How to Get Your Business Found on Google: A Guide for Australian Suppliers

A purchasing officer in Brisbane needs a new supplier of galvanised brackets after their usual one put prices up. They open Google, type what they need and a city, and call whoever looks credible on the first page. If your business makes exactly that product but doesn't show up, you never hear about the job.

This guide explains how to get your business found on Google when you sell to other businesses: manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors that want trade buyers, not walk-in shoppers. Most local SEO advice is written for cafés and plumbers, so the steps below focus on suppliers' problems, with a source for every claim.

Why trade buyers struggle to find small suppliers

Business buyers lean heavily on search, and they usually start broad. In a 2014 study by Google and Millward Brown Digital, 71% of B2B researchers started with a generic search rather than a brand name, and they did an average of 12 searches before engaging on a specific brand's site. That study is old and was commissioned by Google, which sells search ads, so treat the exact numbers with care. The pattern still matters: a buyer who doesn't know your name will search for the product, not for you.

Buyers also have reasons to look for new suppliers. In the ABS Characteristics of Australian Business, 2024–25, 59% of businesses reported disruptions to their supply chains, and 24% of all businesses pointed to changes in product supply, quality or pricing. When that happens, someone usually goes looking for an alternative or backup supplier.

The trouble is that many supplier websites describe the company rather than the products: a home page, an "About us" page and one "Products" page or a PDF catalogue. None of it uses the words a buyer actually types, so Google has little reason to show it.

How Google decides what to show

Google explains that Search works in three stages: crawling (finding pages), indexing (understanding and storing them) and serving relevant results. Most pages aren't submitted by hand; Google finds them automatically, often by following links. Google also says it doesn't accept payment to rank pages higher, and it doesn't guarantee that any page will be crawled, indexed or shown (Google Search Central).

For map and local results, Google says rankings are mainly based on relevance (how well a profile matches the search), distance and prominence (how well known a business is, including links and reviews) (Google Business Profile Help).

What about AI Overviews and AI Mode? Google says there are no extra requirements to appear in them. A page needs to be indexed and eligible to show with a snippet, and the usual SEO basics apply (Google Search Central). Getting the fundamentals right covers both.

How to get your business found on Google: 8 steps for suppliers

1. Check whether Google can see you at all

Search Google for site:yourdomain.com.au. Google's SEO Starter Guide suggests this as the first check: if results appear, you're in the index. If nothing shows, look for a technical problem before you do anything else.

Then set up Google Search Console. It's free, and it shows which search queries your site appears for, how often people click, and any indexing problems Google finds.

2. Give every main product line its own page

This is the single biggest fix for most suppliers. Instead of one long products page, create a page for each main line: "stainless steel hand rails", "corrugated shipping cartons", "commercial LED panel lights". On each page, include:

• what the product is, the sizes or grades you offer and the standards it meets
• typical applications and the types of customer who buy it
• minimum order quantities, lead times and the states you deliver to
• clear photos with descriptive alt text
• a phone number and an enquiry form or email address

Use the words buyers use. Google's guide gives the example that some people search for "charcuterie" while others search for "cheese board" (SEO Starter Guide). In trade, one buyer types "lintels" and another types "steel lintel bars". Ask your sales team what customers call things, and use both terms naturally. Don't repeat keywords over and over, though. Google counts keyword stuffing as spam (Google spam policies).

If your catalogue only exists as a PDF, put the key information on web pages as well. Google's guidance on AI features stresses making important content available as text (Google Search Central).

3. Write titles and descriptions that match the search

The page title is often the main thing people read before deciding to click. Google recommends a unique, descriptive and concise title for every page, and warns against boilerplate like using the same title across a whole site (Google Search Central). "Galvanised Steel Brackets, Made in Victoria | Your Company" beats "Products | Your Company".

Write a short meta description for each important page too. Google's guide describes a good one as short, unique to the page and covering its most relevant points (SEO Starter Guide).

4. Set up a Google Business Profile, if you're eligible

A Business Profile can put you in Google Maps and the local results. Google says a business must make in-person contact with customers during its stated hours to be eligible (Google Business Profile Help). If you deliver to customers or visit them, rather than serving them at your premises, you're a service-area business: you remove your address from the profile and can list up to 20 service areas (Google Business Profile Help). A business that only trades online isn't eligible.

If you qualify, verify the profile, fill in every field, choose accurate categories and add real photos. Google says businesses with complete, accurate information are more likely to show in local results (Google Business Profile Help).

