Is Google Maps not showing your business? If so, there are four probable causes you should be aware of:

• Your Google My Business (GMB) listing is unverified.
• Your Google Maps business listing fails to exert location authority.
• Google suspended your GMB listing.
• Your business relocated, but you neglected to update its location.

Read on to learn more about these four issues, how to resolve them, and how to get business on Google Maps. After reading this article, you should understand how to use Google Map for business.

Your GMB Listing Is Unverified.

Although unverified GMB listings may show up in search results in areas with little competition, having an unverified GMB listing is a death sentence for businesses in large metropolitan areas or offering services in hyper-competitive industries. To check if your GMB listing is verified, search for your business’s name and location on Google. In most cases, a listing for your business will appear on the right side of the search results page.

The GMB listing for your brand includes a link called “Suggest an edit.” If there is a link to the right of this link titled “Own this business?” then your business is unverified. Luckily, verifying Google business is an easy process. Unfortunately, it is not very quick because it usually involves having a postcard sent to your business address.

Here’s how to get your business on Google Maps. Click the “Own this business?” link and fill out the form to get your postcard. The postcard should arrive at your office within 14 days, but it may show up in as little as 7. It has a code you’ll enter in the “PIN” box on your GMB listing to verify your business location. Let the relevant employees know the postcard is coming, so it is not mistaken for spam.

Your Google Maps Business Listing Fails to Exert Location Authority.

Simply verifying your business on Google Maps is rarely enough to push your business to the top of Google search results. For that, you will need to increase your business’s location authority.
Location authority drives the rankings of local businesses and other locations in local Google and Google Maps search results. The best way to improve your location authority is to ensure accuracy and consistency in your business citation across all sites your brand is on.

Your business citations include your company’s:

• Name
• Street address, including suite or box numbers
• City, state, and zip code
• Phone number
• Full website URL

You want to spread your citation across websites that will help drive customers to your business. In addition to some of the more generic websites like Facebook and Yelp, you will also want to publish citations on sites pertinent to your industry and location.

In addition to the sites already mentioned, most businesses should publish citations on these websites:

• Acxiom
• Apple Maps
• Bing
• Citygrid
• Factual
• Foursquare
• Infogroup/ExpressUpdate
• Localeze
• Superpages
• Yahoo!
• YP

Local SEO Resources for Lawyers

The following websites offer SEO for lawyers:

• Findlaw.com
• HG.org
• Lawyers.com
• Martindale.com
• Nolo.com

Local SEO Resources for Dentists

Here are some sites that provide SEO for dentists:

• Ace Dental Education
• ADA – American Dental Association
• DentistDirectory.com
• DentiSoft
• eLocal Dentists
• Geo Dentist
• National Directory of Dentists

Spreading your business citation across the web will help your business cultivate strong location authority.

Another significant factor in your business’s location authority is brand capital. You can increase your brand capital by distributing your citation as discussed above, blogging about local news and information, and spreading those blog posts across social media.

With greater location authority, your business will appear higher in Google search results, driving more customers to your business.

Google Suspended Your GMB Listing.

If your business’s listing has been thriving on Google Maps and then suddenly disappears, it is likely due to a suspension. Once suspended, your GMB no longer shows up in Google search results.
In your GMB account, you will see a message informing you about the suspension. Unfortunately, Google does not tell you why they suspended your GMB, but there are a few common reasons:

• Google temporarily suspended your listing while they verify any information you recently updated on your GMB.
• Google wants a picture of your front office to confirm your office location.
• Your website URL on GMB is a forwarding URL.
• Google feels you keyword stuffed your business name.
• Your location is a virtual office location such as a P. O. box.
• Your business does not have a physical address, but you did not hide your address from Google Maps.

If it is not immediately obvious what caused Google to suspend your listing, call Google Local Help to troubleshoot the issue. You will need to phone Google Adwords support first and then select the GMB option.

A Google representative should help you resolve the issue with your listing, thus fixing Google Maps not showing your business.

Your business relocated, but you neglected to update its location.

Many businesses that do not actively manage their GMB fail to update their business location after relocating. Sometimes this causes the dreaded suspensions discussed in the previous section.
Proactively managing your GMB account is the best way to prevent Google Maps not showing your business after a move. You should change your address on GMB as soon as your business relocates.
Changing your address may require you to re-verify your GMB. Luckily, with re-verification, Google is more likely to allow you to use their phone or email verification methods.

In this article, you learned how to get business on Google Map and the four main culprits behind Google Maps not showing your business. To recap, the four most common solutions for how to get your business on Google Maps are:

• Verifying your GMB listing.
• Improving the location authority of your business.
• Contacting Google to resolve any issues causing the suspension of your listing.
• Updating your business location after a move.

Fixing these four issues should help your business not just show up on Google Maps but soar to the top of the search results.