Guide

Why competitors outrank you locally

It is a sore subject. A competitor you know is no better than you sits at the top of the map while you are nowhere. The reasons are almost always boring and fixable rather than mysterious.

They have more reviews

Review count and how recent they are carry real weight in local results, and they carry even more weight with the person reading them.

This is the biggest single gap for most trades and the one entirely within your control.

Their profile is finished

Categories set properly, services listed, hours correct, photos added regularly, questions answered. Most profiles are half filled.

Go through yours beside theirs and the difference is usually obvious in a minute.

Their website backs it up

Google cross checks the profile against the site. A site with proper service pages, the area mentioned and matching contact details supports the listing. A one page site does not.

If your site is slow on a phone, that hurts too.

They are simply closer

If their pin is in the middle of town and yours is out the road, they start ahead for anyone searching in town. You cannot beat distance directly, so win the ordinary results with better pages instead.

Where to start

In this order, for most trades.

  • Ask every customer for a review, every time
  • Complete the Google profile fully
  • Add photos regularly
  • Write proper service pages
  • Make sure the site is fast on a phone

Common questions

How long does it take to catch up?

Months rather than weeks, and it depends mostly on reviews. Anyone promising you the top spot quickly is guessing.

Can I pay to be at the top of the map?

Ads appear above the results and are marked as ads. The organic positions cannot be bought.

Where to go next

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