Why Is My Business Not Showing Up On Google?

If your business doesn’t appear in Google search, it can be upsetting and bad for your business’s growth and visibility. Many different things can cause this problem, from issues with SEO to problems with the content. Google uses a complex algorithm to find and rank websites.

They look at things like how the website is set up, how good the content is, which words are used, and what other websites are linked to it. Furthermore, new websites may take longer to get added to search engines, while older websites might have trouble with changes to search engine rules or other rival websites.

It’s important to know why your business isn’t showing up on Google so you can fix the problem. By finding and fixing the main issues, you can make your website show up better in search engines, be seen more, and get more people visiting your business. In this post, we will look at the reasons for “why is my business not showing up on Google” and provide you with the steps to fix it.

Reasons for Business Not Showing Up On Google Search Results

New Website

If your new business website is not showing up in Google search results, there may be a few reasons why. Google might not have added your website yet. It can take a while for new websites to get noticed and listed by Google. Also, your website may not have enough words or phrases that match what users are searching for.

Problems with the website’s design or speed can make it harder for people to see the site. Furthermore, not having enough links from well-known sources can make people doubt your website. Finally, if your settings in your robots.txt file or meta tags are wrong, it might accidentally stop search engines from including your site in their results.

SEO services can help new websites appear on Google by optimizing their content and structure, improving search engine rankings and visibility.

Poor Website Structure

If your website is hard for search engines to go through and list, important pages might get missed. Things like broken links, having too many pages nested within each other, and not having a clear order can make it hard for search engines to understand. Also, a messy website with missing or repeated content can make it less relevant.

Make sure your website is easy to use and has clear menus and a map of all the pages. Use titles and organize everything so it’s easy to find. Improving how your website is organized helps people find what they need and makes it easier for search engines to find your site, so you have a better chance of showing up high in search results.

Duplicate Content

Having content that is too similar or not unique can really hurt how high your business shows up in Google search results. Thinner content with not much value or info does not help users and can make your website rank lower. When the same content appears in multiple places, it makes it harder for search engines to figure out which one to show in search results.

This can make your page less important in the eyes of the search engine. Make sure each page has different, helpful information that meets the needs of the users. Use tools to find and fix repeated content problems and always make new, good content. Making your website’s content better and more unique helps it show up more in search results.

Weak Backlink Profile

Having bad links to your website can stop it from showing up in Google search. Getting backlinks from good and related websites tell Google that your site is reliable and has authority. If your website doesn’t have good links pointing to it, or has lots of links from bad or spammy websites, it can make your site rank lower in search results.

Also, if there are sudden decreases in the number of links to a website or if there are too many of the same type of links, it can signal a problem. To make your backlinks better, try to get links from important websites by creating good content, reaching out to others, and working together with other websites.

Keyword Competition

Having lots of other businesses using the same keywords can make it hard for your business to be found on Google. When lots of websites use the same popular words, it’s hard for new or small sites to get noticed. Competing with big, popular websites can make it harder for people to find your page in search results.

To fix this, concentrate on using longer and more specific keywords that have less competition. Moreover, make sure your website is easy to find on search engines and get other websites to link to yours. By choosing easier keywords, you can increase your chances of getting noticed and showing up in search results.

Technical SEO Problems

Technical problems with your website may stop it from showing up in Google searches and that can hurt your business. Issues like slow loading pages, links that don’t work, using robots.txt incorrectly, and not optimizing for mobile can make it hard for search engines to find and index your website.

Also, if certain information about your website is missing or wrong, or if your website has the same content as other websites, or if your website’s structure is not good, it can make your website less likely to show up high in search results. Check your website often for technical problems and fix them quickly.

Make sure the code is organized and works well, make images load faster, and make the design work well on different devices. Fixing technical SEO problems makes it easier for search engines to find and rank your website, which means more people can see it in search results.

Algorithm Updates

Changes to the way Google’s search algorithm works can make it so people can’t find your business on Google anymore. Google often changes its rules to make searches better, and that can really affect where your website shows up in the results. If your website doesn’t follow the latest SEO rules, it might get in trouble.

