Local Marketing
How to Get More Google Reviews
The ask, the link and the timing, what Google's policy allows and bans, and what 228 Google reviews looked like at my own venue.
Why is my business not showing up on Google?
If you're asking why is my business not showing up on Google, the answer is usually in your Google Business Profile, or in how far the person searching is from you.
On this page
- Why is my business not showing up on Google Maps?
- What do you see when you search for your business?
- Why does my business only show up when I'm close by?
- Why was my Google Business Profile suspended?
- Can someone else change my business on Google?
- Should you hire someone to fix your Google Business Profile?
01
Why is my business not showing up on Google Maps?
You search for your business and it isn't on the map, or it shows up for you and a customer across town can't find it. When that happens, the cause is usually in your Google Business Profile, which is what puts you in the map results, or in how far the person searching is from you.
Start with verification, because only a verified profile can show your business on Maps and Search. If you're verified and still hard to find, Google ranks local results mainly on relevance, distance and prominence, meaning how well your profile matches the search, how far you are from the person searching and how well known the business is, which includes your reviews and the websites that link to you.
A listing that's missing, one that only comes up for your exact name, a pin in the wrong spot, a suspension notice and edits stuck under review each come from a different cause, so what you see when you search tells you where to look.
Your website is a separate result, in the regular listings under the map. If the map listing is there and it's your website that won't come up, that's a different set of checks, and they're in the six checks for why is my website not showing up on Google.
The short version
- Search your business name and city on Google Maps, then search what you sell the way a customer would, with no name in it.
- Not there even by name? Check that the profile exists, is verified and isn't suspended.
- There by name but not for your service? That's relevance and distance, and your primary category is the first place to look.
- Close to your shop but gone across town? That's distance, and no request or payment changes it.
- Something on the profile you didn't change? Look for suggested edits, which can go live if nobody answers within 4 days.
02
What do you see when you search for your business?
Search from your phone the way a customer would, first your business name and city on Google Maps, then the thing you sell with no name in it. Whatever comes back is one of seven situations, and each one has its own causes and its own check.
-
What you see
Not on Maps at all, even when you search your exact name
Likely causes
- There's no Business Profile yet, or there's one nobody has claimed.
- The profile was never verified, and only verified businesses can show their business info on Maps and Search.
- The profile is suspended or disabled, and Google won't show it to other people until the issue is fixed.
The check
Sign in to the Google account you'd manage it from and search my business on Google, or your business name and city on Google Maps. If the profile shows up for you and nobody else can find it, look for a Get verified button or a suspension notice. If nothing comes up even for you, you're adding a business to Google, not fixing one.
Google's help on finding your profile -
What you see
Only when you search your exact business name
Likely causes
- Google has the profile but isn't picking it for the words customers type. Google calls that relevance.
- The primary category doesn't name what you sell, and the categories you choose affect your local ranking.
- The people searching are closer to other businesses that do the same thing.
The check
Search the service with no name in it, like water heater repair or nail salon, from where a customer would be. Then compare your primary category with the categories on the profiles that do come up. A name search tells you Google has you. A service search tells you whether Google picks you.
Google's help on business categories -
What you see
Near your shop, but gone across town
Likely causes
- Distance. Google weighs how far each business is from the person searching, and when they don't share where they are, it goes by what it knows about their location.
- Your own phone is the worst place to test from, because you're standing next to the business.
The check
Ask a customer in another part of town what comes up when they search the service, or add their neighborhood to the search. Showing up close and dropping off farther out is distance, and the list of what helps with it is short.
What helps with distance -
What you see
In the wrong spot, or with an address you didn't enter
Likely causes
- The map pin is off. Google lets you set the pin by hand when it can't place your address.
- Someone suggested a new address. Google gives you 4 days to accept or reject certain suggested edits, and if you don't answer, it may publish the change when other public info, like your website, backs it up.
- You travel to your customers and the address is showing. A business that only serves customers at their location should hide its address and list the area it serves instead.
The check
Open Edit profile and look for anything in blue, which is how Google marks info it changed. Fix the pin or the address there, then make sure your website shows the same address, because that's the public info Google checks a suggested edit against.
Who else can change your profile -
What you see
A suspension notice, or the profile is just gone
Likely causes
- Something on the profile broke Google's guidelines, like extra words in the business name, an address that's a virtual office or a P.O. box, a second profile for the same location, or a phone number that redirects somewhere else.
- The Google account that manages it was restricted, and a restriction on that account suspends every profile it manages.
The check
Google sends the notice to the account that manages the profile, and its appeals tool shows the reason and the policy. Fix the cause on the profile before you appeal.
The guidelines and the appeal, step by step -
What you see
Edits that say Pending, or a profile under review
Likely causes
- Google reviews edits to a verified profile against its guidelines, which usually takes 10 minutes and sometimes takes up to 30 days.
- A verification video is waiting on review, which Google says can take up to 5 business days.
The check
Check the status Google shows for the edit: Accepted, Not approved or Pending. Let a pending edit finish before you change that field again. If it came back Not approved, you might be able to appeal it.
