You claimed your Google Business Profile, uploaded a logo, maybe even convinced your mum to leave a five-star review—but you’re still not showing up when people search for what you do. Meanwhile, your competitor (who you know for a fact uses Comic Sans on their business cards) is sitting pretty at the top of local search results.
That frustration? Yeah, I’ve seen it about a hundred times. Business owners scratching their heads, wondering why their “optimised” Google Business Profile is about as visible as a drop bear in the wild.
The good news? It’s completely fixable. The bad news? You’ve probably been doing it wrong this whole time.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: most local businesses are practically invisible on Google, and they don’t even realise it. They think claiming their profile and uploading a fuzzy photo of their shopfront is “digital marketing.” That’s like putting up a billboard in the middle of the Nullarbor and wondering why nobody’s calling.
Let me break down the 7 most common reasons your Google Business Profile isn’t ranking—and how to actually fix them without needing a PhD in SEO wizardry.
Let’s start with the basics, because apparently we need to. If your Google Business Profile isn’t verified, you might as well not have one at all. It’s like having a business licence that you never bothered to pick up from the council office.
Why It’s Killing Your Visibility: Google doesn’t trust unverified businesses to show up in local search results. Would you recommend a restaurant that you couldn’t confirm actually exists? Neither would Google.
How to Fix It: Get your profile verified through Google’s verification process. Usually, this means getting a postcard sent to your physical address with a verification code. Yes, it’s old school. Yes, it takes a few days. Yes, you actually need to do it.
If you’re still waiting for that postcard from 2019, request a new one. Google’s verification system isn’t perfect, but it’s non-negotiable.
This is where I see businesses shoot themselves in the foot spectacularly. They either pick categories that sound “cooler” than what they actually do, or they leave them blank altogether thinking they’re being mysterious.
Why It’s Hurting You: Google uses your business categories to understand what you do and when to show you in search results. If you’re a plumber but you’ve categorised yourself as a “home improvement contractor,” you won’t show up when someone searches for “emergency plumber near me.”
How to Fix It: Pick your primary category based on what you actually do, not what you wish you did. Then add relevant secondary categories that accurately describe your services. Be specific. “Restaurant” is generic rubbish. “Thai Restaurant” or “Indian Takeaway” tells Google exactly when to show you.
And for the love of all that’s holy, don’t try to game the system by picking categories that don’t apply to your business. Google’s smarter than that, and you’ll just confuse potential customers.
NAP stands for Name, Address, Phone number. If this information isn’t consistent across every single platform where your business is listed, Google gets confused. And when Google gets confused, your rankings tank.
Why It’s Killing Your Rankings: Google cross-references your business information across hundreds of directories and websites. If your business name is “Bob’s Plumbing” on your website but “Robert’s Plumbing Services” on your Google Business Profile, Google thinks you’re two different businesses.
How to Fix It: Do an audit of everywhere your business is listed online. Make sure your business name, address, and phone number are exactly the same everywhere. I mean exactly—down to the abbreviations and punctuation.
This includes your website, social media profiles, directory listings, and anywhere else your business information appears. It’s tedious work, but it’s the foundation of local SEO that actually works.
Your Google Business Profile description reads like it was written by someone who’s never had a conversation with another human being. Either it’s stuffed with so many keywords it sounds like a robot wrote it, or it’s so vague it could describe any business in any industry.
Why It’s Hurting Your Visibility: Google needs to understand what you do and where you do it. If your profile doesn’t mention the services you provide or the areas you serve, Google won’t know when to show you in search results.
How to Fix It: Write your business description like you’re talking to a mate who’s asking what you do. Include the services you actually provide and the areas where you provide them. If you’re a electrician in Fremantle, say that. Don’t just say you’re an “electrical solutions provider.”
Use local keywords naturally in your posts and updates too. Talk about local events, local landmarks, and local issues that matter to your customers.
You’ve got three reviews, two of them are from your family members, and one is a one-star review from 2018 that you never responded to. Meanwhile, your competitors have dozens of recent reviews and actually engage with their customers.
