dine-in and delivery options.
A bike shop where customers drop off repairs or request mobile service.

For hybrid businesses:

List your address: Show where customers can visit.
Add service areas: Indicate where you deliver or provide off-site services.

In contrast, pure service-area businesses, like a limousine service or plumber, should never list an address, as customers don't come to you. Mixing this up is a common reason for suspensions.

Understanding Service-Area Business Guidelines

For service-area businesses, the address should not be entered under the "Info" tab in Business Profile Manager, and the "business location" field should be left blank, with service areas defined instead (Manage your service areas for service-area & hybrid businesses). This is crucial as displaying a corporate address, where customers are not served, can lead to suspension, as seen in cases where businesses like landscapers listed home addresses.

The guidelines also limit service-area businesses to one profile for the metropolitan area they serve, with boundaries not extending beyond about 2 hours of driving time from the base (Business Profile for service businesses overview). This ensures the profile accurately reflects the business's operational scope, avoiding misleading information that could trigger suspension.

Evidence and Supporting Documentation

For service-area businesses, evidence is crucial to demonstrate legitimacy and compliance. Recommended documents include:

Business registration and license, showing the corporate address but clarifying no customer service occurs there.
Photos of branded vehicles, which prove the business operates in the field, as suggested for service-area businesses).
Tax certificates or utility bills, though these may be less relevant if not tied to customer-facing operations.

The appeal process allows for additional context, where you can explain the mistake (e.g., "We listed our corporate address in error, as we are a service-area business and do not serve customers there; we have removed it and set up service areas"). This transparency can improve approval chances, especially given Google's emphasis on guideline compliance (Appeal Business Profile content & profile restrictions).

Why This Matters

A suspended Google Business Profile can make your business invisible to potential customers on Google Search and Maps. For service-area businesses that rely on local reach, this can hit your bottom line hard. Fixing it quickly and correctly keeps you in front of the people who need your services.

However, there are nuances: some suspensions may be "soft," where the profile is visible but uneditable, while others may restrict all access, depending on the violation severity. For service-area businesses, displaying a physical address often leads to a suspension due to guideline violations, and editing to remove it is a critical first step.

Considerations and Potential Challenges

The appeal process has a 60-minute window to submit evidence after initiating, which requires preparation. If the appeal is denied, you can request an additional review, submitting more evidence, such as previously omitted documents. For service-area businesses, ensuring no address is listed is critical, as violations like this are common reasons for suspension, and competitors or users can report such issues via Google's Redressal Form or Suggest an Edit feature.

Additionally, repeated edits or changes from storefront to service-area business can trigger suspensions, so care must be taken to make changes methodically, waiting at least 60 seconds between edits. This is particularly relevant if the business previously had the address listed and is now correcting it.

Wrap-Up

If your service-area business, like a limousine service, contractor, plumber, or cleaning company, has a suspended Google Business Profile due to a listed corporate address, here's the fix:

Remove the address and set your service areas.
Appeal the suspension with a clear explanation and evidence.

Sticking to Google's guidelines keeps your profile active and your business visible. Don't let a suspension slow you down, follow these steps today to get your Google Business Profile back up and running!

If you're an EZlocal Pro customer, our team will manage the entire process for you, maximizing your chances of a successful appeal.