How do you check whether your profile is really missing?
Start by searching for your business name and your town on Google Search and Google Maps. If the profile appears for its own name, it exists and is live. The problem is then where it ranks, not whether it shows. If nothing appears at all, work through the causes below in order.
Google's help page on verifying your business on Google explains where to look. You must first sign in to the Google Account linked to your profile. Then search for your business name and city, or for "my business". Signed in, you see the owner's view, with any warnings or status messages Google has for you.
If your profile shows for its name but customers still cannot find you for your services, read our guide to ranking higher on Google Maps. If it is your website, not your profile, that is missing from results, our guide to a website not showing on Google covers that separately.
Is your profile still waiting for verification?
This is the most common cause for a new profile. Google wants proof that you run the business before it trusts your details. Its help pages say verification lets you edit your business details and interact with customers. Google also says a verified profile is more likely to show up in search results.
You cannot pick how you verify. The verification help page linked above says Google chooses the method automatically, based on your business type, public information, region or opening hours. Most codes arrive within 14 days, codes expire after 30 days, and verification reviews take up to five working days. You get a confirmation email when it is done.
While you wait, leave your profile alone. Google says not to edit your business name, address or category, because the code it sent you will then stop working. It also says not to request a new code. If the "Get verified" button comes back on your profile, Google could not completely verify your business and you need to try again.
One warning: Google will never ask you for your verification code. If someone calls or emails asking for it, do not give it to them.
Are your recent edits still under review?
If your profile disappeared or changed soon after you edited it, the edit may still be under review. Google checks edits to a verified profile against its guidelines before they go live. While that happens, your new details may not show yet, and Google may show the older ones instead.
Google's help page on reviews of Business Profile edits gives the timings. Most edits take up to 10 minutes to review, but some take up to 30 days. An edit marked Pending is still being reviewed. An edit marked Not approved was turned down, often because Google could not confirm it was accurate.
Make changes one at a time and only when something has really changed. Then give each change time to clear before you make the next one.
Has your profile been suspended or disabled?
If you see a suspended or disabled notice when you sign in, that is why customers cannot find you. Google may suspend or disable profiles that do not follow its guidelines. When that happens, the public cannot see the profile, so it drops out of Search and Maps.
Google's page on suspended or disabled Business Profiles explains how to appeal. Read the guidelines first and fix anything that breaks them, because Google says an appeal can only be submitted once. Gather evidence such as your official business registration, a business licence or a utility bill for the business. Check that the name and address on it match the profile.
Google reviews the appeal and sends the decision by email. Do not create a new profile for the same business while you wait. Google says not to, and a second profile can cause a duplicate problem of its own.
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Is Google treating your profile as a duplicate?
It might be, especially if you have moved, rebranded or set up more than one profile over the years. Google allows only one profile for each business. Its page on duplicate profiles and ownership issues says a profile it considers a duplicate will not show on Google Search or Maps.
If you made a duplicate by mistake, Google says you can remove it without affecting your verified profile. When two profiles are merged, the reviews are combined, but replies to reviews may be lost. If you moved premises, update the address on your existing profile. Google says not to create a new profile for the new location.
Sometimes a profile for your business already exists and someone else owns it, such as a former manager or an old agency. You can request ownership from them. They have three days to respond, and if they do not, you may get the option to claim the profile.
Is the service-area setting hiding your address?
If you work at customers' homes, such as a plumber, cleaner or mobile hairdresser, your profile may be set up as a service-area business. That is often the right choice. Google says that if you do not serve customers at your business address, you should remove the address from your profile.
The catch is that your profile then shows your service area instead of a street address and a pin. Customers can still find you, but you will not see a map marker at your home. If you do not set a service area, Google chooses a local area for you, so check that it matches the towns you cover.
Google's service area help says you can list up to 20 areas. Your whole area should not stretch more than about two hours' driving time from your base. Changes to service areas can take up to 48 hours to show once approved. If you serve customers at your premises, such as a shop or café, keep the address showing.
Are you searching from the wrong place?
Quite often, yes. Google shows local results based on where the person searching is. If you search "electrician" from home ten miles from your shop, you may not see your own profile. A customer two streets away might see it near the top. Your profile is not missing; it is just not the closest match.
Google's page on how Google ranks local results says local results are mainly based on relevance, distance and popularity. Distance is how far the business is from the person searching. If someone does not share their location, Google uses what it knows about where they are.
The same page says there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. It also warns that if your business details are not accurate, your profile might not show for relevant searches in your area. So test with your business name first, then ask a customer nearby to search for your service.
What should you check first?
Work from the quickest checks to the slowest. Most missing profiles are explained by the first three steps. Note what you changed and the date, so you can tell later which fix worked.
- Search your business name and town on Google Search and Maps.
- Sign in to the Google Account linked to the profile and look for any status message.
- Finish verification if the "Get verified" button is showing.
- Check whether a recent edit is marked Pending or Not approved.
- Look for a suspended or disabled notice, and appeal once with evidence if you see one.
- Search Maps for older profiles of your business and deal with any duplicate.
- If you are a service-area business, check that your service areas cover the towns you work in.
- Ask a customer near you to search for your service, rather than testing from far away.
How can Buzzozo help with your Google Business Profile?
If you would rather hand this over, Buzzozo offers local search engine optimisation (SEO), which helps nearby customers find you on Google Search and Maps. Our local SEO service for small businesses includes Google Business Profile management, so your categories, photos, posts and questions stay up to date.
Service-area businesses get a setup that covers the towns they work in, without showing a home address.
Reviews matter for local results too. Our online reputation management service helps you ask for reviews and reply to them. Reviews that break platform rules get flagged and a removal request is made properly. No one can honestly promise to remove a review, because the platforms decide.
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If you do not have a website for your profile to link to yet, you can try one first. Get your free website: it is free for 14 days, and no card is needed.
For the difference between a listing and a website, read what a Google Business Profile is. If you find a duplicate, compare the options in how to delete or close a Google Business Profile before removing it.
If Google shows a suspension notice, read what to do when a Google Business Profile is suspended. If your details are out of date, follow how to edit your Google Business Profile.
Common questions
How long does Google Business Profile verification take?
It depends on the method Google gives you. Google says most codes arrive within 14 days and verification reviews take up to five working days. Codes expire after 30 days. Do not edit your name, address or category while you wait, or the code will stop working.
Can I pay Google to make my profile show higher?
No. Google says there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. Local results are mainly based on relevance, distance and popularity. Accurate details, a verified profile and genuine reviews help.
Should I make a new profile if mine is suspended?
No. Google says not to create a new profile for the same business. Fix anything that breaks its guidelines, then appeal once with evidence such as your business registration or a utility bill.
My business has moved. Do I need a new profile?
No. Update the address on your existing profile instead. Google says not to create a new profile for the new location. Expect the change to be reviewed before it shows, which usually takes minutes but can take up to 30 days.