Why Isn’t My Business Showing Up on Google?

Google has been a “participation required” placement for companies that want their potential and existing customers to find them. Not being found on Google is frustrating and affects your overall visibility.

Some common reasons your business is not appearing on Google with some fixes:

• Your Google Business Profile is not verified or has other issues.

To appear in Google searches and maps, your Profile must be verified.  Why?  The verification confirms that you are a legitimate business.  Log in to your account, request verification, and follow the prompts provided by Google.  

Other issues- we won’t go into detail here- could be suspension, duplicate listings, inconsistent information, and so many other reasons.

• Incomplete or Incorrect Business Information

Google prioritizes profiles that are complete and accurate.  If you are missing information or it’s incorrect, Google may not display your information.  Ensure you have the basic information up to date: Name, Address, Phone, website, and operating hours are a good start.

• Lack of Location Authority

Google uses various ways to determine business relevance.  If your business is new or needs more authority in a particular area, Google won’t rank you well.  Building authority does take time and patience and requires some effort on your part. 

• Your Business Category is Too Broad

Choosing the correct category for your business is crucial; if it’s too broad or, on the other end of the spectrum, too specific, your business may not appear in relevant search results.  Update your profile to include specific categories that accurately describe your products or services.

• Your Website Has SEO Issues

If your website has technical issues, it can affect your visibility on Google. Common problems we see: slow load times, broken links, lack of user-friendliness, and not being updated for extended periods.  Have an SEO audit conducted to identify and correct those issues, ensuring your website is optimized for search engines and your users.

• You’re in a Competitive Market

Established businesses may outrank you in your industry on Google search results, and new sites might outrank your long-standing business.  It will depend on whether your Google Business Profile is optimized, whether you are creating local engaging content, or whether you are using local SEO strategies to improve your ranking.

• Your Business is Not in the Google Local Pack

Google shows a limited number of businesses in the local pack for a specific location. If you are not in this pack, you may not appear in local searches.  Ensure your Google Business Profile is fully optimized, gather reviews, and use local SEO to boost your chances of being displayed.  

As you read this, you’ll see there are many reasons you’re not showing up on Google.  There are a lot of things that need to be done to be seen on Google, and it is an ongoing effort to stay there once you have been ‘seen’.  

If you would like a Local SEO audit of your website or online presence, please reach out to us. We can let you know what it entails and what your options would be once you receive the audit results.