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Originally Posted On: https://neurdesigns.com/resources/why-is-my-business-not-showing-up-on-google/
Did you know that more than 3.5 billion Google searches are made every day? If you’re in business, you need to ensure you’ve got optimal online performance if you want to get ahead.
In the modern era, online presence is one of the most important things any business can have. So, if you’re asking yourself “why is my business not showing up on Google?” you could be losing a lot of business.
Want to know some common causes of the problem and how to address them? We can help. Read on to find out more about getting your business on Google and climbing to the top of those Google rankings.
How Google Searches Work
Before we dive into the nuts and bolts of the question, it’s worth gaining an understanding of how Google works. Although this famed search engine has been a part of daily life for many years now, a lot of people still don’t understand how it works.
Google uses a set of complex algorithms to trawl the web and find matches to a search. The algorithms take lots of different factors into account when putting together search results. They look for the relevance of a website to search terms, how popular the website is, and many other factors.
Once these results have been pulled, they need to be ranked. Again, algorithms come into play to decide how results should be ranked. One major factor here is location, as Google will try to show search results relevant to a specific area.
Just above, and sometimes below, a list of search results, Google will also show ads. These are often designed to look as if they are a top search result, but the client has in fact paid to have their website show up in that position. The algorithms don’t work for these ads.
Why is My Business Not Showing Up on Google?
There are two fundamental reasons your business might not be showing up on Google. The first is that Google hasn’t indexed your business. This may be because of a technical error, or because your business is very new and hasn’t been registered by Google’s algorithms yet.
The second reason is that your business is showing up on Google, but it’s so far down the list of search results that it might as well not be there. The vast majority of internet users only look at the first few results on a page. If you’ve been pushed beyond the first page, or even to the bottom of the first page, you’ll attract far less attention online.
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Rankings and Competition
When you make a Google search, have you ever spotted the line of text on the screen letting you know how many results popped up for your search term? You might notice numbers so big you’re not sure how to pronounce them, with zeroes trailing off the end of the screen.
That goes to show what kind of competition is out there. Unless you’re in an incredibly niche industry, you’re bound to have an untold number of competitors, many perhaps located within your own neighborhood.
This problem can be exacerbated when you’re operating in a crowded field. Let’s say you’re running a pizza shop in New York City. You’ll have to face off against thousands of competitors!
Don’t despair. There are lots of ways to get around these problems. It can be tough, but with the right knowledge behind you, you can do lots of things to help your business climb that ladder.
Verification
If your business is not showing up at all on Google, it may be because you’ve failed to verify your business is legitimate. Google needs to check businesses are genuine and currently operating, or they could become overwhelmed with fake listings.
That’s why Google requires you to take some steps to verify your business’s details. You can verify in several ways, including:
- Online, by logging into your Google My Business account
- Over the phone, by requesting a call
- Through mail, by requesting a postcard to your business address, then using the verification code on the card
All of these methods are quick and easy. Once you’ve verified, it should only be a matter of days before the process is complete and your business appears officially on Google.
Categories
It’s important to choose the right categories for your business on Google. While this may sound simple, it can sometimes be tough to choose between the categories Google presents, especially if your business is somewhat unique or spans different business types.
But if you do your best and fill out the categories that seem most relevant, you’ll soon start to appear in more web searches.
Try to think about things from a potential customer’s perspective. How might someone interested in your services categorize your business?
SEO
SEO, or search engine optimization, is one of the most important services available to businesses today. This process allows your business to feature more prominently in searches on Google and other search engines. It’s been proven to be a massive boon to businesses across the world and can provide the much-needed edge so many companies need.
Failure to optimize SEO is one of the main reasons your brand isn’t showing up on Google. Remember, your business competitors likely will be making use of these techniques, so you could be at a significant disadvantage.
Blog Content
One of the best ways a website can improve SEO is through blog content. This could be a series of articles each containing carefully selected keywords sprinkled throughout the prose.
