Today you will read how to get your business on Google Maps. Usually, the problem is not on Google Maps, but on your business profile on Google. It does not provide Google Maps with the right information.
Google Maps is a great way to reach more people and find customers that search for products and services in your area. However, it is not the only service of Google when it affects your results. You must consider the Google My Business listing as a part of the process.
What Is Google My Business?
Google My Business is a free tool that businesses can use to improve their presence on Google and its services. Google My Business listings include important details like your open and closed hours, contact details, images of your business, reviews, samples, etc. Then, Google Maps get this information and show your business to people that search for relevant information.
It is possible for a business to appear on Google Maps without creating a Google My Business account. However, it is rare and applies to locations without competition.
For example, if you have the only restaurant in an area, it will appear every time that a user searches for relevant businesses on Google Maps. Most locations have many businesses in one area, so they must optimize your Google My Business to appear on the right people.
When your business does not show on Google Maps, there is a problem with your Google My Business listing. The suggestions of this article will help you to solve this problem.
1. Verify Your Google My Business Listing
When you verify your Google My Business listing, you can edit your business’s details that will appear on Google Maps. Google prefers verified listings because they are more accurate.
You can see if your business is verified or not with a simple Google search. You can go to Google and type on the search box the name of your business and address.
The business listing will appear on the right part of the search page. You can see the contact details of your business. There is a “suggest an edit” link in every listing. The unverified listings have an extra option that is called “Own this business?”.
Why Is It Important To Verify Your Google My Business Listing?
If you don’t verify your Google My Business listing, your business will not appear on Google Maps most of the time. There are some exceptions because Google tries to find available options in each area. If you see businesses on Google Maps that are not verified, they don’t have enough competition.
The concept of competition is critical for Google. If you don’t have enough competitors in your area, they will show all the available businesses. Your competitors may neglect to verify their businesses as well, and the algorithms of Google prefer your business. These cases are rare and don’t last for a long time.
When your competitors verify their business, Google will replace your unverified business on Google Maps. You have no chance to get your business on Google Maps in most locations without doing the verification process.
Google My Business listings have additional benefits that are not relevant to Google Maps. If you have a verified Google My Business listing, you will get ranked for local keywords on the search results. Local SEO can also send customers to your business. Lastly, it allows you to edit your business profile and reply to customer reviews.
How To Verify Your Business
Google My Business gives you a few options. The fastest ways to verify your business are by email or by phone. Google sends you a verification code in the option you will select. If you choose the phone method, you can get a text message or a call with an automated message.
Another option is to get your verification code through the mail. Google likes this option and suggests it on their instructions. The businesses that choose the mail option get a postcard with the code in 14 days.
When you get your code, you can go to the Google My Business dashboard and find the verification box. You fill in the code, and the process is completed.
Your business will not appear on Google Maps instantly. In most cases, it can take weeks or months. Google takes time to evaluate the available information. The only thing you can do is to optimize your listing and wait for the results.
2. Build Location Authority
When you are in a competitive location, verifying and optimizing your Google My Business listing is only the first step. Many businesses in your niche do the same thing, so it is not easy to stand out and get the best positions on Google Maps and the Google search pages.
The truth is that most businesses are not on the first page of Google. There are only ten spots, so Google will choose the best options based on their algorithms. However, these results are not permanent. They change regularly, and we can do some things to improve our chances of getting better results.
What Is Location Authority?
If you want to improve your rankings on local keywords and Google Maps, you need to increase your location authority. It is the ranking power of business and affects your online presence on Google.
If you have a lot of competition and low location authority, your business will be visible when people search for very relevant terms. These terms can include your brand or your street.
If you have a high location authority, you will also be visible to people who search for terms in your niche. These terms can be keywords for products and services.
It can increase or decrease your range on Google Maps. Low location authority will make your business visible to people who are very close to your address. Higher location authority can send you customers from many miles away.
