Sep 4, 2021
My business profile was suspended after I moved my office - I don’t know why I don’t meet criteria
When changing my address in google in misunderstood one section referring to where I do business - It was a hectic day in a hectic week and I was trying to get everything done. I took it to mean to be places nearby other than the particular city are practice in (I live in a large suburban area of Atlanta and there are many city names that are very close by). In the middle of doing that there was suddenly a “suspended” notification and so I realized Believe that the addition of those names what is the problem and remove them. I then completed the request form to have my business reinstated. With so many huge “listing” sites out there and various other mental health professionals showing up as “psychologists” on the results who are not, I don’t know what I will do without the listing there (I had many reviews over the years, with a 4.7 rating I think it was).
Google sent a quick response asking for more info. I scrambled to comply being in the middle of the address change process. I sent several things to google in response as proof of address, including a screen shot of the change in my account with the Georgia Secretary of State, a copy of the address change verification letter from Medicare (even though, as I noted to them, the computer had butchered it and that it removed most of the spaces and line returns), and a copy of a remittance advice from a major insurance company that comes with the checks paid to healthcare providers. Call Alyssa space in a building for the utilities are part of the payment, the only utility bill I have is my phone and fax service and when I located that the next day I sent a follow up email as instructed with that invoice attached.
Within a few days I had an email that said they were going to escalate my request to a specialty team. You know it may take a little while and ask for my patience. But then, with then next few days, I suddenly received an email that was a duplicate of the very first one received and so was very confused! Sit back and refer email this time since I assumed that Google had the information I had sent, this time I sent more of a short summary and attached the utility bill and the screen shot from the state of Georgia website regarding my license (and two of the pieces of information that initial form letter said would be appropriate). It did not take long for me to bring an email saying that my business did not qualify to be on Google Maps. That was quite a shock, especially since I don’t know whether the specialty team wrote that, a secondary person did based on the second auto form letter sent, or what exactly. And I don’t know what to do now since I was told in both form mails that a utility bill was satisfactory, but I did attach that and was still denied.
I should add Covid has made all these very difficult. For a time we were not allowed to go into the office and see patient, those for federal and state regulations related to the pandemic. And that would’ve been the case for almost every mental health provider in the state for a period of many months, on and off. At this time patient can come see me at that location and can also see me via Tele health. That is not because there’s a problem with my business but because we are in a pandemic and still under a state of emergency that affect some businesses more than others. If I had not had to move in the middle of this pandemic it wouldn’t of been a problem, there’s none of the other psychologist or psychotherapist offices would have been checked during this time for the same issue, but I personal life situation meant that we had to move and in changing my address the trouble began. It’s a difficult situation when a psychologist can’t sleep at night for worrying about something, but that has definitely been the case with this for me.
I am sorry for being long-winded, but I hope someone can help better knowing the full information. If more information is needed, please let me know.
Norlydia McBee
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It's very common for a listing to get suspended for an address change or if you make too many edits in one sitting. The documents that you submitted in your reply email to GMB support, did they have your full business name and your new address on them?
Could you please post the following information:
- Business name as it appears on Google My Business
- Screenshot of the "Info" section of your GMB listing
- Website URL
- Address
- Photo of the outside of your business showing the building and permanent signage with your business name on it
- The Case ID number (it should be in the subject line you received from GMB support email
- The documents you sent to GMB support (like the Secretary of State info, Medicare info, etc. Please remove any sensitive info by whiting it out or blurring it.)
Please keep in mind that all of these documents must have your new address. f everything looks good, I can try to escalate on my end.
Thanks!
Sherry
Sherry
Bonelli, Google My Business Gold Product Expert
My
Website: early
bird digital marketing | Find Me On Twitter For Digital Marketing/SEO Info
NOTE: This forum is run by volunteers. Some of
us are Google My Business Product Experts. However, we are not Google
employees. We offer advice based on best practices, interpreting Google's policies
and our own experience.
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Last edited Sep 4, 2021
Original Poster N McB marked this as an answer
Thanks for all the information. From what I can see there may be a few things going on. First, you are "keyword stuffing" your Google My Business business name by adding the words "- Clinical Psychologist." According to GMB Guidelines, you cannot add any extra words to your business name. So you need to delete those extra words from your business name in your GMB dashboard.
