/ Local SEO diagnostics
Why is my Google Business Profile not showing up?
The eight reasons your Google Business Profile has disappeared from Maps and the local pack — and the fastest way to get it back.
/ 01
The short version
One day it's there, next day it's gone — or it never appeared at all. Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is the single biggest local ranking factor, so this hurts fast. Here's what's actually going on.
/ 02
The eight most common causes
In order of likelihood:
- • Profile is suspended — check the notifications tab in your GBP dashboard.
- • You haven't verified (postcard, video or phone call never completed).
- • Duplicate listing — an older version of your business is outranking the new one.
- • You changed your name, address or phone number and triggered a re-review.
- • You added keywords to your business name (Google hates this and demotes you).
- • Your service area is set too wide — Google shows you only to searchers you're closest to.
- • You're too new — new profiles take 2–6 weeks to appear in the local pack.
- • You're actually showing — but only to people physically closer to you than the searcher was.
/ 03
How to check what's actually wrong
Do these three things in order:
- • Sign into business.google.com — if you see a red banner, that's your answer.
- • Search your exact business name in Google Maps (not Google search) on mobile — if it appears there but not in search, it's a ranking issue not a listing issue.
- • Ask a friend 5+ miles away to search your service — if they see you and you don't, that's proximity, not a bug.
/ 04
How to get it back
Suspended profiles: use the appeal form in the dashboard. Include your business licence, a utility bill at your address, and photos of signage. Turnaround is usually 3–14 days.
Duplicate listings: 'Suggest an edit' → 'Close or remove' on the old one. Google usually merges within a fortnight.
Name stuffing: rename it to your real trading name. Rankings dip for a week then recover higher than before.
/ 05
Want a human to look at yours?
We're a small Colchester studio. Send us your URL and we'll tell you honestly what's wrong, what to fix first, and whether it's worth paying anyone to do it. No sales call gauntlet, no 30-slide deck.
If the fix is small, we'll tell you how to do it yourself. If it's bigger, we'll quote it plainly.
/ FAQs
Common questions
How long does verification take?
Postcard: 5–14 days. Video: 3–5 days if approved. Phone: instant when available.
Can I have two profiles at one address?
Only if they're genuinely separate businesses with separate entrances/phone numbers. Otherwise Google will merge or suspend them.
Do reviews affect visibility?
Yes — volume, recency and keyword content of reviews all feed local ranking. 10 recent reviews beats 100 old ones.
Not sure which one is you?
Send us your URL. We'll tell you honestly which of these applies and what to fix first — no sales pitch.
Get a free look →