Why It’s Destroying Your Rankings: Reviews are like votes of confidence. Google uses them as a major ranking factor because they indicate that real people actually use your business. No reviews = no credibility = no visibility.
How to Fix It: Start asking satisfied customers for reviews. Not in a pushy way, but as part of your normal customer service process. Send follow-up emails, include review requests on receipts, or simply ask in person when you know you’ve done good work.
More importantly, respond to every single review—good and bad. Thank people for positive reviews and address negative ones professionally. Show Google (and potential customers) that you actually care about customer feedback.
Your profile photo is a blurry selfie of your shopfront taken from across the street, and your other photos are either non-existent or look like they were shot during a minor earthquake. This isn’t Instagram, but presentation still matters.
Why It’s Hurting You: People are visual. They want to see what your business looks like, what you do, and who you are before they decide to contact you. Crappy photos make you look like you don’t care about your business, so why should they?
How to Fix It: Take decent photos of your business, your team, your work, and your products. They don’t need to be professional photographer quality, but they should be clear, well-lit, and actually show what you do.
Include photos of your team at work, your finished projects, your shopfront, and anything else that helps potential customers understand what you’re about. Regular photo updates also signal to Google that your business is active and current.
If your Google Business Profile hasn’t been updated since 2019, it might as well have a “Gone Fishing” sign hanging on it. You’re not posting updates, you’re not responding to questions, and you’re definitely not engaging with customers.
Why It’s Killing Your Visibility: Google loves fresh, active content. Regular updates signal that your business is alive and kicking. If you’re not updating your profile, Google assumes you’re not actively running your business.
How to Fix It: Start posting regular updates about your business. Share news, promotions, behind-the-scenes content, or helpful tips related to your industry. Answer questions from potential customers quickly and thoroughly.
Even simple posts about your daily work or seasonal tips can make a huge difference. The goal is to show Google that your business is active and engaged with your community.
Look, I could tell you to go fix all this yourself, but let’s be honest—you’ve got a business to run. You didn’t start your business to become a Google Business Profile optimisation expert.
At Scale and Grow, we’ve seen every possible way a Google Business Profile can be stuffed up, and we’ve developed systems to fix them all:
Local SEO Audits: We audit your entire online presence to find every inconsistency, missing piece, or optimisation opportunity that’s holding you back.
Complete GBP Optimisation: We fix your categories, optimise your descriptions with relevant local keywords, and make sure your profile actually represents what you do and where you do it.
Review Generation Systems: We help you build automated systems to consistently generate genuine reviews from satisfied customers, and we help you respond to them professionally.
Photo and Content Strategy: We help you create visual content that actually showcases your business and attracts customers, not just fills up space.
Ongoing Management: We keep your profile active with regular posts, updates, and engagement so Google knows you’re serious about your business.
Real Local Keyword Research: We research what your actual customers are searching for in your area and optimise your profile accordingly.
We don’t just point out the problems—we roll up our sleeves and fix them. Because an unoptimised Google Business Profile is like having a neon sign that’s unplugged. It might look the part, but it’s not doing the job.
Your Google Business Profile isn’t just another directory listing—it’s your local shopfront online. It’s often the first impression potential customers get of your business, and if it’s not optimised, you’re losing visibility, leads, and sales every single day.
The businesses that show up at the top of local search results aren’t there by accident. They’ve optimised their profiles properly, they stay active and engaged, and they understand that local SEO is an ongoing process, not a set-and-forget task.
If your last Google Business Profile update was pre-pandemic, your profile might as well say “Out of Business.” But the good news is that most of your competitors are making the same mistakes, which means fixing these issues can give you a massive advantage in local search.
You can keep wondering why your competitors are getting all the customers, or you can fix your Google Business Profile and start getting found by people who are actually looking for what you do.
Ready to stop being invisible on Google? Let’s fix your Google Business Profile the right way. Contact Scale and Grow today, and let’s get your business showing up where your customers are actually looking.
P.S. – If you’re still using that blurry photo of your car park as your main business image, we need to talk. Your customers deserve better, and so does your business.