Understanding Google My Business & Local Search
Suspension and Reinclusion on social G+ Local Pages
Update 4/22/15: Google has updated the URL for the page reinclusion request.
This is a good news bad news Google story. At least there is some good news.
The good news? It appears that Google has dramatically improved the messaging around a listing suspension on a merged social G+ Local listing and is offering a direct link to a reinclusion request within the context of the suspension notice on the local Google+ page. No more hunting around trying to figure out whats next.
The bad news? There are an increasing number of suspensions in the social G+Local environment and there are now TWO sets of rules (the Google G+ Local Places (?) Quality Guidelines & the User Content & Conduct Policy) that a business needs to comply with to be sure that the listing is in compliance. It isn’t always clear which guideline has been violated either. I suspect that language use that a lawyer might view as categorical, the algo views as inappropriate (ie drug cases or DUI).
Update 1:30 pm: More good news. This particular client that requested reinclusion yesterday, heard back already that they were accepted. Good that they heard so quickly and good that the news was positive. It makes me think that an algo has been unleashed that might be overly aggressive.
Click to see the reinclusion request form:
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Comments
18 Comments
Mike, do you have any thoughts on the possible implications of answering the questions on the reinclusion form inaccurately?
I have been seeing this suspension for some merged listings. I have been experiencing a 500 error when trying to edit the listing before requesting reactivation. Has anybody else had this same issue? I requested reactivation and explained my issue with the 500 error in the bottom boxes of the request form.
@Mary
I assume that if you want to resuscitate your listing that you would want to answer them truthfully.
@Shea
the 500 error is a known bug/error that shows up from time to time. One more reason NOT to merge a listing yet.
I’ve had a couple clients so far who have experienced this suspension — one was reactivated almost as quickly as yours appears to have been (according to your update at the time this comment was written), but the other has not (after multiple requests for reactivation). The latter account has a history of issues (previously managed by someone else), including an old Places listing in purgatory and a separate Places account that was suspended (I’m curious if you think this could have a bearing on the Plus page suspension). Let that be a lesson to us all to maybe just stick with Places for now, as you have recommended.
I requested for the listings that I was speaking about earlier (that were encountering the 500 error) to be reactivated and they have already been approved! I am having issues with some map listings that have all of a sudden been rejected in the Google Places dashboard. Whenever I edit the listing and then request reactivation, the listing goes to “pending review” and I receive an email from Google saying “Hello, Thank you for requesting a review of your rejected listing(s). Unfortunately, this process is no longer supported. You may create a new listing that adheres to our guidelines in order to show up on Maps.” I’m assuming we will just have to create a new listing now?
@Kerry
The latter account has a history of issues (previously managed by someone else), including an old Places listing in purgatory and a separate Places account that was suspended (I’m curious if you think this could have a bearing on the Plus page suspension)
While the suspension in and of itself is not the cause, there was and obviously still are issues that Google finds unacceptable.
@Shea
Yes
Mike,
Are these suspensions only for merged listings, or for unmerged listings as well? We have a very bare bones not-yet-merged listing (with no question it’s adhering to the guidelines) that just received the “account suspended” notification this week in the dashboard. I was curious if the suspensions also included the unmerged listings as well. Thanks for the update!
Justin
I do think that the wave of new suspensions applies to ALL local listings regardless of together they are in the dashboard or Plus.
Thank you for confirming!
So, let me see if I got this right:
To Complete your Google+ Local Reinstatment Request , you must confirm that you’ve read both the Google+ Content and Conduct Policies as well as the Google Local Quality Guidleines so that you no longer violate the Google Places quality guidleine for your Google+ Local Page ?
@Scott
YUP
Plus pages are ruled under one set of guidelines and Places another. Thus a G+ local Page gets two sets of written rules… and 2 sets of unwritten ones. That makes 4.
Is page now live or just accepted for reinclusion?
Is it immediate? If not, any insight into time it takes from acceptance to Live?
Will they reappear at same spot they were delisted from or are there other factors outside of normal “shifting” that may factor into placement?
@Mike
My 6 month old just told me she could simplify this for G 🙂
With more and more accpetance of online marketing, SMBs are almost to the point of having no option but to hire us. There’s no possible way for them to stay on top of everything, unless they are in a non-competitive niche.
Options:
1. Hire Full Time Staff
2. Outsource
3. Do Nothing
“Are these suspensions only for merged listings, or for unmerged listings as well?”
Yep I’m seeing an increase in suspended across the board, like Mike.
Difference is – if merged you get the working reconsideration link and at least have a chance to be restored if the listing is clean.
However if it’s a pure Place page/G+ Local page and you request review you may be out of luck.
Some reported in my forum suspensions this week and when they request review (on pure Places listings) they are getting this email.
“Thank you for requesting a review of your rejected listing(s).
Unfortunately, this process is no longer supported.
You may create a new listing that adheres to our guidelines in order to
show up on Maps.
If your listing shows as pending, please check on Maps to see if it is
live. In that case please be patient as we are currently overhauling the
reconsideration process. Please also have a look in the Help Center at
http://support.google.com/places/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=176520 for further updates.”
That email is confusing because on one hand it kinda says you are screwed – start over. On the other hand it’s saying if it’s still live MAYBE there is hope and be patient???
But the pattern I’m seeing on the listings I’m involved it, right after being suspended, the listing may stay live for a few days (giving an ounce of hope) but then disappears… 🙁
FYI these are listings where I could see no obvious violations. BUT they had been a little spammy in the past.
Linda – how is the suspension announced? in the dashboard only? if the listing goes away, all the reviews disappear too?
Hi there, I’ve been studying a lot every possibility about suspensions and I got some conclusions:
1.- Some time in the past, whenever a client of ours had a duplicated listing online, we used to claim it and then “remove it from maps”, that way the listing was suspended but still, we had control over it. However, it seems that eventhough the listings are suspended, Google consider those ones as duplicated and that may trigger the account suspension.
2.- Information consistency.- If our business is listed in many sources (local directories) diferently, it might create confusion for Google. I know this is a basic rule but sometimes we don’t take the time to verify if the information is accurate or up to date.
3.- Office Sharing. Despite the fact that many different businesses share office space, Google sees this in a different way. I understad that having different suite numbers can work offline but seriously, who shares the same suite and even the same desk?
4.- Null submit. Yeah, take the time to access your account, click edit and submit without making any changes. That will tell Google that you’re business is still running.
The lesson that I’ve learned: Back to basics.
I get the 500 error, what to do?
I have read a lot of information about Google Places and Google + Local. By far your information is the most clear. I have a couple of questions I am hoping you can answer for me:
1. Are we to stop claiming our Business Listing on Google Places?
2. If we are to continue claiming our business listing on Google Places, should we also claim it on Google + Local.
3. If we are to claim our listings on both, should we claim Google + Local or Google Places first?
4. Can a Business just have a Google + Local page without a Google + personal page?
5. My understanding is only Google + profile (personal) pages can have authorship. So, I have the owner’s personal profile and Google + Local page on the same account. Question-does the benefit of the authorship extend to the Google + Local Page?
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