· Business
Why is your competitor on Google Maps and you're not?
Your website is new. It's fast, and it looks good.
But when someone nearby searches "painter near me", the map shows three other businesses. Not yours.
It's one of the most common questions small business owners have. And the answer is often not on the website.
On the map, Google mostly looks at your Google Business Profile.
What Google looks at
Google says it uses three things to pick local results.
- Relevance. Does your profile match what the person searched?
- Distance. How close are you to them?
- Prominence. How well known are you? Reviews, ratings, other sites that mention you.
Your website helps with the last one. But the profile is what sits on the map.
The setting most people pick too fast
When you create a profile, Google asks for a primary category. Most people pick something close enough and move on.
But that one choice tells Google which searches you belong in.
For example, a painter who picks "Contractor" tells Google "I do many things". A painter who picks "Painter" tells Google exactly what they do.
You can add more categories later. The first one still counts the most.
Worth a look in your profile
- The primary category is your main service, in plain words.
- New reviews keep coming, and each one has a short reply.
- Real photos of your work, not only the logo.
- Opening hours are right, holidays included.
- Name and phone number are the same as on your website.
None of this needs a new website. Sometimes ten minutes in the profile matter more than a new design.
And when the website is the missing part, that's what I build: websites for local businesses.