Next, when I look at your website, in the top-level navigation you have "Virtual Office." Google may think that you are a virtual office/practice and that you don't really have a physical location. (Google often checks other resources, like your website, online directories, BBB, Secretary of State, etc.) So I would suggest that you move that section on your website under "Services Offered" and call it "Virtual Sessions" or "Virtual Appointments Due to COVID."
When you reply to the email you received from GMB support, send them the documentation/proof to show that you are a legitimate business with a physical address. Make sure to include a picture of your office door with your business name on it -- be sure you get the office suite number in the photo as well. Also, take a photo of the outside of the building with the street address number. If there is a building directory that shows your business name and suite number, include a photo of that, too.
When you reply to the email, explain to GMB support what you fixed. Basically say, "I understand that I violated GMB guidelines by adding the words "- Clinical Psychologist" to my business name, so I removed those words from my business name." And tell them, "I've also attached photos of my physical office -- my suite door with my permanent signage on it as well as the building directory with my business name and suite number on it. In addition, you will also find attached..." and then list off the other official documents you are including." Then politely ask, "Based on the correction I have made to my listing and the documented proof I have provided, I am now in compliance with GMB policies and guidelines. I would appreciate it if you could reinstate my listing as soon as possible. Thank you so much for your assistance with this matter."
Do not fill out another reinstatement request form -- simply reply to the email you received from GMB support. You may also want to read this article I wrote for Search Engine Journal about GMB suspensions as well before you reply to GMB support's email.
I would also recommend that you not just rely on your Google My Business listing for your leads. You should invest in organic Search Engine Optimization (SEO), building content on your site, reputation marketing, retargeting/display ads and other digital marketing strategies. (It's never a good idea to put all of your marketing eggs in one basket.)
If for some reason Google still does not reinstate your listing after all of this, please come back to this thread and let me know. I can escalate it and ask Google to take another look. (I will need copies of all the documents you provided to GMB support as well as the Case ID number which you can find in the subject line of the email you received from GMB support.) Good luck!
Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Sherry
Sherry
Bonelli, Google My Business Gold Product Expert
My
Website: early
bird digital marketing | Find Me On Twitter For Digital Marketing/SEO Info
NOTE: This forum is run by volunteers. Some of
us are Google My Business Product Experts. However, we are not Google
employees. We offer advice based on best practices, interpreting Google's
policies and our own experience.
If I answered your question, please mark this as the
“Recommended Answer”
Original Poster N McB marked this as an answer
All Replies (10)
Sep 4, 2021
It's very common for a listing to get suspended for an address change or if you make too many edits in one sitting. The documents that you submitted in your reply email to GMB support, did they have your full business name and your new address on them?
Could you please post the following information:
- Business name as it appears on Google My Business
- Screenshot of the "Info" section of your GMB listing
- Website URL
- Address
- Photo of the outside of your business showing the building and permanent signage with your business name on it
- The Case ID number (it should be in the subject line you received from GMB support email
- The documents you sent to GMB support (like the Secretary of State info, Medicare info, etc. Please remove any sensitive info by whiting it out or blurring it.)
Please keep in mind that all of these documents must have your new address. f everything looks good, I can try to escalate on my end.
Thanks!
Sherry
Sherry
Bonelli, Google My Business Gold Product Expert
My
Website: early
bird digital marketing | Find Me On Twitter For Digital Marketing/SEO Info
NOTE: This forum is run by volunteers. Some of
us are Google My Business Product Experts. However, we are not Google
employees. We offer advice based on best practices, interpreting Google's policies
and our own experience.
If I answered your question, please mark this as the
“Recommended Answer”
Last edited Sep 4, 2021
Original Poster N McB marked this as an answer
Sep 5, 2021
Sep 5, 2021
Hello Sherry,
You can’t know how much I
appreciate your response; this entire thing has been frustrating and more than
just a bit scary. I’m nearing the end of my career, but not near enough to be
wiped out of Google.
