If your profile has been suspended and you are wanting to act quickly, START HERE!
“Googlegate” 2024 (Photographer edition)
If you’re a photographer who has been on social media lately, you’ve probably heard the drama about Google Business Profiles.
A photographer (who I will not name, to avoid giving extra attention) was encouraging other photographers to report their competitors map listings for not being open to the public.
Google tends to instantly suspend a business that violates their guidelines, especially when a local guide makes the suggested edit.
This caused a flurry of profile suspensions, especially in the UK (the advice was given in a popular UK FB group).
Photographers have been *outraged* on social media.
Most people are calling it vile, slimy, and shady. Many have stated that it is bad business to do anything that may hurt your competitors. The photographers I have talked to emphasize that the intention was malicious and cut-throat, and this is what makes it unethical.
While I tend to agree that our primary focus should be on self-improvement… my observation is that the situation is high emotion because people have been under educated or misinformed about how Google Business Profiles work.
Let’s dig in a bit…
The Main Issue – Addresses Are Problematic
For photographers, the address section of a Google Business Profile has always been a point of confusion. This is especially true for wedding photographers, portrait photographers who work on location, and photographers with home studios that are by appointment only.
Does your address give you an advantage?
Most SEOs agree that the Google Maps algorithm heavily favors businesses with a visible address.
I posted a video back in 2017 with the same conclusion (😬 yikes, the quality is so bad lol). Don’t refer to that for current advice, but it shows that this has been an actively discussed topic in the SEO for Photographers space for *years*.
I did more testing a few years later that revealed that Google still used the verified address, even when a business hid the address and decided to be listed as a service area business. This was back when they still used the postcard method as the primary form of verification, so new research is needed.
Google certainly prioritizes businesses closer to searchers for most types of location based queries. If you do a search for “tacos near me” – you are likely to see the closest restaurants that serve tacos first.
I’m still not 100% convinced about the ranking advantages for a photographer using a service area business vs a business with a physical address in 2024. I’ll keep digging and keep you posted.
But for now, I’m working under the premise that listing your address will likely give you an advantage when it comes to ranking on the map.
In my past experience, this has been true even when the address is a home address. I’ve advised many photographers over the years to leave the address visible if they are near the city that they are targeting for local search.
Most photographers don’t have a studio
In my experience working with wedding and portrait photographers, I would say that a large majority of photographers in any given market do not have a studio that is open to the public.
In a city with 10 photography studios, I would expect to see 100+ photographers who do not have a studio.
Wedding photographers typically work on location, and the same is true for many family photographers. There is no need to have an expensive location to meet clients.
I’ve even seen an increase in newborn photographers with a mobile studio setup. Those with home studios often do not want an address listed for privacy reasons.
Google’s guidelines are crystal clear
Even though this feels messy for photographers, Google has been very clear about how businesses should represent themselves online for years.
Really it comes down to one simple rule:
Represent your business as it’s consistently represented and recognized in the real world across signage, stationery, and other branding.
https://support.google.com/business/answer/3038177
My rules of thumb (rule of thumbs??) come down to two questions:
- Is there signage that can be seen from the road?
- Is the address staffed during stated business hours?
If the answer is “no” to either of these questions, Google wants you to use a service area business.
Yes, it sucks that they give a business with an address an advantage.
Yes, you’ll need to decide if you’re willing to take the risk to gain that potential advantage.
Google’s enforcement has been inconsistent
In the past, I’ve suggested that business owners should seriously consider displaying an address, even though it violated Google’s guidelines.
That’s because until recently, it was relatively rare for businesses to be suspended, and it was relatively easy to get the businesses reinstated.
If you look at as many map results as I do, you’ll know that Google still doesn’t enforce their policies very well. I still come across P.O. Boxes that are verified at least once or twice a year.
MANY photographers, including very well-known names are using addresses that do not accurately represent their business.
There is a strong argument to be made that many photographers don’t know any better.
Up until fairly recently, Google *required* an address to send you a postcard and verify your address. There are at least tens of thousands of photographers who were verified with this method. Many of them didn’t know they needed to take an extra step and go back and mark their business as a service area.
However, as an SEO, I know that a *large* number of photographers are intentionally misrepresenting their business on the map to gain an advantage. I’ve done it myself, and I’ve helped students do it in the past 😕. Not super proud to admit, but it is part of the game people play for rankings.
My current stance is that misrepresenting your address on Google Maps just isn’t worth the risk for any business who is serious about building a long-term brand with a sustainable online presence.
Corey Potter
I’ve also found that it is more difficult than ever to get a business listing reinstated.
If you’re a service area business, you can still rank on the maps. I’ve even seen encouraging examples lately that suggest Google may be adjusting the algo to be more fair to service area businesses.
In the SEO Course community, we’ve been experimenting to see if we can use other map-based signals to improve rankings, even for SABs.
Don’t get greedy
Just a quick note for SABs…
If you’re a photographer who is “willing to travel” or serves your area “and beyond” – do not try to reflect this in your Google Business Profile.
Choose a service area that is as specific as possible. In almost every case, it shouldn’t include locations more than 2 hours from your primary residence.