Google's help on edit status -
What you see
Gone after you changed something
Likely causes
- You added or changed a category, which can ask you to verify the business again.
- The edit is still pending, or it came back Not approved.
- The new business name breaks the guidelines. Extra words in the name aren't permitted, and they could get the profile suspended.
The check
Look for a Get verified prompt first, then a suspension notice, then an edit marked Not approved. If the change was to the name, put back the real-world name, the one on your sign and your website.
Google's guidelines for the business name
Can't tell which one is yours?
Let's look at it together.
Tell me what you see 03
Why does my business only show up when I'm close by?
A business that shows up when you search from the shop and disappears across town is running into distance. It's one of the three things Google ranks local results on, and it's the only one you can't edit. Distance is how far each business is from the customer who's searching, and when that customer doesn't share where they are, Google goes by what it knows about their location.
So the search you run from your own counter is the least useful test you have. You're standing next to the business, and a customer three neighborhoods away is standing next to somebody else's.
Distance is the one part of the ranking
nobody can sell you.
Nobody can buy their way closer, either. In Google's own words, "There's no way to request or pay for a better local ranking on Google." What you can work on is the other two, relevance and prominence.
- A primary category that names what you sell. Add other categories only where they're true, and keep it to the fewest that describe the core business.
- Every field filled in. Hours, services and attributes like parking. Complete and accurate profiles are more likely to show up in local results.
- Reviews from every customer, with a reply on each one. How many reviews you have counts toward prominence, and the ask itself is in how to get more Google reviews without breaking the rules.
- Links from other local websites. A chamber listing or a supplier's dealer page counts, because prominence includes how many websites link to your business.
- Never a fake address closer to the action. A virtual office or a mailbox isn't eligible for a profile, and it's the kind of thing that gets one suspended.
Studio 87, the event venue I built and ran in the Baltimore area, sat on a quiet street with no foot traffic. Nobody stumbled onto it. Its Google profile held 228 reviews between October 2021 and December 2024, 220 of them five stars, and that's the prominence half of the formula. The full set-up for a profile, field by field, is in the Google Business Profile optimization checklist.
04
Why was my Google Business Profile suspended?
A Google Business Profile gets suspended when something on it breaks Google's guidelines for representing your business, and those guidelines are specific, field by field.
| Field | What Google's guidelines ask for |
|---|---|
| Business name | Your real-world name, the one on your sign, your website and your stationery. No taglines, store codes, hours, phone numbers, web addresses, service or product words, or location details, which is what people mean by a keyword-stuffed business name. |
| Address | A real location. P.O. boxes, remote mailboxes and virtual offices aren't eligible, and a desk at a co-working space only counts with signage, your own staff and customers there during business hours. |
| Service area | A business that travels to customers hides its address and lists the area it serves, which for most businesses shouldn't reach farther than about 2 hours of driving from where it's based. |
| How many profiles | One per business. A service business with several locations gets one per location when each has its own staff and its own service area. |
| Phone and website | A phone number under the business's direct control that reaches that location, and no number or link that sends people somewhere other than the business. |
| Categories | The fewest categories it takes to describe the core business. |
The phone row is the one that catches owners opening a second location. A real estate media business I work with had the profile for one of its two cities disapproved because it carried the same phone number as the other one, and a second location needs a number of its own.
- Read the reason. Google's appeals tool, where you request reinstatement, shows the restricted profile, the reason and a link to the policy it broke.
- Fix it on the profile first. Make sure the whole profile follows the guidelines before you appeal.
- Have the evidence ready before you open the form. A business registration, a business license, tax certificates and utility bills all count, as long as the name and address match the profile, and once the evidence form is open you have 60 minutes to submit it.
- Leave the old profile alone and don't start a new one. Google tells owners not to create a new profile for the same business while an appeal is under review.
- If it's denied, ask once more with more proof. You may get an additional review if you bring evidence you didn't send the first time.
Reviews have restrictions of their own, from a pause on new reviews to a warning shown on the profile, and Google lists them on a separate help page.
05
Can someone else change my business on Google?
Other people can change your business on Google, and so can Google itself. It builds a profile from more than what the owner types, including the business's own website, licensed data, its own automated calls and texts, and what people contribute, from addresses and phone numbers to photos and reviews.
- Suggested edits. Anyone can suggest one. Google notifies you about certain suggested edits and gives you 4 days to accept or reject them, and if you don't answer, it may publish the change when other public info, like your website, supports it. Some suggested edits can go live without anyone asking you first.
- Google's own updates. In the profile editor, info Google changed shows in blue, and a notification sits at the top of the page when there's something to review.
- Automated calls and texts. Google may call, text or WhatsApp the number on your profile to confirm things like your hours, and what you tell it gets added to the profile. Its help page also warns about fake callers: "If a caller asks for money to keep your business on Google, it is not a call from Google." You can switch these off under Business Profile settings, then Advanced settings.
- Photos from customers. What customers upload shows on your profile next to what you posted. Search marketing trade press has reported uploads with a different phone number printed right on the picture, so look through the photos customers add, not only the ones you posted.