My business name is my name and
although that is common in healthcare, I know in the business world it seems
strange. My full title would be Norlydia Fulbright McBee, Ph.D., but most
companies have me down as Norlydia F. McBee, Ph.D. But I might also be
down somewhere as Dr. Norlydia F. McBee. In that way, my business name varies
as do other psychologists and physicians. I know I am stating the obvious, but
I felt I should mention that at least as my name may not be identical each time
on important paperwork.
To answer your questions as best as
I can:
1. My
name is shown as “Norlydia F. McBee, Ph.D. - Clinical Psychologist. I
will attach screen shots of the info section (this may take more than one).
While I was in I continued editing (once I saw the suspension notice suddenly
pop up, I began the appeal process immediately and did not complete all the
info changes). I am a sole proprietor, so that is not an LLC name (those
are not legal for professionals in GA). Clinical Psychologist is my title. As
noted above, this is my business name (and there are some slight variations
since it is my name vs. corporation).
2.
The case number ID is 7-002500003161
(CONTINUED)
Sep 5, 2021
3. I
do not have a photo of my office door, although I can get one. I’m a single
provider practice, there is no signage outside (given what I do, it’s a low-key
door sign, I have never in my entire practice used outdoor signage to increase
patient privacy, it is common with my kind of business/specialty). I can
go to my office tomorrow and take a photo of my door sign if you wish me to do
so.
4. My
website is drmcbee.com (and has been there for close to 2 decades now). I
changed my address there about the same time as I tried to change it on Google.
5.
When I went into this initially to claim my business, I put it under an email
address that I didn’t use much then and do not now have; I had changed the primary one for my domain, but had
not worried since on my GMB listing my preferred email is nmcbee (-at-)
bellsouth.net and that is my main email address; but for some
reason, and I’ve been online since 1994 and who knows how or when this
happened, but the email is all going to my Gmail account (the one listed on this post as the email address) regarding this issue. Since I didn’t sign out
of the business one before making the appear, or certainly didn’t mean to (I
was honestly pretty frazzled, moving an office and home and having to clean out
my late mother’s home in 6 weeks is just rough stuff and this was happening on
the heels of it). I wonder if that email confusing is a part of the problem I
am running into here – is it possible someone believed that I was making the
request without authorization due to the different email? I’m just
hypothesizing out loud and I surely do not want to muddy the water, but I had
to mention it. When you have been around as long as I have computer wise
(one of those 1980 Atari home computer nerds LOL), you have had far more email
addresses than you care to remember!
I am attaching all the confirming
documents that I sent in to GMB support. Please note on the Medicare (Palmetto GBA) letter
than the address IS correct, but Medicare’s computer ran it all together with
random spacing so without realizing is the case it would just look like a
jumbled mess (and I have blurred my home information on this jpg). The utility
bill is also attached (my long term telephone supplier is thankfully allowing
me to keep my long-term telephone and fax lines by forwarding them to the new
office), as is the address change I made with the secretary of state’s office
for my license to practice (although they don’t send out another official
license until the license expires biannually). There is a remittance advice
statement cover that accompanies payment for medical services from insurance
companies and a screen shot of the Humana/Tricare Military website where they
show the new address on the right side. I just got my August bill from my
billing company (the first at my new address) and I will add that image here as
well.
The addresses are all the
same on these, my name however (as I’m sure I’ve mentioned too many times) may
vary slightly. Since I have just moved to my new practice, there isn’t a
history of mail as yet (my effective change date for this address was August
15, 2021 – seems a little silly now in retrospect, but in my mind I was doing
what was the most accurate and ethical thing to do which was to change
information on Google to what was accurate).
Again, I thank you so much Sherry
for the time you offered on your Friday. I wanted to send this back ASAP, but
I’m a little weary after this long day so please forgiven any typos. I hope
that this problem with Google can be corrected, this has been dizzying.
Sincerely,
NorlydiaSep 5, 2021
Norlydia
P.S. Please let me know if there is any further information that you need. Sorry to have had to add the documents this way with the piece by piece letter, I was not sure how else to get around the limitations to get what you needed to you. I believe the problem with the post rejection was the attachment of an Excel file (original CSII Bill).
