You Google your own business and… nothing. Or worse, your competitors show up and you don’t. If your business isn’t appearing in Google Maps results, you’re losing customers to competitors every single day.
The good news? Most of the reasons are fixable, and some of them take less than an hour.
1. Your Google Business Profile Isn’t Verified
This is the number one reason businesses don’t show up. Google won’t display your business in map results until you’ve claimed and verified your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business).
Go to business.google.com, claim your listing, and complete the verification process. Google will typically send a postcard with a code to your business address, though phone and email verification are sometimes available.
2. Your Information Is Incomplete
Google prioritizes businesses with complete profiles. That means filling out every single field — business name, address, phone number, hours, categories, services, and description.
Don’t skip the “Services” section. List every service you offer with descriptions. This helps Google understand what you do and match you to relevant searches.
3. You Picked the Wrong Categories
Your primary category is arguably the most important ranking factor for Google Maps. If you’re a plumber and your primary category is set to “Contractor” instead of “Plumber,” you’re going to struggle to show up for plumbing searches.
Be as specific as possible with your primary category, then add relevant secondary categories. A plumber might use “Plumber” as primary, then add “Water Heater Repair Service” and “Drain Cleaning Service” as secondary categories.
4. Your NAP Is Inconsistent
NAP stands for Name, Address, Phone number. If your business name is listed as “Smith Plumbing LLC” on your website but “Smith’s Plumbing” on Yelp and “Smith Plumbing Services” on the BBB, Google gets confused.
Your NAP needs to be identical everywhere — your website, Google Business Profile, Facebook, Yelp, industry directories, and every other place your business is listed online. Even small differences like “St.” vs “Street” can cause issues.
5. You Have No Reviews (Or Bad Ones)
Reviews are a massive ranking factor for Google Maps. Businesses with more high-quality reviews consistently rank higher in the map pack.
Start asking happy customers to leave reviews. Make it easy — send them a direct link to your Google review page after completing a job. Respond to every review, positive or negative, to show Google (and potential customers) that you’re engaged.
6. Your Website Isn’t Optimized for Local Search
Your Google Business Profile links to your website, and Google evaluates your site as part of its ranking algorithm. If your website doesn’t mention your service area, doesn’t have location-specific content, or loads slowly, it’s hurting your map rankings.
Make sure your website includes your city and service area on key pages, has a dedicated contact page with your full address, and loads in under 3 seconds on mobile.
7. You’re Too Far From the Searcher
Google heavily weights proximity — how close your business is to the person searching. You can’t change your location, but you can strengthen all the other signals so you show up for a wider radius.
Businesses with strong profiles, lots of reviews, and optimized websites can show up for searchers much farther away than businesses with weak profiles.
The Bottom Line
Getting on Google Maps isn’t magic. It takes a complete, optimized Google Business Profile, consistent business information across the web, a steady flow of reviews, and a solid website backing it all up.
If this feels like a lot, that’s where we come in. Scout Growth Co. specializes in getting local businesses to the top of Google Maps. We handle the technical stuff so you can focus on running your business.
Want to see exactly where you stand? Claim your free SEO audit and we’ll show you every issue holding you back — plus a step-by-step plan to fix it.