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How to add your business to Google Maps, and why it isn't showing

Go to business.google.com/add, choose Add your business to Google, enter your name, address or service area, category and phone, then verify. If Maps already shows your business, claim that listing instead: open it and choose Claim this business. Until it is verified, Google won't show your business info on Maps.

By Joseph Jang, Co-founder, PlacePilot

Published

5 min read
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Key takeaways

  • A Business Profile is free, and it is what puts a business on Google Maps and in local Search.
  • Search Maps for your name and city first: if a listing already exists, claim it rather than making a second one.
  • Google picks the verification method for you: a call or text, email, a video, or a postcard to the address.
  • A verified business that still doesn't appear is usually new, recently edited, suspended, or simply not ranking yet.

Why isn't my business showing on Google Maps?

Google names four causes. The profile isn't verified: only verified businesses show their info on Maps and Search. It is new: rankings for a new business can take up to a month to appear. It was just edited: changes can take up to 3 days to show. Or it was suspended for breaking the guidelines, and Google sends a notice to the account that manages it. If your business comes up when you search its exact name and town, the listing works; what you are missing is ranking for wider searches, which our guide to Google Maps ranking covers.

How do you add a business to Google Maps?

  1. 1. Search Maps for your name and town first

    Your café or guesthouse may already have a listing that nobody manages. If it is there and unverified, open it on a computer or in the Maps app and choose Claim this business. If someone else verified it, request ownership from them instead of starting over.1

  2. 2. Otherwise, add it at business.google.com/add

    Sign in with a Google Account (it can use any email address, not only Gmail), choose Add your business to Google and follow the screens. Adding or claiming a profile costs nothing.1

  3. 3. Enter the name you use on the sign

    Google wants your real-world name as it appears on the storefront, the menu and the website. Adding a tagline, a town or a keyword ("Marina Boat Tours Best Sunset Cruise") can get the profile suspended. Keep the same name everywhere you are listed; the glossary explains NAP consistency.4

  4. 4. Show your address, or a service area if guests don't come to you

    A restaurant, bar or holiday flat shows its street address. A transfer company or a guide who meets guests at their hotel hides the address and sets up to 20 service areas instead, by town or postal code. A rented mailbox or virtual office isn't allowed.5

  5. 5. Pick the fewest categories that describe you

    Choose the main category your customers would search for, such as Restaurant, Tour operator or Bed and breakfast, and add others only when they are a real part of the business.4

  6. 6. Verify with the method Google offers

    Google decides which methods you get, by business type, region and hours: a call or text to the business phone, email, a live video call, a recorded video, or a postcard. Most postcard codes arrive within 14 days and expire after 30 days; don't change your name, address or category while you wait. After you finish, Google's review takes up to 5 business days.2

  7. 7. Fill in the rest of the profile

    Hours, special hours, website, photos and attributes are what a search can match once you are on the map. Our free Google Business Profile audit lists what yours is missing.7

  8. 8. If it was suspended, appeal once, with proof

    Don't make a new profile for the same business. Use Google's appeals tool, and attach a business registration, licence or utility bill whose name and address match the profile. An appeal can only be sent once.6

Checklist

  • Searched Maps for the name and town
  • Claimed the existing listing, or added a new one
  • Name exactly as on the sign
  • Address shown, or service areas set
  • Fewest categories that fit
  • Verification finished
  • Hours, website and photos added
  • Found by searching the name and town

Questions

Is it free to add my business to Google Maps?

Yes. Adding or claiming a Business Profile costs nothing, and the profile is what makes the business appear on Google Maps and Search.

How long does it take for my business to show up on Google Maps?

Google reviews a finished verification within 5 business days, though it can take longer. Rankings for a new business can take up to a month to appear, and later edits up to 3 days.

Can I add my business to Google Maps without an address?

Yes, if you go to your customers rather than receiving them, like a transfer company or a mobile chef. Hide the address and list the towns or postal codes you serve as service areas.

Why can't I verify my business on Google?

Google chooses which methods you can use from your business type, region and hours, and some businesses need more than one. If none work, Google's help page says to contact support.

My business is verified, so why isn't it on Google Maps?

Search its exact name and town on Google Maps. If it appears, it is listed but not ranking for broader searches yet. If it doesn't, check for a suspension notice in the account that manages it.

What if my business is already on Google Maps but I don't manage it?

Open the listing and choose Claim this business if it is unverified. If someone else already verified it, request ownership from the current owner rather than creating a second profile, since Google allows one profile per business.

Sources

  1. Google Business Profile Help, Add or claim your Business Profile · read
  2. Google Business Profile Help, Verify your business on Google · read
  3. Google Business Profile Help, Find your business on Google · read
  4. Google Business Profile Help, Guidelines for representing your business on Google · read
  5. Google Business Profile Help, Manage your service areas for service-area and hybrid businesses · read
  6. Google Business Profile Help, Fix suspended or disabled profiles · read
  7. Google Business Profile Help, Tips to improve your local ranking on Google · read

Written by Joseph Jang, Co-founder, PlacePilot

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