Why the map pack beats page one
Search for any local service and the first thing on screen is three businesses on a map. Most clicks go there before anyone scrolls to the organic results. For a trades business, a clinic, a solicitor or a restaurant, that map pack is the most valuable space in search, and it is governed mostly by your Google Business Profile.
Quick answer
Complete every field, pick the right categories, post photos and updates monthly, and ask every happy customer for a review. That is 80 percent of local SEO.
Complete it properly
Half-filled profiles lose to complete ones. Go through every section: primary and secondary categories, services with descriptions, opening hours including holidays, a description that says who you serve and where, and the exact same name, address and phone number you use on your website.
- Primary category matching your main service
- Secondary categories for the rest
- Every service listed with a short description
- Accurate hours, updated for bank holidays
- Attributes such as accessibility and payment types
Reviews are the ranking factor you control
Volume, recency and content of reviews all feed into map rankings, and they are the first thing a customer reads. Ask every satisfied customer, at the moment they are happiest, with a direct link. Reply to every review, good and bad, within a day or two.
| Do | Don't | |
|---|---|---|
| Send a direct review link by text after the job | Wait for reviews to arrive on their own | |
| Ask customers to mention the service and area | Write or buy reviews | |
| Reply to every review by name | Ignore the negative ones | |
Keep it alive
Google rewards profiles that look active. Add real photos of the team, the premises and the work each month. Post a short update every few weeks: a job completed, an offer, a seasonal reminder. Answer the questions people leave. Ten minutes a fortnight keeps you ahead of most competitors.
Back it up on your website
The profile links to your site, and Google checks they agree. A page for each area you serve, your address in the footer, local schema markup and a few mentions from local directories or press all reinforce that you are who you say you are, where you say you are.
If you are stuck or want a second pair of eyes on this, give us a shout. We are always up for a chat.
