Why Isn't My Business Showing on Google Maps? 12 Causes and Fixes
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If your business is not showing on Google Maps, first check whether it is missing entirely or just ranking lower than you would like. A business that cannot be found even by searching its exact name usually has a profile problem: it is unverified, suspended, duplicated or was never created. A business that appears for its name but not for searches like "electrician Brunswick" has a ranking problem, which comes down to relevance, distance and prominence. For relevance, check your business categories against the services customers search for.
This guide works through 12 common causes in that order, from the quickest checks to the slowest fixes.
Step 1: Missing or just ranking low?
Search Google Maps for your exact business name, then for your main service plus your suburb.
Result | Likely problem | Go to |
Not found by exact name | The profile doesn't exist, isn't verified, or has been suspended or merged | Causes 1 to 4 |
Found by name, not for your service | Relevance or prominence | Causes 5 to 11 |
Found nearby, not further away | Distance | Cause 12 |
Search from where your customers are, not only from your own premises. Map results change with the searcher's location, so a business can show well in one suburb and not at all a few kilometres away.
Profile problems
1. The profile was never verified
Google requires verification before you can manage a profile, and an unverified business may not show fully. Google chooses the verification method it offers you: video, a live video call, phone or text, email or a postcard. It says it reviews submissions within up to five business days, and postcards usually arrive within 14 days and expire after 30 (Google verification help).
Fix: Sign in to your Business Profile and look for a "Get verified" prompt. If one method fails, try another that Google offers.
2. The profile has been suspended or restricted
Profiles can be suspended or restricted for breaking Google's guidelines. Common triggers include extra keywords in the business name, an ineligible address and fake reviews. Google says it emails owners before it applies a restriction for fake engagement, and owners can appeal through its review submission form (Business Profile restrictions).
Fix: Check your email and the profile dashboard for notices. Correct the issue first, then appeal with evidence such as business registration, signage or invoices.
3. There are duplicate listings
Google's guidelines say there should be only one profile per business (Guidelines for representing your business). Duplicates, often created by a previous owner, an old address or an automated directory, can split reviews and confuse Google.
Fix: Search for variations of your name and old addresses. Claim the duplicates you can and ask Google to merge or remove them.
4. The address or service area breaks the rules
PO boxes and virtual offices are not eligible business addresses. Service-area businesses that visit customers, such as most tradies, should hide their address and list a service area, which Google says should generally not extend beyond about two hours' drive from your base.
Fix: Use a real address where you operate, or hide it and set accurate service areas.
Relevance problems
5. The wrong primary category
Your primary category is one of the strongest signals of what your business is. A plumber listed under "Contractor", or a physiotherapist under "Health consultant", is competing for the wrong searches. Google advises choosing the fewest, most specific categories that describe your core business.
Fix: Search for your top competitors on Maps, note their categories and choose the most specific one that is genuinely true for you.
6. Thin services, description and details
Google says complete and accurate information helps your profile match searches (How to improve your local ranking). Empty services, missing hours and a one-line description give it little to work with.
Fix: List each service with a short description, add accurate hours, attributes and photos, and write a plain description of what you do and where.
7. Your website doesn't back up your profile
If your profile says "electrician" but your website barely mentions the services you want to rank for, or the business name and phone number differ, the signals conflict.
Fix: Make sure your website has pages for your main services, mentions the areas you serve, and shows the same name, phone number and address or service area as your profile.
8. A keyword-stuffed business name
Adding keywords such as "Melbourne's Best Emergency Plumber" to your business name breaks Google's guidelines, which say the name must reflect your real-world name. Competitors can report it, and it can lead to suspension.
Fix: Use the name on your signage, vehicles and invoices.
Prominence problems
9. Few or old reviews
Google lists the number and rating of reviews as part of prominence. A profile with three reviews from 2022 looks inactive next to one with a steady flow of recent reviews.
Fix: Ask every satisfied customer for a review, with a direct link, soon after the job. Never buy reviews or offer incentives: both Google's policies and the ACCC treat this as misleading.
10. Little presence elsewhere on the web
Google also considers links from other websites and how well known a business is. A business with no directory listings, no local links and no mentions is harder to rank.
Fix: List your business consistently on reputable directories and industry associations, and look for genuine local mentions such as suppliers, sponsors or community groups.
11. An inactive profile
Google does not say that posting on your profile improves rankings. Even so, a profile with current photos, up-to-date hours and answered reviews is more useful to customers, and outdated details are a common reason customers skip a listing.
Fix: Add photos of recent work, check your hours before public holidays and reply to reviews.
What you can't change
12. Distance from the searcher
Google uses distance between the searcher and the business as a core factor. A business based in Footscray will rarely appear in the map results for someone searching from Frankston, however strong the profile.
Fix: Accept that map visibility is strongest near your base. Reach further with service and suburb pages on your website, which appear in the ordinary search results below the map. Google also states there is no way to pay for a better local ranking; Google Ads is a separate, paid placement.
What to do this week
Search for your business by name and by service plus suburb, from a customer's location.
Check the profile is verified and has no suspension notice.
Fix the business name, address or service area if they break the guidelines.
Review your primary category against competitors.
Complete services, hours, description and photos.
Send your review link to your last five happy customers.
Next step
If you would rather have the profile set up and kept active for you, see Morphic's Google Business Profile set-up and management, or get a free quote.
Related services: Google Business Profile optimisation in Deer Park and local SEO for Melbourne businesses.
Related reading: How to Rank on Google Maps: Getting Into the Top 3 in Melbourne, How to Set Up a Google Business Profile and Get on Google Maps (Australia) and Google Business Profile Suspended? What Australian Businesses Should Do.
Key Takeaways
Search your exact business name first: if you can't find it, the problem is the profile itself, not its ranking.
Unverified, suspended or duplicate profiles and ineligible addresses can stop a business appearing at all.
Your primary category, services, description and website content decide which searches you are relevant for.
Reviews and mentions across the web build prominence; buying or incentivising reviews breaks Google's rules.
Distance from the searcher is a core factor you can't change, so use suburb pages on your website to reach further.
Emon Datta
Founder, Morphic Agency
Morphic Agency is a Melbourne-based UX design agency. We've shipped 50+ products across 15+ countries.
