Why your Google Business Profile is not showing up, and how to fix it

The short answer

A profile that does not show up is usually unverified, in the wrong category, half filled in, or listing different details from the rest of the web. Google says local results are based mainly on relevance, distance and prominence. You cannot move closer to every customer, but relevance and prominence are paperwork, and most of your competitors never do it.

Why is my Google Business Profile not showing up?

Work through these in order, because each one blocks the next. First, verification. Nothing on an unverified profile counts, so check it says verified before changing anything else. Second, the primary category. Relevance is how well your profile matches the search, and the category does more for it than any other field: Plumber, Electrician or Roofer, never a vague catch all. Third, completeness. Google states that businesses with complete and accurate info are more likely to show up in local search results, so fill in hours, phone, website, services and a real description. Fourth, consistency. Your business name, address and phone number should match character for character everywhere they appear. In our own check of 3,589 London trade businesses, 9.2% showed different details depending on where you looked.

Can I hide my home address if I work from home?

Yes, and Google wants you to. Its instruction is plain: if you do not serve customers at your business address, remove the address from your profile and set a service area instead. You can set up to 20 service areas by city or postcode, but not a radius, and Google advises the whole area should not be more than about two hours' drive from where you are based. Do not paste a list of towns into your description to rank in them: that is the pattern Google treats as a violation, and the service area field exists so you never need to. Source: Google, service area businesses, retrieved 20 October 2026.

Why is Google making me verify with a video?

Because a trade business has no shopfront for Google to check, so it asks you to show it instead. For a live video call, Google asks you to show three things: your location (signs, nearby businesses or a street sign), your equipment (branded equipment, marketing material or the tools you use to serve customers), and proof that you manage the business (somewhere or something only the business can access). Google says verification reviews take up to five business days, and rarely longer. For a tradesman that means a lettered van, your tools and the lock up or paperwork only you can open. Plan the shots before you start, because a video that does not show all three is the usual reason it fails. Source: Google, verify your business, retrieved 20 October 2026.

Is a Google Business Profile free?

Yes. Google charges nothing to create, verify or keep a Business Profile, and nothing to appear in the local map results. What it costs is time: the afternoon it takes to fill in every field properly, and a few minutes a week to keep it current. That time is the whole reason most trade profiles are half finished, which is also why a complete one stands out.

How do I get more Google reviews, the way that counts?

Google says more reviews and positive ratings can help your local ranking, and that positive reviews and helpful replies can help a business stand out. Its policy then decides which reviews survive. Under Google's rules a business may not pay for reviews or offer anything in exchange for one, including a discount; may not post reviews from anyone with a conflict of interest, such as staff; and may not discourage negative reviews or selectively ask only happy customers, which is known as review gating. So ask every customer, at the end of every job, the same way. Ask for a photo of the finished work with the review. Reply to every one, including the bad one, calmly. Source: Google, fake engagement policy, retrieved 20 October 2026.

How long until a new profile shows up?

Nothing shows until the profile is verified, and Google says verification reviews take up to five business days. After that, there is no fixed date: where you appear depends on relevance, distance and prominence, so a complete profile with reviews climbs faster than a bare one.

Every fix on this page is free and most of it is an afternoon's admin. If you would rather we claimed the profile, filled every field, set up your service area properly and gave you a review link your customers can open in one tap, that is exactly what GOOGLE ON does.

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