One thing I have come to realize in my time working online, is that Google can be pretty finicky when it comes to displaying maps listings for businesses. Even after months of submissions, they still take ages to show the businesses on Google maps and this can be very frustrating. I once clashed with a client because he thought that I was incompetent at what I was doing. He had paid me to market his business online and one of the most important aspects of the contract was to ensure the listing was visible on Google maps because his business was relatively new and many people didn’t know where it was located. Three months down the line, the business was not visible on the Google maps in the results page and this really got the client pretty worked up. After a few months of following up, the business was finally listed and was visible on Google Maps.
I later realized that this is not a problem I was facing alone. Very many people online were experiencing the same problem and only a few had an idea of why it happens. I talked to a professional SEO expert and online marketer who knows about the entire Google maps process and he provided me with very important information that I need to share with you. Tony Guo is an expert in SEO and owns multiple SEO agencies. He has a lot of knowledge concerning Google and it’s no surprise therefore that he was able to answer me. Here is what Tony Guo had to say on why business do not appear on Google maps;
Delays
The process of putting a business on Google maps normally delays and can take anything from a month to even 4 months. The real reason why this happen is not known but Tony believes that it is because Google prefers to add new information all at once rather than adding new listings every single week. They therefore take time and add new places once or twice every quarter of the year.
Verification
Before Google can place your business on its maps, it needs to verify the details provided. This equally takes time and you will have to wait for them to accurately determine the locations before they can put them on their maps. Google hates providing wrong information to its clients and will therefore do everything in their power to ensure that they provide information which is accurate as possible. The whole verification process begins with Google verifying your business. To add your business information to Google Maps, Search, and other Google properties, you’ll need to create a Google My Business listing. You will need to manage how your business information appears across Google, including Search and Maps, using Google My Business. The beauty about all this is that is all comes for free.
Street level addresses
Have you mentioned the street address? Is your clients’ service location open to the public during stated hours? Every Google Places listing must have a street address. If your business has no street address or if you entered a P.O. Box as your street address, the listing will not show up on Google Maps or in organic search results. Once you have entered a valid street address, your business should begin to show up. Go through the address provided one more time before submitting it to Google.
Incomplete information
The other reason why perhaps your business has not been listed on Google maps, is because you provided incomplete information. It is always recommended to fill out your Google Places listing as completely and accurately as possible. Never stuff keywords to your listing in order to influence the search results. The more complete your information is, the more chances of getting better visibility on Google Places.
Someone edited your business information
The other reason why perhaps you are not seeing your business on Google maps is because you edited, or someone else edited your business information. When you edit or add business information, it takes quite some time for the information to appear and this might affect your business appearing on the Google Maps listings.
If you complied with all the Google guidelines and still don’t see your business online on Google Maps, you will need to contact Google and let them know. Their responses are incredibly quick and you will normally be aware of your problem in just a few days. If everything is okay however, Google will assure you that they will list your business on their maps in search results like they did in my case.
These are tips provided by a long time Google expert and you can expect them to be accurate. You should not freak out when you don’t see your business on the Google maps. Go through your application process once again and you will be able to determine what the problem is.