Search for “plumber near me” and Google’s map results show three businesses before any regular results. For a local business, that little box is prime real estate. Here’s how it works and what you can do about it.
What the map results are
The map results, often called the “map pack,” pull from Google Business Profiles, not from websites directly. That’s why a business with a basic website can outrank one with a beautiful site: their profile is doing the heavy lifting.
How Google decides
Google says local results are based mainly on three things:
- Relevance: how well your profile matches what someone searched for.
- Distance: how far you are from the person searching, or from the location in their search.
- Prominence: how well known your business is, based on reviews, links, and information across the web.
You can’t move your building. But relevance and prominence are very much in your control.
Start with your Business Profile
- Claim and verify your profile if you haven’t.
- Choose the most accurate primary category. This matters more than almost anything else.
- Keep hours current, including holidays.
- List your services and the areas you serve.
- Add real photos of your work, your team, and your location.
- Post updates regularly so the profile stays active.
Reviews matter more than most people think
Reviews affect both your ranking and whether people call you once they see you. Ask every happy customer, and make it easy with a direct link. Reply to every review, good or bad. Never buy reviews or offer rewards for them; it’s against Google’s policies and can get your profile penalized.
Keep your name, address, and phone consistent
Your business information lives on dozens of directory sites. When it’s different in different places, like an old phone number or a former address, Google trusts it less. Cleaning up those listings is tedious, but it’s worth doing once and doing right.
Give Google pages to rank
Your website still matters. A page for each main service and each town you serve gives Google more to match against searches, and gives customers the details they want before they call.
How long it takes
Profile fixes and new reviews can move your map rankings within weeks. Website rankings usually take a few months. Anyone promising a guaranteed first spot is promising something only Google controls.
How we measure it
We check your ranking from dozens of points across your service area and show it as a color map every month: green where you’re winning, red where you’re not. See how our local SEO works.