Keep the name, address and phone number, plus your hours, on your website exactly the same as on your profile, because the website is the public information Google checks a suggested edit against.
06
Should you hire someone to fix your Google Business Profile?
Most of these checks you don't need to pay anybody for. They're free, and you can run them from your phone and the profile dashboard.
Where it gets harder is a profile that's verified, complete and still only shows up down the street, because that's distance, and the work moves to everything Google weighs alongside it: the categories, the services, a steady flow of reviews with replies, and a website that says what the profile says.
Managing the profile is part of every monthly plan I run as a Baltimore SEO company, and plans start at $800 a month. If you'd rather hand it off, tell me what comes up when you search for your business and I'll tell you what I'd look at first.
Tell me what you see when you search
Give me your business name and city, or paste your Business Profile link, and tell me what comes up. I'll tell you what I'd check first.
- 450K+ search impressions across the sites we manage
- 5,800+ organic search clicks across the sites we manage
- 600+ leads and booking requests across the sites we manage
Last 90 days, across the sites and Search Console/GA4 accounts Another Monday manages. Figures as of August 2026.
07
Questions about a business missing from Google.
Why is my business not showing up on Google Search?
A business that isn't showing up on Google Search usually has no verified Google Business Profile, a suspended profile, a profile that doesn't match the words people type, or too much distance between it and the person searching. Search your business name and city on Google Maps first, since a business that can't be found even by name has a profile problem.
How do I get my business to show up on Google Search?
Getting a business to show up on Google Search starts with a Google Business Profile that's claimed and verified, because Google only shows business info on Maps and Search for verified businesses. After that, Google points to complete and accurate info, the right category, reviews with replies, and photos as the things that help a profile show in local results.
How long does it take for my business to show up on Google Search?
A new business can take up to a month to show up in Google's search results, going by Google's own help page on finding your business, and that clock only starts once the profile is verified, because only verified businesses can show their business info on Maps and Search. After that, where the profile shows depends on relevance, distance and prominence, and nobody can pay for a better local ranking.
Why is my business no longer showing up on Google?
A business that stopped showing up on Google usually has a suspended profile, an edit that is still pending or came back Not approved, or a category change that asked for verification again. Open the profile while signed in and look for a suspension notice, a Get verified prompt or an edit marked Not approved, in that order.
Why can't I find my own business on Google Maps?
Your own business not coming up on Google Maps, even for its exact name and city, usually means the profile doesn't exist yet, hasn't been verified, or is suspended. The quickest check is to search your business name and city, or to search my business while signed in to the account that manages the profile.
Why does my business only show up when I search the exact name?
A business that only shows up for its exact name is on Google but isn't being picked for the service words customers type, which Google calls relevance, or it's farther from those customers than businesses that do the same thing. Check that your primary category names what you sell, since categories affect your local ranking.
What does Pending mean on my Google Business Profile?
Pending on a Google Business Profile edit means Google is still reviewing the change against its guidelines. Google says that review usually takes 10 minutes and sometimes up to 30 days, and an edit Google can't confirm comes back Not approved, which you might be able to appeal.
How do I fix a suspended Google Business Profile?
Fixing a suspended Google Business Profile starts with the reason Google gives in its appeals tool, which shows the restricted profile, the reason and a link to the policy. Fix that on the profile first, then appeal with evidence like a business registration, a business license or a utility bill whose name and address match the profile.
Should I make a new profile if my Google Business Profile is suspended?
Making a new Google Business Profile for the same business while an appeal is under review is something Google tells owners not to do, and its guidelines allow one profile per business. Appeal the suspended profile, and if that appeal is denied, Google may allow an additional review with evidence you did not send the first time.
Can someone else change my Google Business Profile?
Anyone can suggest an edit to a Google Business Profile, and Google notifies the owner about certain suggested edits and gives them 4 days to accept or reject each one. If nobody responds, Google may publish the change when other public information, like the business website, supports it, so your website should say exactly what your profile says.
Can I pay Google to rank higher on Google Maps?
Paying Google for a higher spot in the local results on Google Maps isn't possible, and Google's own help says there's no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. Those results come from relevance, distance and prominence, meaning how well the profile matches the search, how far it is from the searcher and how well known the business is.
Why is my business showing in the wrong location on Google Maps?
A business showing in the wrong location on Google Maps usually has a map pin that was placed wrong, an address someone else suggested, or an address that should be hidden because the business travels to its customers. Fix the pin under Edit profile, and look for info shown in blue, which is how Google marks a change it made.
Do I need a website for my business to show up on Google Maps?
A website isn't required for a business to show up on Google Maps, since Google's guidelines ask for a phone number or a website that connects to that location. A website still helps, because it's one of the public sources Google uses for profile info, and it's the public information Google checks a suggested edit against.
Keep Reading
More operator playbooks from The Marketing Department.
Local Marketing
Google Business Profile Optimization
The full checklist, the categories trap, and the review rules most guides still get wrong, from someone who manages real profiles.
Web & Platforms
Why Is My Website Not Showing Up on Google?
Six free checks you run in order, from whether Google has your site at all to whether you are searching where your customers do.
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