RPG Research, RPG Therapy, & RPG Therapeutics sites completely removed from Google Search results (Suppressed)!
Status Update 20181028 21:18
Thanks to helpful guidance from friend and SEO Wizard Michael Martinez ( https://www.seo-theory.com/author/michael/ ), he helped correct some of vocabulary and at least more accurately troubleshoot the symptoms, though we're not yet sure about the causation.
The domains/sites and keyword search results are not "gone", they are "suppressed". He verified that Google does have index entries for the sites, but that results are suppressed so that anyone using Google will not find ANY search results showing (because suppressed), listed in the Google Search Results page that point to ANY of the relevant websites www.rpgresearch.com, www.rpgtherapy.com, www.rpgtherapeutics.com, www.hawkenterprising.com, www.tolkienmoot.org, www.earpg.com, www.rpgorganization.com, www.rpgpublishers.com, www.techtalkhawke.com, www.rpgtalkshow.com, www.mistheroes.com, www.spokaneasl.com, etc.
And that the Google Business entries may be on hold pending review in 3 days (after the weekend). And that the Google Business and Google Search folks are separate entities that don't work together.
He said to just deal with no results for any of my sites or businesses and see if it clears up by Wednesday. If it doesn't improve by then, We'll dig deeper.
He stated that he suspects that for some reason my Google Business entries were in violation of TOS because in late 2017 Google starting to penalize companies by not allowing more than one business at the same physical address! And that may explain why all my Google Business entries were deleted (without any notification or warning!).
As for the keyword results, it is possible that maybe such a situation triggers a spam flag to the Google Search folks to suppress all results for the websites that were originally listed in those Google Business listings.
He recommends I quit trying to add the sites to the business entries until after we see how things look by Wednesday (possibly sooner if it improves). To see why Google Business keeps deleting my attempts to add the relevant websites to each business.
Sigh
I'll post more updates as they happen!
Original Post earlier on 20181027 around 17:00:
What is going on???
If you search
rpg research
or
rpg therapy
All links to www.rpgresearch.com rpgresearch.com www.rpgtherapy.com rpgtherapy.com www.rpgtherapeutics.com rpgtherapeutics.com have been scrubbed from google!
They all show up fine under all other search engines, but nothing in Google!
My sites still are number one listings under Yahoo, Bing, DuckDuckGo, etc., but either completely gone are any links to my sites in Google, or buried very deeply!
I couldn't find anything definitive on the web. Anyone have any idea what happened?
All of a sudden my business listings for my several small business (RPG
Research, RPG Therapeutics, Hawke Enterprising, Dev 2 Dev Portal,
etc.) either completely or partially were nuked by Google recently.
For the relevant key words, and their business name they showed up
number one in Google search listings for years. Now, the sites (mostly)
no longer not only show up on the side for the Google Business listing
on the side of a relevant search result, the websites have been
completely scrubbed from ANY of Google's listings, or now instead only
showing Facebook, Twitter, etc. listings, or old dead website listings,
or many pages down.
I had these listings for years, they were number one results, and they
were verified. Now they are all but gone.
I've started re-filling out the business google listings again, so some
of this may change by the time you read this email, but I thought you
would also be interested to hear about this situation.
Is this because of the SSL mandate (which I haven't had time to add
valid SSL certificates (only self-signed for now) to the brochure style
website pages)?
Is it because I have multiple businesses at the same address?
Is it because my businesses are both online and in-person, with many
different locations globally?
Is it because I have irregular hours?
Something else?
I am just grasping at straws. I have no notification from Google that
they removed my listing (other than always being pestered by third
parties trying to get me to pay to update my listings that were
already up to date). When I log in, there is no notification that they
removed the Google Business Listing, just a prompt to create a new
listing.
When I add the new listing, it shows up that the business is already
verified!
But, when i try to add my website, it shows "pending", then a few
minutes later it is crossed out!
I have tried both http://www.rpgresearch.com (for example) and just
www.rpgresearch.com (and both keep getting removed.
Anyone aware of a new policy or bug that might explain what is going
on here?
