Why isn't my business showing on Google or Google Maps?

Start here: work out what is actually missing

"Not showing on Google" can mean three very different things, and owners often mix them up. Before you change anything, run these three searches on your phone, ideally on mobile data rather than your office wifi:

1. Your exact business name plus your town, for example "Harbour Dental Galway". This tests whether your Business Profile (the box with your map pin, hours and reviews) exists and is public.
2. What you do plus your town, for example "dentist Galway" or "emergency plumber Leeds". This tests whether you rank, which is a different problem from being missing.
3. site:yourdomain.com (your real domain, no spaces). This tests whether Google has your website in its index at all. Google notes that this search may not list every page, but if it returns nothing, your site is not indexed.

Now match what you saw to the table.

Searching while signed in to the account that manages your profile can show you things the public doesn't see. Repeat the name search signed out, or ask a friend to search for you.

Case 1: there is no profile, or it isn't verified

Google's troubleshooting page is blunt about this: "Only verified businesses can show their business info on Maps and Search." If you never created a Business Profile, or created one and never finished verification, this is your answer.

First check that you are eligible

Google's eligibility rules say a business "must make in-person contact with customers during its stated hours." In practice that means one of two set-ups:

• A location customers visit (a shop, clinic, office or workshop) with permanent signage and staff during opening hours.
• A service-area business that travels to customers, such as a plumber, electrician or mobile dog groomer. You can run it from home, but you hide the address and list the areas you serve.

Google lists these as not eligible: online-only businesses (including brands and artists with no in-person service), rental or for-sale properties such as holiday homes, lead generation companies, and a class or meeting held at a place you don't own or represent. A virtual office (a mailing address where you don't actually work) is not eligible, and neither is a PO box. A desk in a coworking space only qualifies if it has clear signage, receives customers during your hours and is staffed by your own people.

If your business is online only, a Business Profile is not an option. Your route onto Google is your website, covered in Case 5.

Then finish verification

Google offers several verification methods, and it chooses which ones you see. You cannot pick freely.

Two rules save a lot of grief. While a postcard is on its way, don't edit your business name, address or category, because that can cancel the code. And don't request a new code, because that cancels the one already in the post. After you complete verification, Google says reviews take up to 5 business days, occasionally longer.

If your video was rejected, Google shows a "Review issues" message. Record a new video that includes everything from the first one plus whatever was missing.

Case 2: verified, but still not showing

This is the most frustrating case, and usually the most fixable. Work through these in order.

1. Give it time. Google says rankings for new businesses "can take up to a month to appear in search results." Ordinary edits can take up to 3 days to appear, and Google's edits page says some reviews take up to 30 days.
2. Look for a status message in your profile. Open your profile on Google Search or in the Maps app while signed in. A "Get verified" button that has come back means Google could not fully verify you. "Not publicly visible" means customers can't see the profile yet. A message about a pending edit means the old details are still public.
3. Check you haven't changed something big. Changing your name or moving address after verification can mean you have to verify again. Google may also ask for more information when key details were recently updated.
4. Check you are searching from the right place. Searching "plumber" from another town will not show a plumber who is 40 km away. Local results depend heavily on where the searcher is. Search your name and town first.
5. Check the address and pin. If the pin sits on the wrong street, or the address is incomplete, Google may struggle to match you. You can move the pin in the address settings.

If none of these explain it after a week or two, check whether the profile has been disabled or suspended (next section).

Case 3: suspended, marked closed or duplicated

Google says a profile that breaks its guidelines "becomes disabled or suspended and won't show to other users on Google until you resolve the issue." Google normally sends a notice to the account that manages the profile, so check the inbox of that account, including spam and promotions folders.

Common triggers are keywords added to the business name, a virtual office address, a service-area business showing a home address, or a duplicate profile for the same location. The full reinstatement process, including what evidence to gather and the one-shot appeal, is in our guide to getting a suspended Google Business Profile back. The short version: fix the cause first, do not create a new profile, and only then appeal.

Two other situations look like a missing listing but are not suspensions:

• "Permanently closed" or a wrong address. Anyone can suggest edits to a listing, and Google can apply them if it believes they are accurate. You get a notification and an alert in the Edit profile section. Correct the details and keep them consistent with your website.
• A duplicate. An old listing from a previous owner, a previous address or a staff member's attempt can split your reviews and confuse Google. Google's rule is one profile per location. Report the extra one with "Suggest an edit" and say it duplicates your main listing, or remove it if you manage it (after checking it isn't the one holding your reviews).

Case 4: it shows for your name, but not for what you do

If customers can find you by name, your profile is not missing. It simply isn't ranking for the searches that bring new customers. Google says local results depend mainly on three things: relevance (how well your profile matches the search), distance (how far you are from the searcher) and prominence (how well known you are, including how many websites link to you and how many reviews you have).

The quick checks:

• Is your primary category the most specific one that fits? "Family law attorney" or "Solicitor" beats a generic "Lawyer" if that is what you do. Categories should finish the sentence "This business IS a".
• Are your services listed, and does your website have a page for each main service?
• Are you searching from close to your address? A business 20 minutes away will rarely appear in a "near me" search.
• How do your reviews compare with the three businesses that do appear?

Improving rank is a project of its own, and paying Google does not help: Google states "There's no way to request or pay for a better local ranking." Our guide on how to rank higher on Google Maps covers it step by step.

Case 5: your website isn't showing on Google

Your Business Profile and your website are separate things. The profile can be live while the website is invisible, or the other way round. If the site: search returned nothing, check these causes, most common first.

Set up Google Search Console. It is free and it is Google's own tool for website owners. Go to Search Console, add your domain, and verify it (your domain registrar or website builder usually has a one-click option). Then paste your home page address into the URL Inspection box at the top. It tells you whether the page is on Google, and if not, why. Click "Request indexing" for your home page and your main service pages. Submitting a sitemap (most builders create one at yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml) helps Google find the rest.

The 15-minute check, in order

1. Search your name and town, signed out. Note whether the profile appears on Search and on Maps.
2. Sign in to the Google account that manages the profile. Search "my business" on Google, or tap Business in the Maps app, and read any status message.
3. Check that account's inbox and spam folder for messages from Google about verification, edits or suspension.
4. Confirm your address, pin, phone number, website and hours are correct, and match your website exactly.
5. Search the name of your service plus your town, from near your address. Note who appears and how many reviews they have.
6. Run the site: search for your domain. If nothing appears, open Search Console and inspect your home page.
7. Write down the date and what you found. If you make a fix, give it the time Google states (3 days for edits, up to a month for a new profile to rank) before changing anything else.

This is the same order our free visibility check follows. If you want a second pair of eyes, send us your business name and we will tell you which case you are in.

Questions