Content that used to show up near the top of search results may not be seen as much if it doesn’t meet the new standards anymore. Keep up to date with updates to the algorithms and make changes to your SEO plans as needed. Keep your website up to date with new and useful content and follow Google’s rules to maintain or improve your search rankings.

Also Read: Google Search Algorithm Updates 2023 (Infographics)

Things to Do to Make Your Business Show Up on Google Results

1. Verify Your Google Business Profile

Your first job is to check your Google Business Profile listing. If something is wrong or there is missing information, that is probably your biggest problem. Google wants you to complete and keep your profile up to date.

You also need to complete the GBP verification process. It’s hard and complicated, but it’s necessary to be seen on Google. According to Google, there are a few ways to verify your business. These are:

• Instant verification: This is the simplest and quickest way to check. Just sign in to your Google Business Profile and find the option to quickly verify.
• Verification through mail: Google will send a postcard to your business’s address. You will need to send the code in the mail to your unverified GBP listing. This is pretty easy, but it might take two weeks for the postcard to arrive.
• Verification through phone call: This is the second fastest way to verify. Just ask for a call and do the verification right away.
• Bulk certifications: You only need to use this method if you have 10 or more places linked to your business listing.
  Verification is how Google makes sure your account is correct. They want to make sure that your home address and other information are completely accurate. Confirming where you are helps Google show your business in local search results.
• Video Verification Process: Google now requires video verification for businesses that want to appear in the Google Business Profile listings. This is to make sure that the businesses are legitimate and to improve the quality of the listings. One important reason is to stop fake listings and make sure businesses are real.
  Google wants to make sure that the information about businesses on its search and maps is correct. They are going to use videos to make sure the information is accurate. This will help users find trustworthy information. This process makes people trust and believe in the businesses on Google more.
  Finally, this method wants to make it better for users by giving them more accurate and trustworthy information about businesses. This will help people make better choices when they are shopping.
  In general, adding video verification shows that Google is still focused on being accurate and making sure things are done well. They are also keeping up with how businesses are changing.

2. Check if You are Using Correct Categories

Make sure you choose the correct Google Business Profile categories so that the local search algorithm works in your favor. If you choose the wrong categories for your business on Google, your business might not show up in local search results.

Categories help Google know what your business does, so it’s easier for people to find you when they’re looking for things you offer. Select the main and additional categories that accurately portray your business. Check and change these groups often to show any updates in what you offer.

Having the right categories can help people find you on the internet, bring more customers to your business, and make your business show up better in local searches. Sorting things correctly makes sure that when people look for something related to your business, they can easily find it.

3. Sign Up Your Business with Google Search Console

Google Search Console helps businesses make sure their websites show up on Google. Yes, Google may find your website on its own eventually, but if you want to show up in search results faster, it’s a good idea to sign up now.

If you have a new website, go to Google Search Console and choose your type of website, then click on “add website”. The Search Console will guide you through the steps to include your website, and then give you information about how many people are visiting your website, and more.

4. Search for Inconsistencies in the Listing

Did you change your company’s name, move to a new place, or get a new phone number or email address recently? Changes like this can cause confusion about your business online – and Google doesn’t like that.

Your business may not be appearing on Google because there is a lot of wrong information out there. The search engine doesn’t know what’s reliable and what to not pay attention to.

If you want Google to like your business, you have to make sure your listings are clean. Here’s a quick summary of how to do that.

• Search for your business in as many places as you can (like Bing, Google, Yelp)
• Fix wrong or old business information as soon as you see it
• Keep sending the right information to data aggregators (specific groups in the industry)

Just because your Google Business Profile has the right information, it doesn’t mean you’re showing a clear picture to Google. You should have the same right information in many places. If not, Google will doubt your business and show it in fewer local search results.

5. Utilize the Strength of Social Media

If what you tried didn’t work, try adding more business listings on social media. When you look for a company, you usually only see one or two results from their main website. Afterwards, the listings will be from other websites that you don’t necessarily own or have any connection to.

Make your brand appear more on Google by having more social media accounts. You want people to see your website. If they don’t find it, it’s good if they find your Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or other social media pages instead.

Using social media can make your business look trustworthy to customers and it can also help Google recognize your business as organized. If you have the same information on all your social media accounts, it will probably make it easier for people to find your business when they search on Google.

