This article discusses strategies to employ before Google Business Profile suspended.
I will start by saying this is not an article about restoring a suspended Google Business Profile listing. There are plenty of websites, YouTube videos, and blog articles on this, including the Google help files.
Profiles do get suspended from time to time and in many cases even though you’ve followed the rules, Google arbitrarily suspends your listing. Google even admits this in their help video How to Use The Google Business Profile Reinstatement Form.
Your profile could be the only way customers find you online. If your Google Profile was the main way that you were bringing in traffic for your business, this can seriously hurt.
In the meantime, while you complete the reinstatement process, you have to wait. This wait could be a few days or it could be a few weeks. Even after you submit the required information such as a copy of a business license or registration, they may come back with a confusing response and you submit again, which extends your timeline to reinstatement.
So you don’t have all of your online marketing eggs in one basket, here are some preventative local search engine optimization strategies that help keep your business shown in the local searches.
Have your own website and domain
Some businesses try to get by without a website. Big mistake. A website is one resource you totally control and own. If it is properly set up and potential customers know your business name or phone number, you’ll still be able to come up in search results. That is provided your site has been indexed by Google search or other web crawlers. To get your site indexed, start here https://search.google.com/search-console/about
Build citations from local sources and directories
You might be asking, “What is a local citation?”
A local citation is a mention of a business’s name, address, and phone number (NAP) on a website or online directory. These citations are crucial to local SEO (search engine optimization), as they help search engines verify the accuracy of a business’s information and improve its visibility in local search results. It’s important to ensure that your business’s NAP information is consistent and up-to-date across all citations to avoid confusing search engines and potential customers.
You could go through the time consuming process of finding the best directories to list your business in or use a submission service that will submit your information accurately and efficiently to dozens of search directories. Click HERE to view a short video explaining how this works and why you should use a submission service.
Local search engine optimization for your website
Local search engine optimization (SEO) is the practice of optimizing a website or online presence to increase visibility and rankings in local search results. This includes optimizing for local keywords, creating local business listings on directories and review sites, and ensuring accurate and consistent NAP (name, address, phone number) information across all online platforms. For a more detailed explanation see How To Nail Local SEO For Local Search Results.
If you’d like more information on our options regarding local search engine optimization (SEO) to safeguard your business, contact us today.