WHY IS MY BUSINESS NOT SHOWING UP ON GOOGLE?

At Lillian Purge, we specialise in Local SEO Services and have developed a troubleshooting guide for Why is my Business Not Showing Up On Google, helping you resolve common visibility issues and claim your rightful place in search.

When I speak to business owners about local visibility one of the most common frustrations I hear is this. My business is not showing up on Google. In my opinion this problem is more common than people realise because there are multiple reasons a business may fail to appear in Google Search or Google Maps. Sometimes the issue is technical. Sometimes it is related to verification. Sometimes it is local SEO. Sometimes Google is simply not confident enough to display your listing yet.

Below is a clear, practical guide that explains the most common reasons why your business might not be appearing on Google and what you can do to fix each issue.

1. Your Google Business Profile is not verified

This is the number one reason new businesses do not show on Google Maps.

Google does not display profiles publicly until ownership is verified.

How to fix it

  • Log in to your Google Business Profile

  • If you see a message saying Verify now follow the instructions

  • Verification might be through postcard, phone, video call or document upload

  • Once verified your profile should begin appearing within a few days

In my experience if your business is unverified you will remain invisible no matter how good your SEO is.

2. Your profile has been suspended or flagged

Google may suspend or limit your profile if it detects issues such as incorrect information, prohibited business types, duplicate listings or guideline violations.

Signs of suspension

  • You cannot edit your profile

  • Your listing disappears completely

  • You see a notice saying Profile suspended or Access limited

How to fix it

  • Review Google’s guidelines

  • Fix any incorrect details

  • Submit a reinstatement request

  • Provide proof such as invoices, signage or business registration

Suspensions are becoming more common but they can be resolved with correct evidence.

3. Your business is too new

Google needs time to crawl your website, trust your information and index your listing.

In my opinion new businesses often expect instant visibility but Google can take days or even weeks to recognise a new brand.

How to fix it

  • Make sure your Google Business Profile is complete

  • Publish fresh content on your website

  • Build citations on reputable directories

  • Add photos to your profile

  • Ask for your first reviews

This helps Google trust your business faster.

4. Your location is outside your service area radius

If you are a service area business such as a plumber, electrician or mobile business you may not appear in towns that are too far from your primary location.

Google limits how far you appear based on:

  • proximity

  • competition

  • searcher intent

  • how established your business is

How to fix it

  • Ensure your service area is set correctly

  • Strengthen your profile with more reviews and posts

  • Improve local landing pages on your website

  • Target realistic locations based on competition

I believe many businesses overestimate how far they can rank. Google prefers local providers close to the searcher.

5. Your business address is hidden

If you operate from home and choose to hide your address your profile can still appear, but visibility is usually softer.

Google has less location data which reduces confidence in your listing.

How to fix it

  • Make sure your service area is correct

  • Strengthen other trust signals such as reviews

  • Create strong local landing pages

  • Add consistent citations with your service area

If you can use a proper commercial address or virtual office that meets guidelines this often improves visibility significantly.

6. Your categories are incorrect or incomplete

Your primary category is one of the most important ranking factors. If it is wrong you will not appear for the right searches.

How to fix it

  • Go to Google Business Profile

  • Edit profile

  • Add the most accurate primary category

  • Add secondary categories that support your services

For example:

  • Solicitor

  • Conveyancer

  • Divorce lawyer

Category accuracy can change everything.

7. Your profile is missing essential information

If your profile is incomplete Google is less likely to show it.

Common missing items:

  • opening hours

  • business description

  • services

  • website link

  • phone number

Google prefers complete profiles because they offer better user experience.

How to fix it

Fill everything in. Every field matters.

8. Your phone number looks untrustworthy

Mobile only numbers sometimes reduce visibility because they are also used by spam or temporary listings. Google prefers geographic landline numbers because they match local signals.

In my opinion switching to a virtual landline with your correct area code strengthens your trustworthiness and can improve map visibility.

9. You do not have enough local reviews

Reviews are one of the strongest ranking factors in the local map pack. If your competitors have dozens and you have zero you will not appear.

How to fix it

  • Ask recent customers for reviews

  • Send them your review link

  • Reply to every review

  • Keep your review activity consistent

Google rewards businesses with steady, authentic feedback.

10. Your website has SEO issues

Google checks your website to understand your location and services. If your SEO is weak your map visibility drops.

Common problems:

  • slow loading pages

  • no local landing pages

  • missing location keywords

  • thin content

  • no internal linking

  • no schema markup

How to fix it

  • Create pages for each service

  • Create pages for each location

  • Add your business name, address and phone number to every page

  • Improve site speed

  • Strengthen content and structure

In my experience your website and your Google Business Profile work together to boost or weaken each other.

11. Your business name violates guidelines

If your business name contains keywords that are not part of your registered name Google may penalise your listing.

For example:

Correct: Smith & Co Plumbing
Incorrect: Best Bedford Plumber Cheap Prices

Keyword stuffing can cause ranking suppression or suspension.

How to fix it

Use your real legal business name only.

12. You have duplicate listings

If Google finds more than one listing for the same business it may suppress all of them until the issue is fixed.

How to fix it

  • Search your business name on Maps

  • Look for duplicates

  • Claim them and remove or merge

Consolidating your listings helps Google trust the correct one.

13. You are in a highly competitive industry

Some industries are extremely saturated such as:

  • solicitors

  • plumbers

  • electricians

  • locksmiths

  • estate agents

  • roofers

If you are new you may not appear until your reviews, content and trust signals strengthen.

How to fix it

  • Post on your profile weekly

  • Add photos

  • Get reviews

  • Improve your website

  • Build local backlinks

  • Strengthen your categories and services

Consistency wins in competitive sectors.

14. Your service area is too broad

Many businesses set service areas covering entire counties. Google ignores this. You will not rank far outside your primary location.

How to fix it

Keep your service area realistic and geographically tight. Focus on ranking well in your immediate area first.

15. Google has not indexed your website yet

If your website is new or has technical problems Google may not have crawled or indexed it. This reduces trust in your Google Business Profile.

How to fix it

  • Submit your URL in Google Search Console

  • Fix indexing issues

  • Strengthen internal linking

  • Add new content

Indexing is essential for visibility.

16. Your business does not meet Google’s eligibility criteria

Some business types are not allowed on Google Maps unless they meet strict rules. For example service area businesses must serve customers at their location or theirs.

How to fix it

Check Google’s eligibility rules to ensure your business type is allowed. If not you will not appear.

Bringing Everything Together

When I look at all the reasons a business might not appear on Google the pattern is clear. Google shows businesses it trusts. If your profile is incomplete, unverified, inconsistent or weak in SEO you will not appear. If your reviews are low, your categories are wrong or your location signals are unclear Google does not feel confident enough to show you in the local map pack.

The good news is that every one of these problems has a fix. Once you correct your profile, improve your website, build reviews and strengthen your local signals your visibility almost always improves.

If you want your business to appear where local customers are searching, get in touch today.

We have also written in depth articles on What is Google My Business and how much data would google maps use as well as our Google My Business Hub to give you further guidance.