In the world of digital marketing, several key terms play a crucial role in determining your business’s visibility, especially on platforms like Google Maps. Google My Business (GMB) is one such term—it refers to the free tool that enables businesses to manage their online presence across Google, including Search and Maps. Another important concept is NAP consistency, which stands for Name, Address, and Phone number uniformity across all online listings. Lastly, local SEO encompasses strategies aimed at improving your business’s search visibility for location-specific queries.

So, why isn’t your business showing up on Google Maps? The answer typically lies in a combination of these factors. Errors in your GMB profile, lack of consistent business information, or poor optimisation for local SEO can prevent your business from appearing. By addressing these issues, you can significantly enhance your visibility and ensure potential customers can easily find you.

At Kick Media, we understand the intricacies of local SEO and how to optimise your business so it performs well on Google Maps. Whether you’re a new business trying to establish a presence or a long-standing company with visibility issues, we’re here to help. In this blog, we’ll break down common problems and practical solutions to help your business thrive on Google Maps.

Understanding Why Your Business Isn’t Appearing on Google Maps and How to Fix It

1. Incorrect Business Information

One of the most frequent reasons for not showing up on Google Maps is incorrect business information. This could include errors in your business name, address, or phone number. Google relies on these details to list your business correctly and if there are inconsistencies, it can confuse the algorithm.

Consistency in your NAP (Name, Address, Phone) across all platforms is critical. If your business is listed with different information on various sites, search engines will have difficulty recognising your business as legitimate. Ensure that your NAP details are uniform on your Google My Business (GMB) profile, website and across all other online listings.

Tips for ensuring correct information:

Regularly update your GMB profile with the latest business details.
Double-check that your NAP is consistent across all platforms.
Use exact match information on all directories and listings.

2. Business Not Verified on Google My Business (GMB)

To appear on Google Maps, your business needs to be verified on Google My Business (GMB). Without verification, Google won’t trust that your business is real or operational, meaning it won’t display your location on the map.

The GMB verification process is simple: Google will send a postcard to your business address with a code. Once you receive this, you can input the code to complete the verification. After verification, it’s important to keep your GMB profile up-to-date with accurate business hours, contact details and posts to engage your audience.

Steps to verify your business:

Sign up for a Google My Business account.
Request a verification postcard to be sent to your business address.
Enter the code once received to finalise the verification.

3. Lack of Location-Specific Keywords

Google Maps visibility also depends heavily on location-specific keywords. If your business description or website content lacks these keywords, it will struggle to rank well in local searches. Including your city, suburb, or other relevant locations in your business description and services will help your business appear when people search for services in your area.

For example, instead of just saying “plumbing services,” you could optimise this by stating “plumbing services in Brisbane” to target local searches.

Simple keyword research tips:

Use tools like Google Keyword Planner to identify relevant location-based keywords.
Add your city or suburb to your service descriptions.
Ensure that these keywords are natural and flow within your content.

4. No Google Reviews or Poor Reviews

Google reviews play a significant role in both local SEO and Google Maps visibility. Businesses with numerous positive reviews are seen as more trustworthy by Google and are more likely to appear higher on the map. Conversely, businesses with few or negative reviews may be ranked lower or not show up at all.

It’s important to encourage your customers to leave positive reviews and engage with them by responding to feedback, both good and bad. Handling negative reviews professionally can also boost your reputation by showing you care about customer satisfaction.

How to manage reviews effectively?

Politely request satisfied customers to leave reviews.
Respond to negative feedback in a professional and constructive manner.
Consistently monitor your GMB profile for new reviews and engage with them.

5. Not Listing the Business in Correct Categories

Choosing the right category for your business in GMB is essential for appearing in relevant searches on Google Maps. If you choose a category that doesn’t accurately reflect your services, it will reduce your visibility and confuse potential customers.

When selecting categories, think about what your business offers and what customers would search for. It’s often better to select more specific categories rather than broad ones. For example, if you’re a café, instead of choosing “restaurant,” opt for “café” or “coffee shop.”

Tips for choosing the right categories:

Select primary and secondary categories that align closely with your services.
Avoid being too broad with category selection.
Update your categories if your business evolves or adds new services.

6. Suspended Google My Business Listing

A suspended GMB listing can completely remove your business from Google Maps. Suspensions often occur due to violating Google’s guidelines, such as using a virtual office as your business address or not adhering to GMB’s policies.

If your GMB listing is suspended, you will need to address the issue and submit a reinstatement request. Make sure to correct any violations before submitting your request to prevent further suspensions.

How to avoid GMB suspensions?

Always use a real business address (no P.O. boxes or virtual offices).
Follow Google’s guidelines for business listings carefully.
Regularly review your GMB profile to ensure it complies with Google’s policies.

7. No Backlinks or Local Citations

Backlinks from reputable sites and local citations can significantly boost your visibility on Google Maps. Google views backlinks as a sign of trust, meaning businesses with more quality backlinks tend to rank higher. Local citations – mentions of your business on directories, websites and social platforms – also contribute to your business’s authority and local SEO.

To build these, consider submitting your business to local directories and forming partnerships with reputable websites to gain backlinks.

Ways to build quality backlinks:

Submit your business to local directories.
Network with local businesses for cross-promotion and backlinks.
Regularly update your website with high-quality content to attract backlinks.

How Kick Media Can Help Your Business Dominate Google Maps Visibility

Addressing these common issues is essential to improving your business’s Google Maps presence. With the right approach to optimising your GMB profile, fixing inaccuracies, encouraging positive reviews and building backlinks, you can ensure your business stands out in local searches.

Kick Media specialises in tailored local SEO strategies that tackle these challenges head-on, helping businesses like yours gain the visibility they deserve on Google Maps. If you’re struggling to show up on Google Maps or just want to improve your local search performance, don’t hesitate to reach out to us for expert guidance and support. Let us help you stay ahead of the competition and grow your local customer base.