Google Merchant Center Misrepresentation Case Study (2026): From Suspension to Approval with a 160-Point Compliance Checklist [Skin Care]

When Google Merchant Center flags Misrepresentation, it’s rarely a single issue. In this 3–4 month case study, we took a repeatedly suspended account to approved by rebuilding trust signals, aligning policies and product data, cleaning technical debt, and navigating wider team reviews—guided by our internal 160-point compliance checklist.

1) Snapshot & Timeline

• First suspension, prior fix, then re-suspension as policies tightened.
• We engaged again, and over Oct → Jan implemented iterative fixes; initial review denied, made deeper changes, then approved.

2) Why Misrepresentation Triggers (Observed Causes)

• Inconsistent business identity across site, GMC, social.
• Weak or missing trust elements (contactability, registration, support hours).
• Policy pages thin, missing, or not cross-linked.
• Placeholders and broken/redirecting URLs.
• Mismatched payment methods between policy, footer, and checkout.
• Product claims not compliant; vague or promotional wording.
• Search Console errors and crawlability gaps.
• Site speed/plugins/malware warnings.

3) Trust Signals: What We Added

• Header/Announcement Bar: Clickable phone & email; current offer bar clickable.
• Footer: Legal business name, company registration #, clickable phone/email, support timings, physical presence where applicable.
• Contact/Track Order: Clear SLAs and working forms.

4) Policies & Legal Pages

• Shipping, Refund/Returns, Payments, Privacy, Terms—each updated, cross-linked site-wide (header/footer/product pages).
• Ensured payment methods displayed = payment methods accepted (policy, footer, checkout aligned).

5) Technical Cleanup

• Removed placeholders across templates.
• robots.txt tuned to avoid blocking essential assets/URLs.
• Malware scan and plugin audit; removed suspicious or outdated add-ons.
• Improved Core Web Vitals basics (image sizing, lazyload, minify where safe).

6) Product Data: Claims & Descriptions

• Rewrote product descriptions to meet Google standards, removing unsubstantiated claims and vague “best/fastest” superlatives.
• Aligned titles/GTIN/availability/price with feed & on-page.
• Ensured no broken product URLs or redirect chains.

7) Social & Identity Alignment

• Matched business name, emails, phone, and domain-based emails across website, Merchant Center, and social profiles.
• Removed irrelevant or misleading social links; cleaned suspicious third-party reviews.

8) Reviews, Wider Team & ID Verification

• Expect multiple passes. Wider team often returns generic language; treat it like a signal to harden trust and re-audit.
• Completed government ID verification when requested; ensured domain ownership and legal name alignment.

9) Final Outcome & Tipping Point

• After iterating technical, content, identity, and policy changes, the account passed review and misrepresentation warning disappeared.
• Key factor: consistency everywhere + zero placeholders/claims + policy strength.

10) The 160-Point Checklist (Sampler)

• Header: clickable phone/email; current announcement bar
• Footer: legal business name, company reg #, support hours
• Policies: Shipping/Returns/Payments/Privacy/Terms (unique, specific, cross-linked)
• Payments: icons & wording match checkout processor
• Product pages: no placeholders, no broken images, no exaggerated claims
• robots.txt: does not block CSS/JS or key directories
• Security: malware scan clean; no suspicious plugins
• Social: same email/phone as site; business email (not generic Gmail)
• Feed ↔ Site parity: titles, price, availability, GTIN/MPN
• Search Console: fix coverage/errors before review

11) FAQs

How long does reinstatement take? Reviews can take days to weeks; expect multiple review rounds.
Is misrepresentation always about scams? No. It’s often inconsistency, thin trust, or site health issues.
Do I need ID verification? Sometimes—complete it promptly when requested.
What if my first review is denied? Treat feedback as hints; re-audit and re-submit with stronger evidence of compliance.

12) Work With Us

We’re a Google Partner agency focused on Google Ads & Shopping. If you need GMC restoration or ongoing management, get in touch.