SEO blogs work by taking advantage of search engine algorithms. People go online to search for certain popular phrases or terms. They’ll find the SEO content with the right keywords and Google will notice people commonly read the content on a given site and improve its Google search visibility.
Producing good SEO content isn’t easy. You need to find the right keywords and then create content that uses them organically. Although some businesses choose to overstuff their creations with keywords, this is a tactic that’s unlikely to be successful in the long term.
Keywords
Keywords are one of the main elements that decide where an article ranks on Google. Most people only type a few simple words or phrases into a Google search box without thinking about it too much. But these words determine whether a customer will find your content.
There are lots of free tools available online that can help with finding good keywords, but for best results, you can hire a professional company to do the work for you. It’s a good idea to find keywords that have high search volume and low competition. This can be easier said than done, but with a little research, you should be able to find something suitable.
Backlinks
Another special technique used to boost Google rankings is backlinking. This means ensuring that other pages on the internet link to your website. When other pages link to you, it shows Google your page is “popular” and can help you climb those rankings.
Some websites may choose to link to yours if you’re providing quality, informative content. If you can get organic backlinking, then great! But it’s not always easy to generate the necessary buzz to get other websites to link to yours.
Another way to achieve backlinks is through the use of guest posts. Many websites are dedicated to providing backlinks for others and these produce a special type of article known as a guest post.
Guest posts cover a topic relevant to your business and include a backlink somewhere in the prose. Not only will you get the benefit of an extra link to boost your Google rankings, but the guest post itself can also serve as an advertisement for your services.
It’s All in a Name
When you set up your business, how much thought went into the name? You probably chose something that rolls off the tongue, or something with special significance to you or your family. But that name may not be the best one in terms of search engine rankings.
The name of your business and website needs to stand out as punchy and catchy. If it’s too long or unappealing, customers will be less inclined to click on your website. If it’s too similar to other business names, it may face too much competition.
If you think your name might be holding you back, there’s nothing stopping you from changing it. Even if you want to keep your name for sentimental or technical reasons, you could run your website under a trading name. Alternatively, consider basing your online marketing around a catchy tagline to draw in those customers.
Finding a Niche
If you’re operating in a competitive market, it might be a good idea to find a niche. This will help you stand out from the crowd and get more clicks from potential customers. The end result could see your site climb those all-important Google rankings.
Let’s return to the example of a New York pizza shop. Sure, there are thousands of such businesses across the city. But how many of them offer vegan or low-calorie pizza?
If you can promote your unique selling point effectively, your business will perform far better on an online search results page. Think about what you can offer that no one else can, or something you specialize in doing. Talk that up and you’ll earn much better visibility on Google.
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A Matter of Time
Even if you’ve verified your business, refined your SEO, and put a great website online, you still might not see results. Why? It could be a matter of time.
Search engine results are a result of algorithms. That means all kinds of technology are beavering away in the background, helping to decide which results come first after a search. These algorithms take time to do their thing, so if you’ve only recently added your details to the web, you might need to wait a week or so before you start seeing results.
Maps
Appearing on Google Maps can be another huge boost for your business. Many business owners wonder why they don’t show up on the world’s most used navigation tool.
Most businesses don’t show up automatically on Google Maps. You need to verify your business details to ensure it shows up on maps.
Be aware that anyone can add details of businesses to Google Maps. So, it’s possible someone could have mistakenly added your business to Maps in the wrong location or with incorrect details.
The key advantage of showing up on maps is a stronger presence for local searches. If a customer searches for businesses “near me” data can be pulled from Google Maps to find appropriate locations close to them.
A Quality Website For Your Business
We all know the power of a strong online presence. But it’s not just about directing customers to your website. You need them to find quality content once they reach your site.
Your potential customers need to find a modern website with the tools and information they need to access your services. It’s not just about content. It’s about getting the style right, too.
That’s where we come in. With our years of experience and wide-ranging skills, we’re experts at producing quality websites and online content so you’ll never ask “why is my business not showing up on Google?” again. Contact us today to find out about our services and how we can help you to get ahead online.