Google encourages local guides to update information
One final point.
Google encourages all map users to become local guides, and Google encourages local guides to suggest up-to-date info about the places they know.
“Reporting” a listing is a feature that is built into Google on purpose. They depend on these reports to better enforce their policies.
While I’ll never encourage you to seek to do harm to your competitors, I do not think it is unethical to use these features to report businesses that misrepresent themselves online.
Before reporting a profile, I usually suggest an edit. This is less likely to remove the listing, and is helpful to other Maps users.
I have reported profiles before. In my case, I had clear evidence that they were working with a scammy SEO company that was cheating on purpose, and they were egregiously violating Google’s guidelines.
Listen to your conscience. Know that the listing represents a real person. Be a good human.
What Causes Suspensions?
Since the great layoffs of the Covid pandemic, I’ve noticed that Google is leaning more heavily than ever on automated systems for managing Google Business Profiles.
When someone reports a profile or suggests an edit, Google seems to respond almost immediately.
In many cases when a Local Guide of a certain level (I’ve heard level 5 or higher) makes a report or suggestion, it results in an instant suspension or change.
Google is always working to improve their detection of policy abuse. In some cases, your business can be suspended because Google found new information or implemented a new process for checking the details of your listing.
It is also possible to be suspended for other reasons. There are other policy violations besides those related to addresses, and some can even be related to your Google account.
It is worth reviewing the overview of Google’s policies here: https://support.google.com/business/answer/13762416
Can I Get My Google Business Profile Reinstated?
Here’s the good news!
For the vast majority of cases I’ve seen personally in the photography industry, suspended profiles are able to be recovered.
I’ve seen hundreds of suspensions over the years, and only a small handful had issues so significant that they could not be recovered.
So if your profile has been suspended, take a deep breath and know that the odds are in your favor!
It might be a wild ride, but don’t give up!
Which leads me to one of my most important tips…..
Do NOT Rush!
If you recently received a suspension, you are likely frantically clicking to find out how to get it re-instated.
If you find the reinstatement form (official links below), don’t fill it out immediately.
You need to take some time to gather information.
I highly recommend taking the time to read the context in this post if you skipped it earlier.
Once you fill out the re-instatement form, it is hard to start over. You may be able to fill out the form again, but you’ll likely get an email that tells you to respond to the first request. After you’ve responded once, my experience is that Google will stop responding, or only send you automated messages.
Gather this information before you start filling out the form, since the form has a time limit.
Supporting Evidence
The first thing I like to do is start a Google Drive folder that will contain my evidence for reinstatement.
I’ll also start a document that lets me document everything that has happened so far, and what I’ve done to remedy the situation. You’ll be able to paste this into the reinstatement form, but keep it in a separate document so you can use it later if you need to post elsewhere.
You’ll need to gather as much proof as possible that you’re a legitimate business that services the area you’re targeting with your Google Business Profile.
Here’s my recommended evidence list for photographers
- Legal papers that list your business name/address (retail license, tax ID, business license, etc.)
- Utility bill for your address (even if it is your home)
- Official marketing materials that list your name + location
- A list of social profiles and other citations that mention your location
- Photos of your gear
- Photos of your office space where you edit photos (include Lightroom/Photoshop on the screen)
- Photos of your vehicle if it has your business information on it
- Photos you’ve taken of clients with landmarks that show your location
- A video showing as much of this as possible
For the video, you can use your phone. If possible, start outside where you can see a street sign + address numbers on your house/office/studio. Show that you have a key and can unlock the building. Walk to the area that has your gear and anything you use for your business. Show any printed business materials and your computer that is used for editing. If you have sample products or products ready for client pickup, show that.
Upload all of this to that Google Drive folder and make sure it is sharable (do not include sensitive information in the documents if you are using this method). You can also zip the information and upload a zip file on the reinstatement form.
If you have other tips that have been helpful in getting reinstated, *please* leave them in the comments below!
Additional evidence if you have a studio
If you have a studio, you’ll also want to show:
- Signage
- The address on the building
- The nearest street sign if possible
- Parking area and public entrance
As above, you’ll also want to record a video walkthrough of the space.
Other Tips
I’ll keep this section updated with information from the comments section!
Business Profile ID
In most cases, you should be able to select your business from a list and the ID will automatically filled out. If you need to get your business Profile ID, be sure to follow the steps here: https://support.google.com/business/answer/10737668
Website consistency
Be sure that your website makes it clear that you are a business that serves the area you’ve chosen for your Google Business Profile. If visitors from Google Maps click on your website, they should feel like they are in the right place.
Bonus points if you list your address, phone number (both exactly as listed in your GBP), and link to the Google Business Profile.
IP address
I noticed when working with a client once that the reinstatement form was tracking my IP address. If at all possible, submit the form from a location near the area you are trying to verify.
Google Account
Use the same Google account to verify your Google Business Profile and your Search Console. This is also the account you should use to submit your appeal.
Save Your Reviews
Nina posted some great tips about saving your reviews over on Threads.
