Why is my business not showing up on Google Maps

Local Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Why Your Local Business Isn’t Showing Up on Google Maps

Can’t seem to find your local business when browsing Google Maps? According to Google, 86 percent of consumers search for businesses on its navigational service. If your local business isn’t showing up on Google Maps, though, consumers won’t be able to find it. A successful local search engine optimization (SEO) campaign requires a Google Maps listing. By understanding why your local business isn’t showing up on Google Maps, you can get it listed on Google’s popular navigational service.

No Google Business Profile

Without a Google Business Profile, your local business probably won’t show up on Google Maps. Google Business Profiles are customizable online listings for local businesses. They can appear in the search results for local queries, and they can appear on Google Maps.

Google Maps is essentially powered by Google Business Profiles. When consumers search for nearby businesses on Google Maps, the search engine giant will pull data from relevant Google Business Profiles. You need a Google Business Profile for consumers to find your local business here.

Overshadowed By Competitors

Your local business may not show up on Google Maps if it has too many competitors. Searching for a keyword related to your local business, for instance, may yield a list of competitors’ Google Business Profiles. Your local business may technically have a Google Business Profile, but competitors may overshadow it to the point where it’s difficult to find.

To determine if your local business appears on Google Maps, try searching for its name. Google Maps supports different types of search queries. You can search for industry-related keywords like “dry cleaning” and “landscaping,” or you can search for the name of a given business. Searching for your local business’s name on Google Maps should reveal your Google Business Profile.

Incomplete Google Business Profile

Failure to complete your Google Business Profile may prevent your local business from showing up on Google Maps. You can create a Google Business Profile at business.google.com/create/new. During the setup process, you’ll have to enter your local business’s name, industry, address and other information. Make sure you complete your Google Business Profile. Otherwise, your local business won’t be eligible to appear on Google Maps.

You should verify your Google Business Profile as well. Verification signals ownership. By verifying your Google Business Profile, Google will identify you as the owner of your local business. More importantly, verification will maximize your local business’s exposure on Google and Google Maps.

Unverified Google Business Profiles rarely appear on Google and Google Maps. With an unverified Google Business Profile, consumers may struggle to find your local business on these channels. Keep in mind that you may have to verify your Google Business Profile multiple times. Changing information about your local business, for example, may trigger a second verification.

Change of Address

Changing your local business’s address can cause problems with its Google Maps appearance. You may search for your local business’s name on Google Maps, only to discover that it’s no longer listed. You may not find your local business listed for its old address or its new address.

If your local business recently moved to a new location, you should update your Google Business Profile. Log in to your Google Business Profile and change the address to your local business’s new location.

You should also use this opportunity to see if a second verification is required. After changing your local business’s address, Google may ask you to re-verify your Google Business Profile. Your Google Business Profile will revert back to being unverified until you re-verify it. And like all unverified Google Business Profiles, its visibility will be restricted.

Suspended Google Business Profile

If Google has suspended your Google Business Profile, you won’t see your local business on Google Maps. Suspensions usually involve some type of guidelines violation. There are guidelines that all businesses must follow when creating and managing Google Business Profiles. Whether intentional or accidental, violating these guidelines could result in a suspended Google Business Profile.

Common reasons for Google Business Profile suspensions include:

 • Incorrect street address

•   Misleading business description

•   Choosing irrelevant categories

•   Including marketing taglines or special characters in your local business’s name

•   There’s already a Google Business Profile under your local business’s name

•   Keyword stuffing

•   Business website address redirects to another URL

•   Specifying a phone number that your local business doesn’t directly control

•   Specifying a premium-rate phone number

You can get your local business back on Google Maps by correcting the violation that caused the suspension. After correcting the violation, complete the form at support.google.com/business/troubleshooter/2690129. Google will review your Google Business Profile within the next three to seven days. Assuming the violation no longer persists, it will reinstate your Google Business Profile by lifting the suspension.

Service Area Business

Google may not show your local business on Google Maps if it’s a service area business. Local businesses typically fall under one of two categories: brick and mortar or service area. Brick-and-mortar local businesses are those that operate out of a physical establishment, such as a retail store. Consumers visit brick-and-mortar businesses to buy their products or services.

Service area local businesses don’t operate out of a physical establishment. Instead, they visit consumers’ homes — or their places of business — to sell their products or services. You can still create a Google Business Profile for a service area local business, but Google won’t show a Google Maps marker for it.

Only brick-and-mortar local businesses are eligible for a Google Maps marker. Google Maps markers denote the official address of brick-and-mortar local businesses. They indicate where consumers should drive to if they want to buy a business’s products or services. If you have a brick-and-mortar local business, make sure you don’t accidentally select the service area option when creating a Google Business Profile.

Google Maps is an important part of local SEO. Consumers may use it to find nearby businesses. If your local business isn’t showing up on Google Maps, they won’t be able to find it. Fortunately, nearly all Google Maps display issues are fixable. Maybe you haven’t created a Google Business Profile, or perhaps you didn’t update it after moving your local business to a new address. Regardless, you can fix these problems so that Google Maps displays your local business to consumers.