Wrong hours (especially holidays and late sittings)
"Open now" is one of the strongest filters diners use. If your hours are wrong for a bank holiday, a private hire, or a temporary early close, Google will hide you from people ready to eat. One bad evening of wrong status can cost a full sitting.
Assign someone to check hours weekly and before every public holiday. Special hours exist for a reason: use them rather than leaving the regular timetable to lie.
Vague or wrong categories
Your primary category decides which searches you are eligible for. "Restaurant" alone is weaker than the most accurate specific match (for example Indian restaurant, Italian restaurant, or cafe) when that is truly what you are.
Secondary categories should reflect real services you offer, not a wish list. Mis-categorisation makes the profile look busy while you stay invisible for the queries that fill your room.
Stale photos and empty menus
Diners judge food from pictures. A profile still showing last year's specials, dark phone snaps, or stock plates loses the tap to a rival with last week's dishes. Upload regularly, in good light, of food you actually serve.
No menu (or a menu nobody can open on a phone) forces diners to guess. Upload a current menu and keep dietary attributes honest so gluten-free, vegan or outdoor seating searches can find you.
Ignoring reviews, or chasing them badly
Unanswered reviews look like an unattended restaurant. Reply to praise briefly and to criticism calmly and specifically. That helps the next diner as much as it helps ranking signals of activity.
Never buy reviews or offer incentives that breach Google's rules. A simple, well-timed ask after a good table is enough; shortcuts risk suspension and lost trust.
Keyword stuffing the business name
Adding "best", "number one", or every cuisine and town into the business name is a common suspension trigger. Use your real trading name only. Put cuisine and location clarity into categories, description, menu and website instead.
Aggressive edits to name, address or category in a short burst can also flag the listing. Change identity fields carefully and accurately, not repeatedly while guessing.
Inconsistent name, address and phone
When the profile, website and directories disagree, Google loses confidence and shows you less. Match NAP details character for character everywhere that matters.
If you are unsure which mistakes are live on your listing, Azizi Technologies offers a free ranking audit that flags profile gaps against local rivals before you change anything risky.