Are you one of those who asked, “Why my business not showing in Google Maps?” You are not alone. Many businesses need help to appear on Google Maps as new algorithms target local search queries.

Google’s algorithms for local search have recently been updated. Unfortunately, with this change, many businesses find their listings removed from the map, reducing their ranking significantly. This can have a huge effect on the visibility of the business and its ability to attract new customers.

Only some people realize that it takes more than just creating a nice website or creating a Google Business Profile to get your business listed in Google Maps search results. In this article, we’ll look at some common reasons businesses may need to be added to Google Maps and cover solutions you can use to fix them.

Guide Questions to Why My Business Not Showing in Google Maps

Occasionally, Google Maps may not list your business due to various factors. The first could be an issue with the way you’ve registered your business in Google Business Profile.

Did You Enlist Your Business as a Service Area Business?

It is important for businesses that operate in a service area to ensure that their Google Business Profile do not display their address. This is because such businesses go out to meet customers rather than having customers come to them. If the address of the business is displayed on the profile, it could lead to the suspension of the profile by Google.

If you are categorized as a Service Area Business (SAB) and don’t serve customers from your address, you won’t get a pin on Google Maps. However, you can still appear amongst other local businesses on Google Search. You’ll need to add your business to your Google Business Profile.

Accessing the management page in Google Business Profile and adding your address in the profile information section will make this process easy.

Do You Think Your Site Needs to be Authoritative Enough?

The key to improving ranking authority lies in building your business’s reputation and presence in its local market. This means business owners should create relevant content for their target audience, engage with customers through social media, and optimize their websites for SEO. Additionally, it would be best to focus on building relationships with other local businesses and organizations to increase your reach and credibility. By taking these steps, you can create a strong foundation for increasing your ranking authority and ultimately improving your SERP rankings.

Has Your Google Business Profile Been Suspended?

When a business’s GBP-verified listing is suspended, its online presence can have serious consequences. Not only will they lose out on potential customers searching for them on Google Maps or other search engines, but they will also miss out on the chance to interact with customers and respond to reviews. To get their GBP listing reinstated, businesses must read through Google’s guidelines carefully and make any necessary changes before contacting Google support directly. Once these steps have been taken, the business should be able to get its listing back up and running in no time.

Why Google Suspends Google Business Profiles?

Here are the ways why a variety of reasons that can cause Google Business Profile suspensions.

You Are Sharing an Office Space

Sharing office space with other companies can be a great way to save money and resources, but it can also cause problems regarding GBPs. Google does condone having more than one profile at the same address; if multiple profiles are at that address, they are likely to be suspended. Fortunately, this problem can be easily secured in most cases by adding a suite number to the physical business address. This helps Google recognize you are a separate company from those around you, allowing them to approve your profile.

You Changed Your Business Address

When a business changes its address, it is important to update the information on its Google account. If the new address does not match the one listed on the profile, Google may suspend the account until it is updated. This can be done quickly and easily by updating the address and requesting a new, instant verification code via postcard. However, this process can take up to 14 days, so it is important to plan to minimize any disruption to your company.

A Service Area Business with an Address

If a service area business’s profile is suspended due to displaying a physical address, it is usually a soft suspension and easy to address. The business can contact Google and explain why they need to show an address on their profile and request for the suspension to be lifted. It is also important for businesses in this category to follow all other guidelines Google for Business Profiles set to avoid any further issues with their profiles.

Did Google Verify Your Business?

Verifying your Google Business Profile is important in ensuring your business appears on Google Maps. Without a bulk verification process, your profile will not show up on the map, regardless of how much competition there is in the area. You must provide proof of ownership or authorization to manage the listing to verify your profile. This can be done by providing a valid phone number or website URL associated with the business.

Have You Got a New Address?

When a business relocates, it is important to keep up with the changing of their address on Google Business Profile. Without actively managing their Google Business Profile listing, businesses can easily fall off Google Maps search results when moving.

When Google discovers a business has changed locations without any indication that it is moving, the standard response is to suspend its Google Business Profile listing.

Have You Checked If You’ve Got Duplicated Listings?

Having duplicate Google Business Profile listings can be a major problem for businesses. It sends conflicting signals to Google about your business, leading to clarity and higher rankings in search results. For example, if your business has moved physical locations, but you still need to close down the old listing, or if you accidentally created a new Google Business Profile listing when you already had one, then Google will not know which listing is correct.

Did You Include Keywords in Your Business Name Field?

Having keywords in your business name can be a great way to boost your online visibility and help you rank higher in Google’s algorithm. This is because the words in your business name are given a lot of weight when ranking. Therefore, having a keyword-optimized business name will give you an advantage over competitors who don’t have specific keywords in their profiles. However, it is important to follow Google’s guidelines and not keyword-stuff your business name or risk having your account suspended.

Did You Utilize Google Categories?

Google allows you to add up to 10 business categories to your profile, so it’s important to take advantage of this feature. There are thousands of categories available, and each one will give Google more information that helps them rank you higher in organic search results. Of course, it’s optional to use all ten. But the more you use it, and the more visible your Google Business Profile will be. When selecting categories, make sure they accurately reflect your business and that your primary category tags are the ones that describe your overall business most accurately. Selecting the right categories can significantly affect your business entity’s visibility on Google Maps.

Is Your Physical Business Location Far From the Actual Business?

However, if you’re too far from your business’ geographic location, your profile is unlikely to appear in the organic search results. This can be especially problematic for businesses with multiple locations or those located in rural areas.

Does Your Business Have NAP Citations?

Many businesses need more NAP citations to make a real impact on their SEO campaign efforts. The best way to acquire more business NAP citations is by submitting your business information edits to high-quality online directories. Additionally, services like BrightLocal’s Citation Builder can help you create the exact business citations you need quickly and easily. By taking advantage of these resources, brick-and-mortar businesses can ensure they have enough NAP citations to maximize their SEO potential.

Do You Think You Have the Wrong Business Category?

When choosing the right business categories for your Google Business Profile listing, it is important to make sure that you are selecting the most accurate ones. If you choose the right categories, your business will appear in search results, and you can reach potential customers. The first category should always match your business displays as closely as possible, but if a second one makes sense and matches your business, too, it can be beneficial to include it. However, only add a second category to have two because this could hurt your ranking in the long run.

Do You Have Spammy Reviews?

Fake or spammy reviews can be a major problem for businesses relying on their listing to attract satisfied customers. Fake reviews are often left by people who have never even visited the business and can quickly damage a company’s reputation. Not only do these customer reviews make it difficult for potential customers to trust the business, but they can also lead to Google penalizing the business by not displaying its listing in Google Maps.

To End

It is important to ensure that your business information complies with the guidelines set by Google. Please do so to avoid unexpected changes to your information or even removing your business information. Have you found some issues with your business listing? ITD Web Design offers SEO services. Give us a call so our professional team can help you resolve them.