Why is my business not showing on Google Maps? 8 reasons, and how to fix each one

First, work out which problem you have

There are two very different problems hiding behind this question. One is "my listing doesn't appear at all". The other is "my listing exists but doesn't show when people search for my trade". Google suggests finding your profile by searching your business name and city. If it shows up, skip to reasons 6 to 8.

1. Your profile isn't verified

Google says only verified businesses can show their business info on Maps and Search. Verification reviews can take up to five working days, and if the "Get verified" button reappears, Google couldn't complete it.

2. Your profile has been suspended

If a profile breaks Google's guidelines, it becomes disabled or suspended and won't show until the issue is fixed. You'll get a notification in the Google account that manages it, and you can submit an appeal.

3. It's been marked as a duplicate

Google allows one profile per business. If it considers yours a duplicate, it won't show on Google Search or Maps. This often happens when someone set up a second listing long ago and forgot about it.

4. It's brand new

Google says rankings for new businesses can take up to a month to appear in search results.

5. You've just made changes

When you edit your business info, Google says changes can take up to three days to appear. Service area edits can take up to 48 hours.

6. Your category or details don't match the search

Relevance is how well your profile matches what someone searched for. Google says complete and detailed business info helps it match you. The wrong primary category is one of the most common causes we see.

7. The searcher is too far away

Distance is one of Google's three main factors. If you test from home and your service area is ten miles away, you may not show. Check your service areas cover the places you want work from.

8. Competitors are more prominent

Prominence is based on things like how many websites link to your business and how many reviews you have. If you're verified and correctly set up but still not showing, this is usually the gap, and it's the part that takes steady work.

Quick checks you can do in ten minutes

1. Search your exact business name and town on your phone.
2. Sign in to the Google account that manages your profile and look for any warning or "Get verified" button.
3. Check your primary category describes what your business is.
4. Check your service areas include the towns you want work from.
5. Search for your business name on Google Maps to see if an older listing exists.

Write down what you find. It'll save time whether you fix it yourself or ask someone else to.

What to do next

Reasons 1 to 5 you can usually sort yourself in an afternoon. Reasons 6 to 8 are where most trade businesses get stuck, because they need ongoing work on your profile, website, reviews and links. That's exactly what our Managed Site Improvement Package is for.