Guide

Why you do not show on Google maps

Disappearing from the map results is one of the most alarming things that can happen to a local business. The causes are usually mundane. Here they are roughly in order of likelihood.

You are checking from the wrong place

Searching your own business name from your own kitchen is not a test. Google personalises heavily based on location and your own history.

Ask someone in the town you want to rank in to search the service, not your name, and tell you what they see.

The profile is unverified or suspended

An unverified profile will not appear. A suspended one disappears with very little warning, usually after a details change or a rule breach such as a keyword stuffed business name.

Sign in and look at the status directly. If it is suspended, fix what triggered it before appealing.

Your details do not match

Conflicting phone numbers or addresses across your site, your profile and old directory listings make Google less confident about you, and confidence is what ranks you.

Pick one exact set of details and align everything to it.

Duplicate listings

If there are two listings for you, they compete with each other and split your reviews. This happens a lot after a move or a rename.

Report the duplicate through your profile and get it merged rather than leaving both live.

You are simply too far away

If the searcher is in a town far from your verified location, you may be genuinely outranked by businesses based there. That is not a fault, it is the system working.

The answer is relevance. Proper area pages, reviews from that area, and photos of jobs you did there.

The profile has gone stale

No new photos, no new reviews, no updates in a year. Active profiles tend to hold their position better than dormant ones.

Getting back into a routine of photos and review requests usually brings movement within a couple of months.

Common questions

Why did my business disappear from Google Maps?

The most common causes are a suspended or unverified profile, duplicate listings, or a recent change to your business details. Check the profile status first.

How do I check my real ranking?

Ask someone in the target area to search the service rather than your business name. Your own searches are personalised and misleading.

Where to go next

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