Why is my funeral home's Google Business Profile suspended?

Google may suspend or disable Business Profiles that don't follow its guidelines. While your profile is suspended, families won't find it on Google Maps or in search, even when they search your name.

There's a second, wider version: an account restriction. Google says that when an account is restricted, every Business Profile it manages is suspended, and it can't create or claim other profiles. If you run more than one location, check which one you're dealing with.

These are the guidelines funeral homes most often run into:

• Extra words in the business name. Google says unnecessary information in a business name isn't permitted and could result in suspension. “Smith Funeral Home – Cremation Services Dallas” is the classic example.
• An address you don't operate from. Your profile must be for your real-world location. Virtual offices, P.O. boxes and remote mailboxes aren't eligible.
• More than one profile for the same location. Google allows one profile per location, in one account or across several.
• Categories used as keywords. Google asks for categories that describe your main business, not ones added to catch extra searches.
• Details that don't match the real business. A name, address or phone number that differs from your signage and records can raise questions.

Open the Google Business Profile appeals tool while signed in to the Google account that manages the profile. Google says it shows the restricted profile, the reason for the action, and a link to the policy it believes was broken.

Read that policy against your profile line by line. The fix has to address the stated reason, not just the details you suspect.

If the account itself is restricted, Google says to appeal the account first, from your My accounts page, where you can also track the appeal. Once the restriction is lifted, you then appeal each suspended Business Profile.

• Don't create a new profile for the same funeral home. Google specifically says not to while an appeal is under review.
• Don't appeal before fixing the cause. An appeal is a request to review a profile that now follows the guidelines.

When you're ready, here's how to get your profile reinstated, step by step.