We recently completed an acquisition at Wolf IQ, which included a valuable Google Business Profile (GBP).

We did all the planning in the world for moving the address, but Google still suspended us.

This was a major problem as one of the primary value drivers was the Google Business Profile, which had a ton of fantastic 5-star reviews.

So what happened?

Google's algorithm is hypersensitive to what it perceives as deceptive content. It's constantly on the lookout for spammers or scams trying to game its local map product.

In our case, we believe two things triggered the suspension:

1. We moved the business address too early. Google likes to see stability. Best practices suggest waiting a number of weeks, potentially even months, after an ownership change before making a major update like a new address.
2. Our new address wasn't unique enough. The new location might have been flagged by Google as a fake or duplicate listing, which is a common spam tactic. This likely hit a second red flag and triggered the suspension.

We've seen this happen to customers some times.

They change a phone number or move offices, and suddenly, their number one lead source is dead in the water. It's a scary position to be in.

How to Prepare for a Google Business Profile Address Change

If you're approaching a similar situation, here’s what I'd recommend based on our jarring experience.

The first thing is to be incredibly careful about changing the NAPs—the Name, Address, and Phone number—of the Google Business Profile too quickly. When you make a lot of changes at once, expect that Google algorithm to take notice.

Now, we actually knew this and did all the planning in the world to avoid it, but we still got suspended.

Thankfully, we had a very good paper trail of proof that we could use in the appeal process. This included the asset sale agreement, a sublease for the new office, email chains, and other legal documents. But even with all that preparation, the suspension still came through.

The Reinstatement Process

Seeing that email in your inbox saying "your account's been suspended" is terrifying. Part of you wonders if you'll ever get it back. Our immediate reaction was to draft a response quickly to get it back online. Do not do this.

Step 1: Don't Rush the Appeal

There's no reason to rush into the appeal process. You want to make sure everything is perfectly buttoned up because you might only get one shot. If your first appeal is rejected, you can end up in a support black box where it becomes incredibly difficult to get the profile reinstated.

Step 2: Gather Undeniable Proof (Video is Key)

Instead of a hasty written response, we took a deep breath and built an undeniable case. Here's what we did: we filmed a continuous, unedited video. The video started from the street, showing the building's address. We walked through the building, all the way to my office, and showed a permanent sign with the business name and logo on the office door. This video provided physical, irrefutable proof of our location and legitimacy.

Step 3: Submit and Wait Patiently

We submitted that video along with all the paperwork I mentioned earlier—the legal agreements and leases. And then, we waited. And waited. For two weeks, which felt like two years, we heard nothing. But then, the email we were hoping for arrived: the suspension had been lifted, and the profile would be back up and running within 24 hours.

The Big Lesson: A GBP is a Valuable, Fragile Asset

After getting the profile reinstated, we made a few minor updates and now we're not touching it again for a while. We need to let Google's algorithm build trust in the new location before we make any more changes.

The big lesson I learned from this is that a mature, well-reviewed Google Business Profile is a tremendously valuable asset. But when moving or acquiring one, you have to plan for the worst.

Make sure you build the legal and physical proof you'll need to get it reinstated quickly if you do get suspended.

Hopefully, this never happens to you. But if it does, know that the appeal process does work if you approach it correctly.