How to get into the Google Maps top 3

Search for nearly any local service and Google shows a map with three businesses underneath. That’s the map pack, and for most local firms it’s where the phone calls come from. People tap a name, glance at the reviews and ring. If you’re not in those three, you’re scrolling territory. Here’s what I do to get clients in there.

How does Google decide who’s in the map pack?

Google says local results come down to three things. Relevance is how well your listing matches the search. Distance is how close you are to the person searching. Prominence is how well known and trusted you are. You can’t move your premises, so the work goes into the other two.

Distance does explain one thing people often ask me. You might be top when you search from your shop and nowhere when you search from home. That’s normal. Rankings in the map change street by street.

Which Google Business Profile category should you choose?

The one that matches your main money-making service as closely as possible. The primary category is one of the strongest signals on your whole listing. A “roofing contractor” will struggle to show for “guttering” searches if guttering is all they’ve told Google about. Add secondary categories for the other things you do, but keep them honest.

What should you fill in on your listing?

Everything. I’m always surprised how many listings are half done. Add each of your services with a short description, because Google uses them to match you to searches. Set your opening hours, including bank holidays and Christmas, so nobody turns up to a locked door. If you travel to customers, list the areas you cover.

Write a plain business description that says what you do and where, without stuffing it with keywords. Link to your website, plus a booking link if you take bookings online. Then tick the attributes that apply, like wheelchair access or free parking. Each one is a small signal. Together they make a listing look complete and trustworthy. My guide on how to set up a Google Business Profile walks through every section.

Do photos help you rank in Google Maps?

They help you win the click, which is half the battle. Real photos of your work, your team, your van or your premises build trust fast. A listing with no photos next to one with fifty looks like it’s closed. Add a few new ones regularly rather than a big dump once a year.

How much do reviews matter for the map pack?

A lot. They feed into prominence, and they’re what people read before ringing. Ask every happy customer, send a direct link, and reply to every single review. I go into the how in why Google reviews matter.

Are Google posts worth doing?

They’re quick and they keep your listing looking alive. A recent job, an offer, a seasonal reminder. I wouldn’t expect them to shoot you up the rankings on their own, but an active listing tends to do better than one nobody’s touched in two years.

Does your website affect your map ranking?

Yes. Your listing and website work as a pair. Good service pages, area pages and the same name, address and phone number as your listing all help. A listing pointing at a slow, thin website is playing with one hand tied behind its back. See on-page SEO basics.

Can you rank in the map without a shop?

Yes. Mobile trades like plumbers, cleaners and dog groomers can set up a service area business and hide their home address. You’ll still rank best near your registered address, so area pages on your website matter even more for reaching the towns further out.

What gets a Google listing suspended?

The most common one is stuffing keywords into your business name, like “Joe’s Plumbing Liverpool Emergency Plumber”. It might give a short boost, but competitors report it and Google takes it seriously. Using a virtual office or PO box as your address is another fast route to suspension, and so is creating extra listings for towns where you don’t actually have premises.

Buying fake reviews or reviewing yourself falls in the same bucket. Google removes them in batches, and a listing that suddenly loses half its reviews looks worse than one that never had them.

I’ve helped people get suspended listings back. It’s slow and stressful. Much easier to stay on the right side of the rules from the start.

How do you track where you rank in the map?

Because the map changes street by street, one search from your office tells you very little. I use tools that check your position from a grid of points across your area, so you can see where you’re strong and where you drop off. It usually shows a clear pattern. Top three near your base, fading out a couple of miles away.

Your Google Business Profile also shows how many people found you, how many called and how many asked for directions. Those numbers matter more than any ranking. If calls are going up, it’s working. I report on both every month as part of an SEO campaign, and the area pages I build for clients, like my own for Crosby and Bootle, help push that strong zone further out.

Questions people ask me

Keep reading

Start with how to set up a Google Business Profile if your listing needs work. Why Google reviews matter covers the review side in depth, and the benefits of local SEO explains why the map is worth the effort.

Hi, I’m Pete

Want to know where you sit in the map?

Tell me your trade and your town. I’ll check where you show up and what’s keeping you out of the top three.

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