Why Isn't My Business Showing Up on Google Maps?

How Google decides who shows up

Google says local results are based mainly on three things: relevance (how well your listing matches the search), distance (how far you are from the person searching), and prominence (how well known your business is, including reviews and what's written about you online). Every fix below improves one of those three.

You might be checking from the wrong spot

Google Maps results change from street to street. Searching from your shop can show you at the top, while a customer across town sees three competitors and no you. Before you fix anything, find out where you actually rank across your whole service area, not just from your own desk.

The common problems

• The listing isn't verified, or it was suspended. Sign in to your Google Business Profile and check for warnings.
• The wrong main category. Your primary category matters more than almost anything else on the listing. "Roofing contractor" and "Contractor" are not the same search.
• Your name, address or phone number don't match across the web. Old addresses on Yelp, Facebook or directory sites make Google less sure about you.
• Fewer reviews than the businesses above you. Steady new reviews help. A business with 12 recent reviews can outrank one with 2, even if both are rated 5.0.
• Your listing's website link goes to the wrong page. If you have two locations, each listing should link to its own location page, not both to the homepage.
• Your website doesn't say what you do or where. If the town and the service aren't on the page, Google has less reason to match you to the search.
• Google can't read your website. Some sites send Google a nearly empty page and fill it in with code afterward. People see a normal site; search engines and AI tools may see very little.

What to do first

• Check your Google Business Profile for warnings, and make sure the main category is the most specific one that fits.
• Make your business name, address and phone number match everywhere they appear.
• Ask every happy customer for a review, with a direct link that opens the review box.
• Add Google Search Console to your website, submit your sitemap, and use its URL Inspection tool to see what Google sees on each page.
• Find out where you rank across your area, so you know which towns to work on.

That last step is the one most businesses skip. It's also what our free check does.