RPG Research - http://www.rpgresearch.com
RPG Therapeutics LLC - http://www.rpgtherapy.com or http://www.rpgtherapeutics.com
Hawke Enterprising d.b.a. - http://www.hawkenterprising.com
Dev 2 Dev Portal LLC - http://www.dev2dev.com
There are many other websites and communities I run and host, but these are the only ones I had Google Business listings with.
Sites Not Suppressed
All of my sites under the same domains that are still running on my old server at my house denoted by www2, or on the old broken godaddy shared hosting. The ban seems to only be the new godaddy dedicated Plone 5 sites.
Interestingly, sites of mine that did not get "suppressed" by Google:
www.merp.com
www.syntheticzen.com
www2.rpgresearch.com
www2.techtalkhawke.com
Screenshots
Google discussions:
Google Business:
https://www.en.advertisercommunity.com/t5/Basics-for-Business-Owners/Suppressed-Blacklist-Shadowban-Glitch-Can-t-add-my-websites-it/m-p/1839690/highlight/false#M92276
"
After years as verified businesses, my small business listings are suddenly gone, and keyword results to my sites all seem to be removed, and I can't add my websites to the listing. What is going on???
I hope folks can understand how upsetting this is.
For some reason all of my different small business listings (and many other community sites) have gone "poof" and no longer not only show up in Google Business or search results, but the websites themselves are no longer showing up in search listings AT ALL! This is after being online for a decade or more!
These sites were number one results on Google for years, and still are on Yahoo, Bing, DuckDuckGo, etc. It is just suddenly under google that all results linking to these sites either no longer show up at all, or are buried very, very deeply. I never used SEO business/consultants or evil trickery, just normal content and community activity.
I never received any notices or issues about the listings. Other than being constantly pestered by companies wanting me to pay for being listed (when I was already listed for years). Logging in I find no messages about why my listings are gone.
For one account, I went to look at by Business Info, and it wanted me to set it up fresh (what the heck?), as I did so, it acknowledge my business was verified (they all have been). However, when I add my website, and save, it shows pending, then shortly thereafter it is crossed out! I have tried both http://www.rpgresearch.com and just www.rpgresearch.com and had the same results.
What is going on???
I have 4 businesses, for now, let's focus on one:
RPG Research
Business address: 1312 N Monroe St Suite 114, Spokane, WA 99201
833.RPG-INFO
Also the maps listing that was there for years is now gone as well.
Is this because I have 4 different businesses that have same address? And some of the business are mobile and multiple locations around the globe? Is it the SSL mandate (which is ridiculous mandate for plain brochure sites with no login or data issues).
What is going on here?
Help appreciated, I (apparently wasted) a lot of time with setting up these listings over the years, and now they are gone. I need to spend time working my business not fixing Google bugs.
Really appreciate any suggestions to have this fixed.
Thanks!"
"
Hello,
It would help to know the other three businesses but for the one you've asked us to look at a group touring the US and using a virtual office as their mailing address would not qualify to be on Google Maps. I realize you also have regular events in Spokane, but those are held in different locations. Such a business should be promoting itself via Google Search and not Maps, as a business with no fixed location shouldn't be mapped."
I am afraid you are misunderstanding. The tour was a special event. We have a fixed location at the address indicated, that is our HQ, we operate there, receive mail, meet clients, run programs, etc. there.
Maybe the following information will help?
The tour was merely a promotional tour to raise awareness about accessibility & inclusiveness issues, and a fundraiser for the non-profit.
I'm not really sure the loss of the Google Business listings matters that much for us, but the suppression of all search results to the business's websites is HUGE! Are we better off deleting all of our Google Business listings, so that the sites aren't being suppressed? I'm grasping at straws here trying to figure out what is going on.
Our small non-profit's physical office headquarters is in the physical (not virtual) office at 1312 North Monroe Street, Suite 114, Spokane, WA 99201 (as well as my other businesses at the same address). We meet clients there, though generally we are booked solid, so need people to make appointments. We have offices at other locations, and provide services at client's sites across the country, in addition to the mobile facilities providing in-person services throughout the USA, and of course online services as an option for those in other countries, but that address is our physical headquarters.
My other small businesses are also headquartered at the same address (but all different websites). Do I have to get a separate Suite for each business? Is Google killing the listings because I am the owner of all 4 businesses at the same address (with business licenses)?