Build Location Authority With Accuracy Of Your Information
Google wants to provide the best user experience in every tool and platform that they use. When it comes to Google Maps, they want to help users find businesses relevant to their searches. So, the first ingredient of building location authority is accuracy.
When the contact details that you have added to your Google My Business listing are accurate, other people can find you through Google Maps. Google can also confirm these details by finding your business information on other sites. When they are the same as the ones on their listings, you build location authority.
When your business details are different on other sites, it does not help Google. The business information is called citations and includes the following:
- Business name
- Address
- Website
- Phone number
- City and State
Many business owners submit these details to many websites and directories to reach their audience. It is a good idea, but make sure you always use the same contact details.
How Do Google Maps Citations Build Location Authority?
When you create citations on other websites, they affect your Google My Business listings. If you are familiar with SEO, you know that backlinks help with your rankings.
If Google finds many backlinks from other sites in the same niche, it assumes that it has correct and quality content. The same applies to business citations. When Google finds your business citations on many sites, it confirms that your details are correct. It also assumes that your business is important in your area.
Similarly to backlinks, you don’t want citations from random sites. You want citations from sites that are relevant to your business and location. When you add them to big directories that include multiple niches, make sure that your citations are under the right category.
You can search for opportunities to submit your business to industry and local directories. Simple searches on search engines can give plenty of ideas. You can also check the citations of your competitors on the internet and get their best ideas.
3. Check If Your Google My Business Listing Is Suspended
The bad news is that Google can suspend your Google My Business listing anytime they want. When this happens, it will remove your business from Google Maps. Another problem here is that it can happen to anyone. Your good rankings or the customers you get from Google Maps do not mean that you are safe. Many businesses have lost their local traffic overnight.
However, Google will not suspend your listing if you don’t make any mistakes. They suspend listings only when they have a good reason. Of course, it’s possible to do something wrong without knowing it, but we can always change this situation.
You can consider a possible suspension when you used to have good rankings on local search, but your listings have disappeared overnight. You can check if your Google My Business listing is suspended from your dashboard. Google will not tell you why your listing is suspended, so we must figure it out by checking all the possible scenarios.
Common Reasons For Google My Business Suspensions
- You have updated your Google My Business listing. Google will take a while to confirm and evaluate the new information.
- Keyword stuffing on your Google My Business listing
- The URL of your Google My Business listing is broken or wrong.
- You need to confirm your office location by sending a picture.
- You don’t have a physical location for your business, but it appears in an address on Google Maps.
If there is nothing wrong with all the above, you can call Google My Business support. When you have a suspension problem, you must solve it as soon as possible to get back your rankings.
4. You Have Issues With A New Address
Many businesses lose their rankings and stop appearing on Google Map after a relocation. You must keep in mind that your contact details must be accurate. It is one of the basic requirements of having a good presence on Google.
When you change the address of your business, you need to update your Google My Business listing. Sooner or later, Google will get the new address of your business. They will see a difference between your new address and the address you have added to your business profile. Their reaction will be to suspend your account.
A business will not appear on Google Maps when Google is not sure about the right address. It does not want to give false information to the users of Google Maps. If you edit your address and add the new one on Google My Business, it can request re-verifying your address. You will go back to the step where you get the verification code.
Conclusion
If you want to get your business on Google Maps, you need to create and optimize a Google My Business listing. The process is quite simple, and most people can do it from their computer.
If you verify your Google My Business listing and still can’t see your business on Google Maps, you can check the other suggestions in this post. It can be an issue of low location authority or a suspension problem.
It is worth to have your business on Google Maps because you will get more customers. Many people search for products and services from their smartphones or when they are on the road. It is a great way to reach new customers.
I am the founder of Citation Builder Pro. I have been in the SEO and content marketing industry for 15 years and have a lot of experience in public relations and online marketing.
I started Citation Builder Bro to help businesses of all sizes create high-quality citations for their websites. My team and I are dedicated to providing our clients with the best possible services.
