Whether you're running a local café or a nationwide chain of EV charging stations, showing up on Google Maps can be the deciding factor between winning new customers or being overlooked. If your business isn't showing up, it’s critical to troubleshoot and resolve these issues to regain visibility. Here's a breakdown of common reasons why businesses fail to appear on Google Maps and actionable steps to get back on track.
1. Unclaimed or Incorrect Google Business Profile
One common reason businesses don't show up in Google Maps is that the Google Business Profile (GBP) has not been claimed.
Until your profile is claimed and verified, it won’t be optimized for search, meaning potential customers may not find your business in local results. Verification can take up to 14 business days, so it’s essential to claim your profile early.
NAP Consistency:
Make sure your business’s Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP) are accurate and consistent across all your locations on key mapping and search platforms as well as directories. Google uses this information to verify and index your listing. Even small inconsistencies can hurt your visibility.
Listing Optimizations:
To enhance visibility and user engagement, complete every available field, including business categories, attributes (like “Pet-friendly” or “Wheelchair accessible”), and business hours. Regularly update your profile with high-quality images, customer reviews, and Google Posts, which offer a great way to showcase promotions or new services.
Service Area Businesses:
If you don’t have a physical storefront but serve customers within a certain area, you must configure your profile as a service area business. Failure to do so can lead to your listing not appearing for relevant local searches.
2. Address and Google’s Guidelines
Businesses that don't follow Google's address guidelines might struggle with visibility. If your business doesn’t have a clear, verifiable address, or you’ve input inaccurate address information, Google’s algorithm may remove or suppress your listing.
Physical Location vs. Service Area:
If your business has a physical storefront, make sure the address is correct and formatted properly. For service-based businesses, don’t forget to configure your service areas rather than using a physical address.
*Pro Tip: Regularly check that your GBP matches Google’s specific guidelines for addresses. Failing to comply can result in your business not showing up at all.
3. Suspended Google Business Profile
An often-overlooked reason for disappearing listings is that the GBP has been suspended, sometimes without the business owner’s knowledge. Google suspends profiles for various reasons, such as guideline violations or mismatched information.
Common Reasons Why Google Suspends GBP:
- Stuffing your business name with keywords
- Using a P.O. Box or UPS store as your address
- Setting up at a virtual office or co-working space
- Wrong address for service-area businesses
- Online-only setup
- High-risk industry
- Duplicate listings or shared addresses
- Quick multiple changes to your profile
- Web URL redirects
If your Google Business profile has been suspended, you'll need to resolve the issue with Google support. It usually takes two weeks to hear back.
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4. Proximity to the Searcher
Proximity remains one of the strongest local ranking factors in Google Maps. Even with a fully optimized profile, if your business is located far from the user searching for your product or service, you might not appear in the search results unless a location modifier is included (e.g., "pizza near Stockholm").
*Pro Tip: Optimize for both non-geo-modified searches ("pizza near me") and geo-modified searches ("pizza in Stockholm"). Consistently update your business listing and include location-specific keywords throughout your site and Google Business Profile to cater to both types of searches.
5. Low Review Count or Engagement
Google uses reviews as a significant factor in determining a business’s prominence in local search results. If your business has few or no reviews, it could harm your chances of showing up on Maps. Additionally, how you respond to those reviews - both positive and negative matters. Google values businesses that actively engage with their customers.
Reply to ALL reviews: Showing that you’re engaged with your customers helps build trust and signals to Google that your business is active and relevant.
Encourage more reviews: Reach out to satisfied customers and encourage them to leave reviews on Google.
*Pro Tip: Develop a consistent review management strategy. Encourage happy customers to leave feedback, and promptly address any negative reviews by offering solutions. This not only improves customer satisfaction but also boosts your ranking in local searches.
6. Lack of Website Local SEO Optimization
Even if your GBP is fully optimized, failing to focus on your website’s local SEO could affect your overall visibility. On-page SEO and mobile optimization play significant roles in supporting your GBP’s performance.
Optimize Local Landing Pages:
Each location should have its own dedicated landing page with localized content, keywords, and structured data (Schema Markup) to help Google understand the relevance of your site to local search queries.
Mobile Optimization:
Most local searches are performed on mobile devices, so make sure your website is fast and mobile-friendly. A site that loads slowly can hurt both user experience and search rankings.
*Pro Tip: Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool to assess your website’s mobile performance. Make necessary improvements to page speed and ensure all critical information (address, phone, services) is easily accessible on mobile.
7. Incorrect or Inconsistent Citations
Citations are mentions of your business name, address, and phone number across the web.
Claim Citations on High-Authority Platforms:
Apart from Google Business Profile, make sure to claim and optimize your citations on major platforms such as Facebook, Bing, Foursquare, TripAdvisor. Industry-specific directories can also contribute to improving your local rankings, as search engines view your presence across multiple platforms as a sign of credibility.
Regular Audits for Accuracy:
Citations can get outdated if your business details change, such as moving to a new location or getting a new phone number. Conduct regular audits to ensure that all citations reflect your most up-to-date information. Citations that are incorrect or missing can lower your business’s visibility, so managing them regularly is key.
*Pro Tip: Prioritize local citation building on high-authority directories that are relevant to your industry. Look for niche directories specific to your business type (e.g., restaurant, retail, healthcare), and always ensure your business information is uniform across these platforms.
How PinMeTo Can Help
PinMeTo helps brands with multiple locations maintain a strong online presence by centralizing the management of critical business information across all major platforms like Google, Bing, and Apple Maps as well as directories. Whether it’s managing reviews, updating business hours, or correcting address details, PinMeTo streamlines Local SEO, making it easier for brands to achieve higher visibility across all locations without the hassle of manual updates on multiple platforms.
To Sum Up
If your business isn’t showing up on Google Maps, it's crucial to review the most common reasons, like incomplete profiles, guideline violations, and proximity issues - and take action. By optimizing your Google Business Profile, managing reviews, and ensuring consistency in citations and website SEO, you can regain your visibility and start attracting more local customers.
Lily Adamyan, October 24