6. Make Sure You Follow Google Guidelines

If you want to appear in lots of Google searches, you need to follow all their rules. If you don’t follow their rules, Google might delete your business info from its search results.

You need to follow a lot of rules, but some of the most important ones are:

• Accurately showing people what your business is like in real life
• Providing exact and accurate addresses and areas where services are available
• Picking the right GBP categories for your business
• You can only make one profile for each business

Breaking the guidelines for GBP and posting illegal or banned content can stop your website from appearing in Google searches. Make sure to find out what you can and can’t do before you do anything.

7. Check if You are Affected by Possum Update

In 2016, Google made changes to improve local search results. This update aimed to show a variety of listings and stop fake ones. It affected businesses in different ways. First of all, this update made Google pay more attention to where the person searching is located, which could impact businesses that are not in the user’s area.

Secondly, it started to be more careful about blocking similar listings with the same addresses or phone numbers. Simply put, if your business was too similar to another, it might not show up in local search results.

To make your business easier to find on Google, make sure your GBP has the right information and uses important keywords. Ask people to write good reviews on GBP, and make sure all our business information is the same on all websites. Staying updated on strategies like these will help you deal with the changes from updates like Possum.

8. Is Your GBP Prominent Than Your Competitors?

Google might not show your business if it’s not very well-known. Prominence means how famous a business is, according to Google. When Google shows search results, it favors businesses that are well-known. If your company has a lot of other businesses that are better known than yours, you will likely be listed lower than all of them.

To become more popular on GBP, businesses should use the platform a lot and keep their profiles up to date with posts, pictures, and deals. This makes sure that profiles are always up-to-date and useful, and it tells Google that these businesses are involved and connected with their customers.

9. Focus on E-E-A-T

E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. Google uses it to check if content and websites are good quality. It is important for websites to have good E-E-A-T to rank well on Google. Google’s rules favor websites that:

• Show that they are very good at what they do
• Have power and influence in their field
• Seen as reliable by people who use them and by reputable sources

This framework is important for deciding which businesses show up high on Google search. So, how can you show these things for your business? First, make sure to create really good content.

Good content that is well-written, informative, and accurate can help make your business more trustworthy and improve your chances of ranking high. The better you understand and meet the needs and interests of your audience, the more successful you will be.

Next, try to get links and mentions from websites that are trusted and respected. This will tell Google that people know and respect your business in its industry, and it will help your website become more important.

Customer feedback can help show that your business is trustworthy and provides good service. Good reviews can impact people who might want to buy something, and they also show Google that the business is reliable and should show up higher in search results.

Also Read: Top SEO Trends of 2024 to Follow for Higher Rankings

10. Display Your Address in GBP if You Have a Home-Based Business

If you have a business that’s based at home or in a specific service area, you might be thinking about adding an address to your GBP. But it’s not easy. You have to consider a lot of things to determine what is best and safe for your situation.

Sharing your address can make your business seem more trustworthy to customers who are unsure if it is legitimate. However, it might not always be possible or a good idea, especially if your business is run from a home and you want to keep your privacy.

Choosing to display your address can make it easier for people to find your business in local searches. Google is more likely to show businesses with verified addresses in search results.

Also, having a real place helps to build trust with potential customers, making them feel like the business is reliable and here to stay. In the end, it depends on your situation and what you like. Simply put, there are advantages to including your address in your GBP if it’s possible and recommended for your business.

11. Consider External Factors

Keeping up with changes in algorithms and updates is really important when trying to figure out how to rank well in Google searches. But it’s also important to always be looking at what your competition is doing and what’s happening in the market.

How are you doing compared to other businesses in your area? How can you learn what they are doing to make your business better? Also, how can you do things in a unique way so that your business can be different from others?

If your business doesn’t appear on Google, it means that other similar businesses in your area are doing a better job at it. In that situation, you need to learn about the newest changes in how search engines work, look at what other companies are doing, and make big changes to your plan for making money.

12. Optimize Your Listing with AI

AI is a very important tool for businesses trying to improve different parts of their online presence. AI can now make it easier to improve listings on different websites by automating the process and making sure the information is the same and correct.