Sep 5, 2021
Thanks for all the information. From what I can see there may be a few things going on. First, you are "keyword stuffing" your Google My Business business name by adding the words "- Clinical Psychologist." According to GMB Guidelines, you cannot add any extra words to your business name. So you need to delete those extra words from your business name in your GMB dashboard.
Next, when I look at your website, in the top-level navigation you have "Virtual Office." Google may think that you are a virtual office/practice and that you don't really have a physical location. (Google often checks other resources, like your website, online directories, BBB, Secretary of State, etc.) So I would suggest that you move that section on your website under "Services Offered" and call it "Virtual Sessions" or "Virtual Appointments Due to COVID."
When you reply to the email you received from GMB support, send them the documentation/proof to show that you are a legitimate business with a physical address. Make sure to include a picture of your office door with your business name on it -- be sure you get the office suite number in the photo as well. Also, take a photo of the outside of the building with the street address number. If there is a building directory that shows your business name and suite number, include a photo of that, too.
When you reply to the email, explain to GMB support what you fixed. Basically say, "I understand that I violated GMB guidelines by adding the words "- Clinical Psychologist" to my business name, so I removed those words from my business name." And tell them, "I've also attached photos of my physical office -- my suite door with my permanent signage on it as well as the building directory with my business name and suite number on it. In addition, you will also find attached..." and then list off the other official documents you are including." Then politely ask, "Based on the correction I have made to my listing and the documented proof I have provided, I am now in compliance with GMB policies and guidelines. I would appreciate it if you could reinstate my listing as soon as possible. Thank you so much for your assistance with this matter."
Do not fill out another reinstatement request form -- simply reply to the email you received from GMB support. You may also want to read this article I wrote for Search Engine Journal about GMB suspensions as well before you reply to GMB support's email.
I would also recommend that you not just rely on your Google My Business listing for your leads. You should invest in organic Search Engine Optimization (SEO), building content on your site, reputation marketing, retargeting/display ads and other digital marketing strategies. (It's never a good idea to put all of your marketing eggs in one basket.)
If for some reason Google still does not reinstate your listing after all of this, please come back to this thread and let me know. I can escalate it and ask Google to take another look. (I will need copies of all the documents you provided to GMB support as well as the Case ID number which you can find in the subject line of the email you received from GMB support.) Good luck!
Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Sherry
Sherry
Bonelli, Google My Business Gold Product Expert
My
Website: early
bird digital marketing | Find Me On Twitter For Digital Marketing/SEO Info
NOTE: This forum is run by volunteers. Some of
us are Google My Business Product Experts. However, we are not Google
employees. We offer advice based on best practices, interpreting Google's
policies and our own experience.
If I answered your question, please mark this as the
“Recommended Answer”
Original Poster N McB marked this as an answer
Sep 5, 2021
Thanks for taking the time to look at all my information!
My door sign simply said Norlydia F.
McBee, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist as that is who I am and what I do. I would have never imagined it would be
seen as keyword stuffing since it is what I am, what I do, what my business is. It's been that way so long, it is confusing that it would suddenly be an issue for them. To be honest, this entire situation has really been
eye opening about how few humans are involved in such big decisions for people’s
lives. I am a 61-year-old professional with a very small business just trying
to make a living, to be punished as if I’ve done something truly wrong when I
have not seemed so very unfair. I realize it's not personal, but in a way that is the essence of the problem. As a social scientist it alarms me a bit that auto decisions can have such a profoundly negative impact on people's lives now (like a patient being sued by the state of FL for a ticket on a car he never drove to FL because of a camera not detecting the tag correctly).
I wanted to touch on the issues you brought up. I think almost all healthcare professionals are using some
virtual sessions, I hope that insurance coverage for it will continue since it
has helped so many get access to care. Although I am confused why Google would
penalize a provider for doing what our state and federal laws now require (and
that is almost all of us), I will take those steps that you suggested and get
into my website and try to get those changes made as soon as I am able. I wanted you to know that I do have other ways to market my practice, but being a single provider practice the place most people look is a search engine and other marketing doesn’t do a lot but I take advantage of what is out there. It is not that I am looking for google to market for me, I only wish them to stop blocking my valid profile and good reviews from being seen as they do for every other business unless I am truly doing something wrong.
