Why isn’t my business showing up on Google Maps?

Step 1: search the way a customer would

Google suggests searching for your business’s name and city on Google Maps or Search. Do it on your phone in a private window too, so you see what a stranger sees rather than what your own account shows.

If you appear for your name, your profile is live: skip to the section on ranking. If you don’t appear even for your exact name, work through the next steps in order.

Not verified yet

Google says only verified businesses can show their business information on Maps and Search. Open your profile and check whether verification is complete. If it isn’t, finish it from your Business Profile; Google’s help page on adding or claiming a profile walks through the methods.

Recent changes or a brand-new profile

Google says edits can take up to 3 days to appear, and that a new business can take up to a month to show up in search results. If you just verified or changed your name, address or category, give it that time before making more changes.

Suspended or disabled

Google says a profile that breaks its guidelines can be disabled or suspended, and won’t show to other users until the issue is resolved. Notices go to the Google Account that manages the profile, so check that inbox, including spam.

To fix it, first correct whatever breaks the guidelines, then use Google’s Business Profile appeals tool, where you can see the reason and upload evidence such as a business license, registration, tax certificate or a utility bill showing your business name and address. Two warnings from Google: don’t create a new profile for the same business, and appeals can only be submitted once, so make the first one complete.

A duplicate profile

Google says a profile considered a duplicate won’t show on Search or Maps. That can happen when a verified profile already exists for the same business, for example one an old employee or agency created.

If you created the duplicate yourself, remove it from your account; that doesn’t affect your verified profile. If two listings for your business appear on Maps, you can ask Google to merge them by suggesting an edit: reviews are combined, though replies may be lost. If someone else owns your verified profile, request ownership; Google gives the current owner 3 days to respond.

Address and name problems

Google’s guidelines are strict about where and how a business is listed:

• P.O. boxes and mailboxes at remote locations aren’t acceptable addresses.
• A rented mailing address where you don’t operate (a virtual office) isn’t eligible for a profile, and an office in a co-working space needs clear signage.
• If you serve customers at their location, hide your address and set a service area. Google asks this of service-area businesses, and it doesn’t stop you from appearing.
• Keep extra words out of your business name. Google says including unnecessary information in the name isn’t permitted and can lead to suspension.

You show up for your name, but not for “near me” searches

Then your profile isn’t missing; it’s ranking low. Google says local results are based mainly on relevance, distance and prominence. You can’t change distance, but you can improve the other two: the most specific primary category, every service listed, accurate hours, real photos, steady reviews from real customers, and a website your profile links to.

Our Google Maps checklist goes through each step.

Still stuck

Google has a troubleshooter for profiles that don’t appear, and its help center lets you contact support. Keep screenshots of what you see and the dates you made changes; they make the conversation faster.

A five-minute check you can do today

Run it in order and stop at the first “no”.