If you search for your own trade and suburb and someone else keeps coming up first, you're not imagining it. A simple competitor analysis on Google Maps tells you who those businesses are and what their Google Business Profile has that yours doesn't. You don't need special tools to start. You need about half an hour, a phone and the table below.
- The businesses above you on Google Maps usually have a few clear things in common: the right categories, more recent reviews, replies to those reviews and a busy-looking profile.
- Check their profiles one by one and fill in a simple table, so you can see the gaps in black and white.
- Don't try to beat everyone. Pick the one competitor that's closest to you in size and catch them first.
- No one can guarantee a position on Google, but closing the gaps gives Google more reasons to show you.
Who is beating you on Google Maps?
Start by searching the way your customers do. Open Google Maps on your phone and type what a customer would type, like "emergency plumber" or "electrician near me". Do it from a few different spots in your area if you can, because Maps results change depending on where the person is standing.
Write down the businesses that show in the top three, the "map pack". After a few searches you'll notice the same two or three names keep appearing. Those are the competitors worth studying.
Google can tailor results to you. A private browser tab gives a fairer view of what a stranger sees.
What to check on a competitor's Google Business Profile
Tap each competitor's listing and look at these things. Every one of them is public.
- Categories. The main category shows under the business name. Extra categories don't show on the listing, but if a competitor appears for searches you don't, they probably use a category you're missing.
- Review count and pace. The total matters, but recent reviews matter more. Sort their reviews by "Newest" and count how many came in the last month. A business getting four or five a month looks busy and current.
- Replies. Does the owner reply to reviews? To all of them, or just some? Replies show customers someone is paying attention.
- Photos. How many, and how recent? Real job photos taken this month beat a few old stock images.
- Posts. Look for "Updates" on their profile. A post in the last week or two makes the profile look active.
- Profile features. These are the yes/no details like "Onsite services", "Online estimates" or "Identifies as women-owned". They show in the "About" section.
- Description, hours and services. Is their description full of the services and suburbs they cover? Are their hours filled in? Do they list services?
A simple table to compare yourself
Copy this into a notebook or a spreadsheet, put yourself in the first column and fill it in. The example numbers are made up, just to show how it works.
| You | Competitor A | Competitor B | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main category | Plumber | Plumber | Emergency plumber |
| Total reviews | say 14 | say 86 | say 31 |
| New reviews last month | 0 | 5 | 2 |
| Replies to reviews | Some | All | None |
| Photos in last month | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| Last post | Never | 1 week ago | 3 months ago |
| Description mentions suburbs | No | Yes | No |
| Services listed | No | Yes | Yes |
Now look across each row. Anywhere you're behind both competitors is a gap. Anywhere you're behind one is a target.
Pick the one competitor to catch first
It's tempting to aim for the business with 300 reviews. Don't, at least not yet. Pick the competitor that's closest to you: similar size, similar area, maybe 10 to 30 reviews ahead rather than 200.
Once you've passed them, pick the next one.
If a competitor's reviews look fake or bought, don't follow suit. Google's rules ban paid or incentivised reviews, and you can report reviews that break them. Build yours honestly.
The catch with doing it by hand
The manual way works, but it has limits. You only see results from where you're standing. You can't see how a competitor's reviews have grown over time without counting them every month. And reading 50 of their reviews to spot what customers love or hate takes ages.
That's the job ReviewRank does for you.
How ReviewRank's Competitors screen helps
ReviewRank is an app made in Adelaide for Australian tradies. Its Competitors screen shows the businesses that turn up most often in the top 3 around you, using the same checks as its ranking map: up to 49 spots across your service area, for up to 5 searches you choose.
For each competitor you see:
- Who wins each search, how much of your area they win and whether that's growing.
- Review growth over time, so you can see their total climbing and how many new reviews they get a month.
- You vs them bars for reviews, reply rate, photos, profile features and categories, side by side.
- What their customers praise and complain about, pulled from their newest reviews. If people keep saying a competitor never turns up on time, that's something you can do better and say so.
- How to catch them, a short list of suggestions based on the gaps.
The map is checked automatically every week, so you're not redoing your table by hand each month.
See who's beating you on Google Maps
ReviewRank shows your top competitors, how fast their reviews are growing and how to catch them. $29 a month with a 14-day free trial.
Then close the gaps
ReviewRank also helps with the fixes. Its "Fix my Google profile" check-up writes a better description and suggests the extra categories the businesses beating you use. Job done texts ask each customer for a review the same way, every time. And every new review gets a reply written for you to check and post. It can't guarantee where you rank, because no one can, but it keeps you working on the things that help.
Frequently asked questions
Search for your service on Google Maps, tap their listing and look at their reviews (sorted by newest), photos, updates, hours, services and the "About" section. It's all public.
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Rhys builds and looks after every Reactive Web website himself, from Redwood Park in Adelaide, for local service businesses that want more calls, bookings and enquiries.
