My business doesn't show up on Google

First, “I don’t show up” and “I don’t show up at the top” are two different problems

It’s worth sorting this out before you spend a dollar, because the fix is different.

Nothing of yours shows up at all. You search for your business name and neither your profile nor your website comes up. That almost always means there’s no listing, not that Google is hiding you.

You show up, but way down the list. You search “hair salon near me” and other businesses come up. In that case you’re competing, and the work is different. It’s about reviews, consistent info, and content that answers what people ask.

Most owners who say “my business doesn’t show up” are in the first group, which is the easiest and cheapest to fix.

The three real reasons your business doesn’t show up on Google

1. You don’t have a profile, or it was never verified

Your Google Business Profile is what puts your business on the map, with your hours, phone number and reviews. It’s free, and you set it up yourself.

Watch out for two common traps. A profile that was created but never verified won’t show up in full. And sometimes a profile already exists, because Google created it automatically or a former employee set it up. If so, don’t create a new one (two profiles for the same business compete with each other). Claim the one that’s already there.

2. Your business info doesn’t match everywhere

Your name, address and phone number need to be exactly the same on your profile, your website, Facebook, Instagram and any directory you’re listed in. Not close. Exactly the same.

“Suite 3” in one place and “#3” in another, or two different phone numbers, tells Google these might be two different businesses, so it splits its trust between them. It’s one of the most common problems and one of the easiest to fix.

3. Your website doesn’t have a page for what people search

Google shows pages, not businesses. If your website is a single page about who you are, it only competes for one search, which is your business name. And the only people searching your name are the ones who already know you.

People don’t search for your business. They search for their problem or the service they need. If you don’t have a page about that, Google has nothing to show them.

What to do, step by step

1. Search for your business on Google Maps by name and city. If a profile you didn’t create shows up, claim it. If nothing shows up, create one.
2. Fill out your whole profile. The right category (it counts the most), your real hours, phone number, website, service area if you go to customers, and real photos of your place or your work. A half-finished profile is competing against complete ones.
3. Verify it. An unverified profile doesn’t do much. Google asks you to confirm the business is yours, and until you do, nothing else pays off.
4. Make your info match everywhere. Write out your name, address and phone number once, then copy and paste that exact text everywhere you’re listed.
5. Ask for reviews, one at a time, from real customers. Asking in person after a job well done works. Replying to every review, good and bad, helps too.
6. Make sure Google can read your website. Every page should have its own title, the text should be actual text on the page (not inside an image), and there should be a sitemap. If your website was built years ago, check this first.
7. Then add more pages. One for each service or for each real question your customers ask. That gives Google something to show when people search for what you do instead of your name.

How long it takes

A verified profile shows up right away. There’s no set timeline for ranking well, and it depends on how many businesses you’re competing with in your area.

Anyone who promises you “#1 on Google” by a certain date is selling something they can’t guarantee. Google decides the order, and it changes. What someone can promise you is to do the work that actually makes a difference.

What doesn’t work (and can cost you your profile)

• Buying reviews. Google catches them and penalizes you, and in the worst case suspends your profile. Customers can usually spot a fake review, too.
• Stuffing your city and trade into your business name (“Cheap Miami Plumbing 24hr”). It’s against Google’s rules and can get your profile suspended.
• Repeating the same keyword all over your website. It stopped working years ago, and today it hurts you.
• Creating a second profile because the first one “isn’t working.” Duplicate profiles compete with each other and drag both of them down.

When it’s worth getting help

You can do steps 1 through 5 yourself in an afternoon, and I recommend you do. Nobody knows your business, your hours and your service area better than you.

Steps 6 and 7 are website work, and that’s where you’ll usually need someone. If you’re going to pay for it, ask them to show you exactly what they’ll do and how you’ll measure the results. “We’ll do your SEO” isn’t a real deliverable.