Local businesses are speaking up after they say their business profiles have been mistakenly removed from Google’s basic search.

SEATTLE — Western Washington business owners are frustrated they’ve been erased from parts of Google’s search engine, according to several businesses that reached out to KING 5.

“We just have to keep fighting so our voice can be heard,” said Shannon Huck. “Obviously from our story it can be heard. But it’s going to be difficult.”

It’s been a tough journey for Shannon Huck and her chimney service business out of Kirkland, Next Level Chimneys. In March, it was mistakenly removed from Google’s basic search, but after protesting outside the Kirkland office and sending multiple appeals Google put the company back online over the weekend. 

“We did get an email from Google that said we were reinstated and it literally brought tears to our eyes because we didn’t know what we were going to do going forward from there,” said Huck.

After KING 5’s story about Next Level Chimney’s protest aired on May 30, Huck said a couple of local businesses and up to 20 nationwide reached out to them saying they’re dealing with the same thing.

“It does seem like they get to decide what businesses live and what businesses die, in my opinion,” said Ryan Williams.

Williams owns Epic Finish Painting on Camano Island. Last August, he received this email from Google notifying him it is disabling his business’s profile, with no clear reason why. As of Monday afternoon, if you do a basic Google search looking for painters on Camano Island, his business doesn’t show up. 

“I may as well not exist as a painting contractor or a company in my local area,” said Williams. 

Williams has filed two appeals against the corporate giant, including this one where he sent several documents proving, he owns the licensed business and is a registered contractor. But Google rejected it. 

“Some of them get reinstated but a lot of them end up like me and they can’t literally do anything,” said Williams. “They have resigned, I am defeated, they are defeated. There’s nothing they can do.”

A spokesperson with Google emailed KING 5, stating Williams’ business profile is being reinstated.

Google also sent a statement, saying in part:

“We understand the frustration a suspended Google Business Profile can cause and are always working to minimize these occurrences. While the majority of suspensions are legitimate and target bad actors, we are constantly refining our processes to avoid incorrect suspensions.”