Ask happy trade customers for reviews, but never offer anything in return. Google prohibits incentives such as discounts or free goods in exchange for reviews (Google Business Profile Help).

5. Add structured data about your business

Structured data is code that describes your business to search engines in a standard format. Google says Organization markup on your home page can help it understand your organisation's details and tell it apart from others with similar names (Google Search Central). Include your legal name, logo, address, phone and website. Make sure it matches what's visible on the page; Google's AI features guide calls this out too (Google Search Central).

6. Get listed where buyers and Google already look

Google primarily finds pages through links from pages it has already crawled, often on other websites (SEO Starter Guide). So it helps to be mentioned in credible places: your industry association's member list, suppliers' "where to buy" pages and directories that trade buyers actually use.

Be choosy. Google's spam policies list "low-quality directory or bookmark site links" and buying links for ranking purposes as examples of link spam (Google spam policies). The right reason to list your business in a directory is that buyers browse it, not to game rankings. Our guide on how to get wholesale customers in Australia covers which directories and supplier networks are worth your time.

7. Make it easy to trust you and contact you

Google notes that most searches are now done on mobile devices, so check your site works well on a phone (Google Search Central). Then make the credibility checks easy:

• show your ABN and legal entity name, matching what buyers will see on ABN Lookup
• use an email address on your own domain rather than a free webmail account
• put a phone number and enquiry option on every product page, not just the contact page
• show real photos of your products, premises and team

Distributors weighing up a new supplier run the same checks. If you're looking for one, see our guide on how to find a distributor for your product in Australia.

8. Measure, then give it time

Google says some changes show up within hours while others take several months, and suggests waiting a few weeks before judging whether a change worked (SEO Starter Guide). Use Search Console's Performance report to see which searches and pages bring visitors. Traffic from AI Overviews and AI Mode is included there as well (Google Search Central). Most importantly, ask every new trade customer how they found you.

What about ChatGPT and other AI search tools?

Some buyers now ask AI assistants for supplier suggestions. For Google's own AI features, Google says you don't need special files, AI text files or extra markup, and the normal SEO basics apply (Google Search Central). Other AI tools have their own systems, and nobody can guarantee a mention. Clear, accurate information about what you supply, on your own site and reputable directory profiles, is the sensible starting point.

Where the Cravio B2B Directory fits

We built the Cravio B2B Directory for Australian manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors that sell to other businesses. It's one more credible place for buyers to find you:

• Your own profile page with your products, up to six photos, location and contact details.
• Browsing by state and category, so buyers can narrow the list to suppliers who serve them.
• Direct contact. Buyers reach you by phone, email or your website. We don't sit in the middle and there's no commission.
• Reviewed listings. Our team checks every new listing and every edit before it goes live.
• Free for founding members, with no credit card needed. If you'd rather not write it yourself, our team can set up your listing.

To give your profile the best chance in search, write a description of at least 150 words and add at least one product. Thinner listings can still be browsed in the directory, but they're kept out of search engine indexes. Each profile also includes structured data describing your business. Website links on listings are nofollow by default: the value is buyers finding and contacting you, not link tricks. Once your listing is live, you can add a "Featured on Cravio AI" badge to your website that links to your profile.

Need help publishing product pages and articles regularly? See our AI content marketing service and our work with manufacturers and distributors.

FAQ

How long does it take to show up on Google?

It varies. Google says some changes take effect in a few hours and others take several months, and recommends waiting a few weeks before assessing results. Setting up Search Console helps you see when your pages are indexed.

Do I have to pay Google to be found?

No. Google says it doesn't accept payment to crawl a site more often or rank it higher. Search ads are a separate, paid product.

Can I get found on Google without a website?

Partly. If you're eligible, a Google Business Profile can appear in Maps and local results, and a complete directory profile gives buyers somewhere credible to land. A website with a page per product line still gives you the best chance in product searches.

Do directory listings help SEO?

A good listing on a directory that buyers use can bring enquiries directly and gives Google another page about your business. Low-quality directories that exist mainly for links are worth avoiding.

Is the Cravio B2B Directory free?

Yes. A standard listing is free for founding members and no credit card is needed. You sign up with your company email and we review your listing before it goes live.

List your business where Australian buyers look

Getting found on Google comes down to clear product pages, accurate business details and being present where buyers already search. The Cravio B2B Directory gives your business its own profile page, so trade buyers can find you by state and category and contact you directly. Create your free account with your company email, and we'll review your listing before it goes live.