Ten minutes to find the cause
Do you find yourself on your exact business name in Google Maps?
- No, and your dashboard asks for verificationNot verifiedUp to five working days, a postcard up to fourteen.
- No, and there is a suspension noticeSuspendedFix the rule, then appeal: only once.
- Yes, but the profile is newWait a littleA good position can take up to a month.
- Yes, but not when people search your serviceSomeone else winsRelevance, distance and prominence.
Not showing, or not on top
Those are two different problems. If Google does not show your profile on your own name, the cause is verification or a suspension, and your dashboard shows a notice. Verification works by video, phone, email or postcard; the review takes up to five working days, a postcard usually up to fourteen. With a suspension you first fix the rule you broke and then appeal, with proof such as a photo of your shopfront and an invoice to your address. You can appeal only once, and a new profile for the same business makes it worse. If your profile is not verified yet, read why verification fails; if you doubt your category, see Google Business Profile categories.
A new or just-edited profile needs patience: changes show up within three days, a good position in the results can take up to a month. How to set it up right from the start is in the guide to create a Google Business Profile. A profile is free, by the way, and Google says a better position cannot be requested or bought.
Why someone else ranks above you
When Google does show your profile, it chooses among all matching businesses on three things. Relevance: does your profile, through its category and services, say what the searcher wants, their search intent? Distance: how close are you to where the search comes from? Prominence: how many reviews and what ratings do you have, how often do other sites link to you, and how strong is your own site? Distance you cannot change. A hairdresser in the city centre shows up for a search from downtown, but from a suburb the hairdresser based there wins. Relevance and prominence you can change:
| What you do | Time | Affects |
|---|---|---|
| Fill in the primary category and every service | 30 minutes | relevance |
| Ten real photos of place, team and work | 30 minutes | prominence and clicks |
| Send a review link after every job | 2 minutes per job | prominence |
| Reply to every review | 5 minutes per review | prominence and trust |
| A page per service and per town on your site | a day per page | relevance and reach |
What a page for one city looks like, see our own page for web design in Ghent.
Create your review link with the Google review link generator; how to get more reviews without nagging is in get more Google reviews. Buying reviews is no shortcut, see can I buy Google reviews; and if reviews disappear, see why are Google reviews disappearing. Whether your website is the weak spot, check with the website not showing on Google tool.
Competitors on top with a name full of keywords, or at an address where nobody works? They break the rules. You can suggest an edit or report the profile in Google Maps, factually and with proof. Strengthening your own profile stays the best move.
Working from home, and ads
I work from home. Does my address have to be visible?
No. If customers do not visit you, choose a service area and hide your address. Your profile then shows the area you serve.
Do ads help me become visible?
An ad shows you as Sponsored but changes nothing about your place in the regular results. It can bring customers while your profile and site grow.