This can help you keep track of your listings, change information right away, and improve how often you show up in local search results. AI is very important for studying data to find out important information and patterns that help you make important decisions.

These new algorithms can quickly and accurately analyze a lot of data. They can find patterns, connections, and make suggestions to help your business do better. There are also tools that use AI to improve voice search.

These tools can help businesses make their content better suited for voice searches, which are becoming more common with the increase of smart devices and virtual assistants. We also need to look into AI-driven predictive analytics. It helps businesses predict future trends and behaviors using past data and patterns.

By using new data tools, businesses can better understand what their customers want, predict what will be popular in the market, and plan for future success. This helps them to make smarter choices, use their resources well, and stay ahead of other companies.

Overall, it’s time for you to start using artificial intelligence to improve your business listings, analyze data, adapt for voice search, and make your online presence better. This is how things will be in the future.

13. Optimize for Local Keywords

It’s important to use local keywords to make your business more visible in local searches and attract customers in your area. Local keywords are words that tell people where your business is, like the name of the city, neighborhood, or nearby places.

By adding these words to your website, descriptions, and Google Business Profile, you can improve your local search engine optimization. First, find the best local keywords for your business by using tools like Google Keyword Planner or Moz’s Keyword Explorer.

Think about the words and places that people might use when looking for what you offer. This will help them find you more easily. Instead of using general words like “coffee shop,” focus on specific words like “coffee shop in downtown Seattle”.

Make sure to use local keywords naturally in your business description, services, and posts in order to improve your GBP. Also, make sure to change the information on your website, like blog posts, service pages, and contact details, to match the location you are targeting. 

Since search engines can now connect your business with local searches, it’s more likely to show up in local search results. People who live nearby and are looking for services like yours are more likely to become customers because they have a specific need and are determined to find what they are looking for.

14. Add Quality Pictures and Videos

It’s really important to add good pictures and videos to your Google Business Profile. This will help make your business look better online and attract more customers. Pictures and videos have a big effect on how much people interact with your business. They show a clear and real picture of what you offer.

Good pictures of your store, inside, things you’re selling, and the people working there can make people feel good and trust you. This can make people want to come see your store or look at what you’re selling online.

Videos like virtual tours, customer stories, and product demonstrations are a great way to show off what makes your business special. When people look for nearby businesses, the ones with nice pictures and videos are more noticeable in the search results.

This makes it more likely for people to click on them and interact with them. In addition, if you keep updating your pictures and videos, it shows Google that your business is doing well and can help improve your search ranking.

Make sure your photos and videos are bright, clear, and show your business in a good way. Using important words in the names and descriptions of your images and videos can make them easier to find in search engines.

15. Use Q&A Section

Using the Q&A section of your Google Business Profile is a great way to talk to people interested in your business and give them important information. This feature lets people ask questions about your GBP listing and you can answer them for everyone to see.

By keeping an eye on and answering these questions, you show that you care about helping customers and that you are reliable and open. Giving quick and correct answers helps potential customers make good choices and can greatly improve how they see your business.

Q&A section lets you answer common questions before they are asked. By sharing and answering common questions, you can give helpful information to others before they even ask. This makes things better for users and cuts down on the same questions being asked over and over again, which saves time for everyone.

Using important words in your answers can help improve your profile and make it easier for people to find you in searches. Carefully thought-out responses that include important words related to your business can help more people find you in local search.

Also, a well-organized Q&A section can be a helpful place to store information, which can help to build your reputation and presence online. By using it well, you can make your business more visible, build trust, and improve the experience for users.

Wrapping Up

If your business isn’t appearing in Google search results, it’s important to figure out and fix the problems. Issues like a bad website design, copied content, not enough good links to the website, too many other websites competing for the same keywords, and technical problems with the website can all lead to this visibility problem.

Also, it’s important to keep track of any changes to Google’s rules and make sure your website follows the latest advice for getting noticed in search engines. By focusing on these things, you can make it easier for people to find your website, improve its position in search results, and get more visitors without paying for ads.

Keeping an eye on how your website is doing, using the best words for search engines, making good content, and using tools like GBP will help people find your website easily in search results. By doing these things ahead of time, your website will show up higher in search results and help your business grow online.

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