You’ve probably spent way more time than you’d like to admit fiddling with your Google Business Profile. From double-checking your categories to making sure your service area is up to date, most folks assume that if you just follow the rules, your listing will stay safe and visible. But what if the rules aren’t actually published?
That’s exactly what we discovered with one of our clients in the taxi industry.
The Mystery of the Repeated Suspensions
Over a six-month span, this taxi company kept having its Google Business listing suspended, again and again. Each time, we combed through the profile, double-checked the policies, and made sure nothing looked off. No keyword stuffing, no fake reviews, no duplicate locations. Just a clean, rule-following listing.
So why the suspensions?
After a long back-and-forth with Google support, we finally got a surprising (and honestly, kind of ridiculous) answer: taxi companies aren’t allowed to list business hours on their Google profile.
Wait… what?
The Official Word from Google (Sort Of)
In a message from a Google support rep, we were told:
“Please mark the business hours as open with no main hours on the profile as the taxi services are not allowed to have business hours.”
Let that sink in for a second.
This isn’t mentioned anywhere in the public-facing Google Business Profile guidelines. No footnotes, no asterisks, no helpful tooltip saying “Hey, taxi folks — leave your hours blank.” Nothing. Just a secret, unpublished rule that you’d never know about until your listing gets nuked for violating it.
Why This Matters for Every Local Business
Now, you might be thinking, “Okay, but I’m a plumber — not a cab company.” Fair. But this story isn’t just about taxi businesses. It’s a reminder that:
- Not all Google rules are public
- Even if you follow the published rules, you can still get penalized
- Sometimes the only way to get real answers is to push through layers of generic support until you reach a human who knows what’s actually going on
What You Can Do
If you’re in a niche or highly regulated industry (like taxis, cannabis, locksmiths, or even mobile repair), it’s worth doing a little extra homework, or working with someone who’s been through the wringer with Google before. Here are a few quick tips:
- Don’t assume the rules are complete. Sometimes, Google makes internal changes that don’t show up in the documentation.
- Keep records of your interactions with support. If you do get a real answer, you’ll want proof.
- Join industry-specific forums or groups. Other business owners often uncover these secret rules before Google ever acknowledges them.
- Work with an expert. If you’re not sure what’s triggering suspensions, a professional can help identify red flags you might not see.
Final Thoughts
Google’s local business ecosystem is powerful, but it’s also a bit of a black box. As this experience shows, even when you’re doing everything “right,” you can still run into invisible walls. The good news? With a little persistence (and the right support) you can figure it out.
And if you’re a taxi company, now you know: don’t list your business hours, no matter how weird that sounds.
We’ll keep sharing what we learn as we uncover more of Google’s behind-the-scenes quirks. Stay tuned.
