Hey GMB Gorilla! How long does a Google My Business suspension appeal take?
Google My Business Profile suspensions can be a serious matter.
If you’re experiencing a hard suspension, your listing has been removed from Google Maps and the search results. This can significantly impact your business, mainly if you rely on organic traffic from Google.
Even if it’s a soft suspension and your profile still appears, it’s awfully frustrating not to be able to make edits and updates to your profile.
What’s even worse is if you think your fixed your suspended profile to be within Google’s Terms of Service, but they won’t lift the suspension for some reason.
The positive news is that you can appeal your suspension if Google does not reinstate your profile.
How long does a Google My Business suspension appeal take in 2023?
Google states it may take up to five days for them to review your appeal.
However, many businesses have reported that it can take much longer — sometimes weeks or months. As of October 2022, suspensions were taking 22 days to resolve, on average.
Things got a little bit better during the holiday season, but we’re still seeing that it takes about two weeks to resolve an appeal.
If you’re waiting for a response from Google, it’s essential to be patient. Do not create another reinstatement request or try to set up a new profile. This will just cause issues and extend the amount of time it will take to get your Google Business Profile live.
If you don’t hear back from Google after two weeks, we suggest you move on to contact Google Business Profile support directly for additional assistance.
How the Google Business Profile Reinstatement Form is used for suspension appeal
The Google Business Profile reinstatement request form is used to submit an appeal for a business that has been suspended.
Step 1. Gather details
To appeal a suspension, you must provide information about your business, including your name, address, and phone number. You will also have to explain why you believe your suspension is unjustified.
Step 2. Find Your Customer ID (CID)
Finding your CID is a good idea. This is a unique identifier for your profile; having it ready will help your situation. There are several ways to locate your CID. The easiest way is using a Google Chrome extension, and there are several you can search for.
A more technical method involves Google Maps. Search for your business in Google Maps and ensure it is the only search result. Change “HTTP://” in the URL to “view-source:”.
CTRL-F to find “lidocid”. The CID is the string of numbers after “ludocid\\u003d” and before #.
This process does not work for Service Area Businesses (SABs). Finding the CID here is even more technical, so look it up if you’re interested. Using a Chrome extension may be more (banana) a-peel-ing.
Step 3. Make sure your profile is in compliance
Fix the problems on your profile before you submit the reinstatement form. You are just wasting time otherwise.
Step 4. Start the reinstatement process
Go to this website. Answer the yes or no questions. If you are eligible, the reinstatement form will appear. Enter your business information.
Step 5. Be detailed in your response
Add the information about the suspended profile, making sure to be as detailed and explicit with your response as possible. Be sure to attach supporting documentation like a business license and or lease / utility bill to assist in proving your location / business are authentic. You will need to list the URL of your Google business dashboard. Do this from a desktop computer. Some users have reported that the URL is unusable when copied on a mobile device.
Step 6. Submit the form
Once you have submitted the form, Google will review your appeal and decide whether to reinstate your listing. Do not submit requests while you are waiting to hear from Google.
What to expect after you submit your business suspension appeal
You should wait for a response from Google. Submitting repeated requests for information will not help. No weight is given to profiles that have been online for a long time or have a lot of good reviews.
Do not remove your profile or create a new profile. This can result in lost data or a reinstatement delay.
Some experts state that contacting Google more than twice about the same issue may cause confusion and delay response. This is not an official policy, but many users say it’s true.
Do not ask another party to submit an appeal for you if you already have one open. This will also cause confusion and delays.
You shouldn’t go into Google Help forums and demand that your profile be reinstated. This will accomplish nothing except for maybe being banned from the forums. These are free volunteers trying to help.
Read the terms of service before you complete a reinstatement request. You need to understand your violation and fix it to have any hope of your suspension being removed.
Google will email you about your reinstatement request. You can reply with questions, and Google may request more information.
How long does it take before you get a response from Google?
It can take a few days to two weeks, but this varies based on how many requests Google has received. If you haven’t heard anything in two weeks, contact Google support. An excellent way to reach out is through Facebook and Twitter.
COVID-19 restricted contact to email only, but things have gradually been returning to normal, but phone support is still not an option in most cases.
What if your suspension appeal gets rejected by Google?
Unfortunately, this happens more often than not. It can be for numerous reasons. One common reason is that you have not adequately addressed the issue that caused the suspension.
If you didn’t know why your profile was suspended, this is a good time to find out. Google tells you why your profile was suspended in the email they sent when they denied your appeal. If you still don’t understand, Google has a list of reasons why businesses might be suspended.
The next step is to create a new appeal. Google may be more lenient if you have made an honest effort to fix the issue. Provide as much information as you can in your request.
You might want to take a break if you have already submitted multiple appeals and been denied each time. Give it a few weeks and try again. If you continue to be denied, consider contacting GMB Gorilla.
If Google rejects your suspension appeal, don’t despair — there are still things you can do to try to get your listing reinstated.
First, you can reach out to Google directly and ask for an explanation of why your appeal was rejected. You can also try re-submitting your appeal, making sure to address any issues that Google pointed out in their rejection.
You can contact a suspension appeal service like GMB Gorilla if you’re still having trouble. We have a proven track record of assisting businesses to reinstate their listings, even after their appeals have been rejected.
Your reinstated profile is still pending for more than three days
A problem on Google’s end is what usually causes a pending reinstated profile. If your reinstated profile is still pending after three days, contact Google support and explain that your suspension has been removed and you are still waiting.
Google frequently changes its algorithm, and this can result in bugs causing all kinds of problems. These issues are usually resolved quickly, but it may be a reason for your profile being in limbo.
GMB Gorilla can help take the pain out of reinstatement and suspension appeals
If you’re dealing with a Google My Business suspension, the last thing you want to do is deal with an extended appeals process. It can be frustrating when waiting for Google to get in touch. Don’t sit around like a chunky monkey wondering what to do.
Talk to the experts at GMB Gorilla! Working with a team of GMB experts will give you peace of mind and leave you free to work on more pressing matters. We understand the inner workings of Google My Business and can help you get your listing reinstated quickly and efficiently.
