How to get a Google Business Profile Approved without Getting Suspended
The Struggle to Get Approved for a Google Business Profile: A Personal Journey
As a small business owner, establishing an online presence is essential. In today’s digital age, a Google Business Profile (GBP) is the cornerstone of this online visibility, helping businesses get discovered, trusted, and connected with potential customers. However, after several months of frustration and effort, I’ve learned just how challenging it can be to get approved for one. Despite following all the guidelines and providing accurate information, I have been repeatedly rejected—15 times, to be exact. What’s more baffling is that businesses with obviously unreliable profiles continue to thrive on the platform without issue. In this blog post, I’ll share my personal experience of applying for a Google Business profile, the roadblocks I faced, the unfairness of the system, and some creative tips to help you overcome this tough process.
My Struggles with the Application Process: 15 Attempts, All Rejected
When I first started the process of applying for a Google Business Profile, I thought it would be fairly straightforward. I carefully read all the guidelines, ensuring that my business information was accurate. I entered my business name, address, contact details, and website. I submitted all the documents requested, including my business license and utility bills to verify the location. I checked the accuracy of every field, making sure everything was consistent and transparent.
However, despite my best efforts, I kept getting the same result: suspension. It was as if the application process was completely arbitrary. I submitted my information again, double-checked everything, and yet I faced the same fate. For a while, I thought that I must be missing something crucial, or that perhaps my business wasn’t eligible for a GBP. But after 15 attempts, I started to feel like there was more going on than just a simple mistake on my end.
What was particularly frustrating was that Google provided very little explanation for the suspensions. Each time, I received an email stating that my profile was suspended for violating their guidelines. There was no specific information on which aspect of the profile was problematic or how I could correct it. I tried to troubleshoot, contacting Google’s support team for assistance. Unfortunately, their responses were generic, leaving me with no actionable steps to move forward.
This process felt like an uphill battle, and each rejection left me more disheartened. If I was following the rules and providing legitimate details, why was my profile being suspended repeatedly?
Going Through Video Verification: More Effort, More Frustration
In an attempt to break through the deadlock, I decided to take the extra step and go through Google’s video verification process. This method was introduced by Google as an additional way to verify businesses, especially those that operate from home offices or remote locations. I thought this might be my opportunity to prove the legitimacy of my business.
The video verification process required me to provide a detailed walkthrough of my business location, showing key elements like my business signage, office space, and relevant documentation (such as my business license or utility bills). I followed every instruction to the letter, carefully explaining every detail requested in the video. I made sure to provide everything Google asked for, even going as far as recording additional footage to ensure that the location was clearly visible and well-documented.
And yet, after all of that effort, I was suspended again. Each time I completed the video verification process and submitted my information, I expected that this would finally be the end of the issue. But no, the suspension came again. This process felt like an exercise in futility—more hours invested, more energy spent, and yet I was met with the same disappointing result. What was the point of this video verification if it wasn’t helping to establish trust and confirm a legitimate business?
The Unfairness of It All: Why Do Fake Businesses Get Through?
What truly stung about this process was the realization that businesses with clearly unreliable profiles were still being approved. I had seen businesses on Google that listed fake addresses, posted misleading photos, and had suspicious reviews. Some even had blatantly fabricated business details. These profiles were thriving without issue, even though they violated Google’s guidelines in ways that were easy to spot.
Meanwhile, I had been honest, transparent, and patient throughout the entire process, and yet my business was continually suspended. It felt like Google’s system was flawed—rigged against legitimate businesses while turning a blind eye to fraudulent ones. This disparity left me wondering if Google had an algorithm that was too strict or if there were factors beyond my control influencing the outcome. Regardless, the system seemed anything but fair.
The worst part was the lack of transparency. Google’s automated AI system flagged my profile for unknown reasons, without offering any detailed feedback on how I could improve. Meanwhile, businesses that were clearly violating guidelines remained unscathed. This lack of consistency and fairness made the whole process feel like a gamble.
Tips for Getting Your Google Business Profile Approved: Thinking Outside the Box
While my personal journey has been filled with setbacks and frustration, I didn’t want to give up. If you’re facing similar challenges, here are a few out-of-the-box strategies you can try to improve your chances of getting approved for a Google Business Profile.
- Leverage Other Trusted Platforms – Build up your business’s online presence on other platforms such as Yelp, Facebook, and industry-specific directories. This can provide additional proof of your business’s legitimacy. Google sometimes looks at the consistency of your online presence across multiple platforms, and having positive reviews or verified listings elsewhere can help strengthen your case.
- Consider Google Ads – If you’re eligible, running Google Ads for your business can increase your credibility with Google. An active Google Ads account linked to your business might make it easier to get approved for a Google Business Profile. It’s not a guarantee, but it’s one more way to signal to Google that you’re a legitimate business.
- Be Persistent but Patient – The process can be long and frustrating, but persistence often pays off. Keep refining your approach, and don’t hesitate to reach out to support if necessary. While it might take multiple tries, with the right documentation and consistency, your profile will eventually be approved.
- Use multiple accounts to apply with variations of your Business Name – When I tried this method, I created 5 different business names with slight variations of my actual business name (which consistently got denied), and surprisingly I got 2 out of 5 approved.
- Try a variety of types of Businesses – Google is very strict on GBP verification for certain types of businesses, and then very loose on other types of businesses. As an example for one GBP that I created for a legitimate business, it was approved immediately when I finished the application. All that was needed with that business was a phone verification. Which business types are more strict and which ones are more loose are a Google mystery. But keep trying and you’ll get one through.
- Pay an SEO Business – Apparently if an account already has multiple GBP’s that they are managing, it adds more weight to a new GBP application. So an SEO firm already has an immediate edge to get your GBP approved.
Final Thoughts: The Road to Approval is Tough, But Worth It
The journey to get a Google Business Profile approved has been one of the most difficult and time-consuming tasks I’ve encountered as a business owner. Repeated suspensions, unclear feedback, and inconsistent rules made it feel like I was stuck in a never-ending loop. However, through persistence and some out-of-the-box thinking, I’ve learned that it’s possible to get through.
If you’re in the same boat, don’t lose hope. The process is difficult, but with patience, attention to detail, and a strategic approach, you can navigate the complexities of Google’s verification system. Hopefully, Google will continue to refine the process, making it fairer and more transparent for businesses that are genuinely trying to build their online presence.