What To Do If Your Request Is Denied
When you get the email back with a decision, you can reply to that email directly. This should keep the status of the request open.
If you have already done this and want to formally request a reconsideration, Google has a link for that.
If this still doesn’t work, it is time to go post in the community support forum!
Make your entire case, and share as much evidence as possible. There are volunteers here who can tell you what might still be missing, and who can escalate cases to Google if they think they were unfairly suspended.
I’ve been told that these volunteers are instructed not to escalate cases less than 1 month old. Whether this is true or not isn’t important. You just need to know that you may have to be persistent to get results.
Official Google Resources
Years ago, Google had an easy interface for Google My Business support. You could specify your problem, and then get on a phone call or live chat with a support agent.
These days, they’ve made it a bit more difficult. You may have to jump through some hoops to get in touch with anyone at Google.
Having a strong knowledge of the guidelines and official resources will go a long way in getting the help you need.
Get familiar with the guidelines
Overview of Google Business Profile policies
Guidelines for representing your business on Google
Tips for Successful Google Business Profile Video Verification – while this is intended to help with the initial verification, you may also find these tips helpful in creating evidence for your appeal.
Start or manage an appeal
Fix suspended & disabled profiles – General overview of the process, including a video about how to use the appeals tool. Highly recommend watching the short video before starting.
Request additional review of a denied appeal
Google Business Profile Help Community
Other Helpful Resources
The Fuel Your Photos SEO Course – has a detailed lesson about setting up your Google Business Profile, and I’m available to support students through reinstatement procedures.
Sterling Sky / Joy Hawkins – one of my favorite educators who focuses primarily on local rankings.
Share Your Experience
If you have a story about a Google Business Profile suspension or reinstatement, please share it in the comments! Since Google is often inconsistent, each story can have helpful details.
Thank you for this detailed and balanced info, as here in the UK we're having to deal with this terrible storm and there's all sorts of ideas flying around how to sort it.
We had our listing removed at the end of January 24. Long before this UK sh*tstorm took place. Was scary losing 14 years worth of google business page. However, we went through the appeals process. 5 days later our listing was back up - but with zero reviews. I questioned this with them and 2 days after that all the reviews came back. We even gained an extra one. So 7 days later we were all back to normal.
Notes: We are a Ltd. company. The legal registered address of my company is my home. I sent google proof of this, as shown on companies house, the UK governments website. I also pointed out in my appeal that although we don't have daily visitors, sometimes couples need to meet us in person and we welcome them to our home. So it's extremely useful for them to be able to find us on Google Maps. We have no signage on our home, apart from the house name. Google were clearly happy with this setup - we have a verified blue tick etc.
Around the same time - and I really cannot remember the exact timeline, we were asked about our opening hours. I had them set to 24 hours, as that is honest, I answer enquiries any time of day. If an email comes in at 11pm, I might answer it before bedtime. Anyway, we adjusted these to be 9-5 every day. As I say, I really can't remember if this was part of the reinstatement process or happened previous to that. I'm thinking now, perhaps it happened at the same time, as why would I have known to change them.
Anyway - it was a scary experience, but ended well. As I've suggested to other photographers on various UK groups, so far as I've read Google's rules and from my personal experience, there is zero requirement for you to have signage. But what you do need to have is some proof that your business is registered at your home and you have visitors to that business. If you don't have those, then take your address off there, as it's not a business running from that home. So far as I can see on our profile, we don't have a business area selected. I'm glad about that, as our business area varies, depending on the request. i.e. we shoot weddings outside our normal area on request. We currently rank position one on maps, which is obviously of benefit to us. But the information is 100% genuine, so hopefully Google now have that on record. But nothing stopping them querying it at some point again, in the future. Just have to be prepared that it can happen, but the appeals process does work.
Edit: I was just checking my own profile, thinking about do we have service area set. We do. All of our service areas are listed in our google business section. I don't know if it actually says this on the public view of things. So it looks like we have service areas set + business address shown.
Good to hear that you were able to get approved without the signage. I hope that others who may have a similar situation can reference this story to see if it helps!
However, it definitely is in the guidelines that you need signage. Quote: "Businesses showing their address on Google should maintain permanent fixed signage of their business name at the address." (highlighted in the article above).
I've heard from some other people who say that when they tried reinstatement, the representative was very strict about this, and would not approve without the signage.
Not sure if Google is still being inconsistent, or if things have changed in the last 6 months.
Our profile was suspended minutes after hiding my address. Service area is set. I think there is also a current bug like there was back in 2022. Went through appeal request and support link on profile management. Bizarrely enough I came across my business profile on Google asking if this was my business and did I want to claim it, so of course I did. Reviews were all there. Did not have to reverify. Was back up within 2 days.
Hi, Corey Potter! This is a very informative and timely post, especially given the current chaos surrounding Google Business Profiles. I appreciate the detailed breakdown of how to handle a suspension and the emphasis on gathering thorough evidence. It’s clear that understanding Google’s guidelines is crucial. Do you have any advice on how to stay proactive to avoid such issues in the future or best practices for maintaining compliance with Google's policies? Thank you in advance!