RPG Research - www.rpgresearch.com (all related search results suppressed by Google in search, Google Business listing was deleted without notice by Google, I had to recreate it and it recognized that it was an already verified business location, but won't let me add the www.rpgresearch.com website listing (keeps removing it when I add it)).
RPG Therapeutics LLC - www.rpgtherapy.com (search results suppressed, Google business listing was deleted without notice and I had to recreate it, www.rpgtherapeutics.com website was removed, was able to add back www.rpgtherapy, but still suppressed in google search results).
Hawke Enterprising DBA - www.hawkenterprising.com (search results suppressed). I didn't have a Google business listing for this business.
Dev 2 Dev Portal LLC - www.dev2dev.com (search results NOT suppressed, but won't let me add dev2dev.com back to the website for the business listing. This website is on a server which is a different physical server than the other 3 businesses, now showing "Reverification required".)
Also, many other sites appear to now be suppressed in search results in Google too (but still #1 on all the other search engines). I am compiling a list of all the suppressed websites and log of this fiasco here: http://www2.techtalkhawke.com/news/google-all-but-erased-all-of-my-businesses-and-related-sites-and-...
There appears to be several issues, are these related or each separate?
* Business listings deleted (suddenly had to re-add them after years).
* Can't add our websites to some of our business listings.
* Suppression of many/most of our websites from all Google Search Results.
* Zero notifications from Google about any of the above.
Suggestions?
Thanks.
My other small businesses are also headquartered at the same address (but all different websites). Do I have to get a separate Suite for each business?
That right there summarizes what you're not understanding.
You're using this place to generate addresses. That is not permitted on GMB. GMB wants the actual location of your store, not a virtual address. If you don't have a store, are you then going to meet your clients at their location? If so then you should be setting up a hidden address POI using your home address rather than a virtual address.
As for why you can't add the URLs, first I'll say that if Google removed you from GMB you likely shouldn't be creating new places but rather should have contacted support to see what was necessary to get the old places reinstated. For your current predicament, you are trying to add a URL that redirects to one place, trying to add a URL that has no content to another
PS. Your SEO "Wizard" doesn't know what he's talking about with regards to multiple businesses at one location. That is allowed, but they need to be unrelated and they need to have an actual storefront at the location.
Can you please do up a video for your location that shows the business physically exists there and link to the video on this thread? You should be able to link to Google Drive or Dropbox.
For the website issue, can you visit Search Console and tell me if any of those sites have been issued a manual penalty?
I think I found the root of your problem: http://www.rpgresearch.com/robots.txt
Google can't crawl your website if you disallow all crawling.
Here is video showing proof that we are at physical location. https://youtu.be/ES0Yjy4kwU8
Hey @rpgresearch
Based on that video, I can likely get Google to reinstate the listing for RPG Research but they aren't likely to reinstate any of the others. In order to qualify for a listing, the company has to be physically represented at that address. Google generally confirms this by branding and signage and unique staff members.
I'll go ahead and submit that request now.
Thank you, I guess that is something.
What actually matters, and I am most concerned about, is the 100% search suppression of all the domains and related search results. I'm looking into the robots.txt issue you suggested. The default policy has always been allow all, not sure how the disallow only Google has happened (since all the other search engines were #1, but now not low ratings but completely suppressed all results in Google). I was only wondering if the Google Business listings being deleted by Google (without any notice, any manual strikes, etc.) were in some way connected, and that was the only reason I brought up the inexplicable Google Business issues (and the inability to add any of my websites to the new listings), otherwise I wouldn't have bothered about the Google Business listings. If there is a connection with Google Business and the search suppression, then I needed to know how to get the suppression removed for all the businesses/organizations/sites in Google search results. If there isn't a connection, then it doesn't really matter.
Is there any link between the two (Google Business listing removal and search results total suppression? Or is there not?
That is something I guess (though a ridiculous policy, but I understand if you have nothing to do with that policy).
I am not really that much concerned about the Google Business Listings themselves. That has never generated any contacts that I am aware of over the years, and have always felt like a waste of my time to deal with, alas.
Thanks!