I am a bit concerned about the photos you suggested since the door does
not have a suite number of it. It is not
big enough for a directory. It is a blended office environment where most are
using a cooperative type of set up. However, when I have patient in clearly it
is a private office situation. I would
hope that in 2021 given new options for work and covid that there are real
business operating that may not look exactly like business has looked in the
past.
You have so much experience that I hope you can help me
understand this – given that my state licensing board shows my new address, Medicare
shows it, and so does my telecommunications company, how could this even be a
question in their minds about whether my business is legitimate? Clearly not
everything updates a new address (God knows when Yelp and others will do so),
but that is not under my control (and they are part of this monster system so
they would know that). But any place that matters, like the insurance companies
that pay me, they all show my new address, and it matches what I state. Why
would a door sign change that in their minds? I am striving to understand all
this, sincerely. It is hard being punished when you can’t find your “crime”,
especially when it impacts my life. And to be truthful with you, this last week
I got a pretty bad health diagnosis – it’s a bad thing on top of a very
difficult 2 years and this Google problem that came out of nowhere is just
adding to it all. No matter how good a psychologist that I am, I feel as if I’m
fighting ghosts.
I will read your article, thank you for that link. And thank
you so much for your help. I want you to know if means so much to have someone try to help in a situation that seems completely illogical where there is no one to reach out to! I cannot
afford to move my new office for the sake of a search engine, any of them, so I
hope that you can help me navigate this given the reality of this covid
practice environment. Thank you!
Norlydia
Sep 5, 2021
Please keep in mind that Google My Business is a free listing that Google offers. No one is entitled to a GMB listing and anyone that claims a listing must follow GMB Guidelines. It's Google's platform. They make the rules that businesses must abide by.
First, with regard to your business name. Your business name according to the Secretary of State and the other documentation you shared is your personal name. "Clinical Psychologist" is not part of your business name so it cannot be included in your GMB listing's business name. (Just like realtors can't add the word "Realtor" after their first and last name as their business name.) The GMB guidelines state that you cannot add any additional words or descriptors after your business name.
I understand that many businesses offer virtual appointments thanks to COVID -- Google realizes that, too. My only concern was that maybe Google looked at your site and thought perhaps you only offered virtual appointments. You can choose to make those changes to your navigation on your site or not. That was merely a suggestion I had. Making -- or not making -- that change is completely up to you.
I also noticed that you operate out of a co-working space. Generally, businesses cannot claim listings if they operate out of a co-working space unless you rent a dedicated office, have permanent signage, receive customers at the location during business hours, and is staffed by your employees during business hours. This could be another reason why your listing was suspended. Again, co-working space addresses are generally not allowed as acceptable addresses for GMB profiles.
For instance, when I searched for your address on Google Maps, Toast and Jam Community's Google My Business listing showed up. Are you renting a private office from them? If so, you would need to send GMB support a copy of your lease proving that you are renting a private office and, again, show photos of your permanent signage on your door with your suite number as well as photos of what it looks like when people/clients walk into your private office. (Hopefully, you have signage in the lobby/reception area of your suite/office, too.)
Again, these are not arbitrary rules, these are Google My Business rules that businesses must follow to be eligible for a Google My Business profile. And some businesses just don't qualify for a GMB profile -- that happens all the time.
My goal is to help you understand what may be preventing you from getting reinstated so you can make the necessary changes to your listing and your office situation so you can get reinstated. Google's guidelines are not debatable.
I hope I've explained things clearly. If you have any questions, please let me know. And I hope I helped answer your questions.
Please let me know if you need any more assistance.
Sherry
Sherry
Bonelli, Google My Business Gold Product Expert
My
Website: early
bird digital marketing | Find Me On Twitter For Digital Marketing/SEO Info
NOTE: This forum is run by volunteers. Some of
us are Google My Business Product Experts. However, we are not Google
employees. We offer advice based on best practices, interpreting Google's
policies and our own experience.
If I answered your question, please mark this as the
“Recommended Answer”
Sherry