Being #1 on Google Maps Isn't About Having the Biggest Business
You don't need to be the biggest business in your area to appear prominently on Google Maps.
Local search works differently from simply choosing the biggest or most established company.
Google says local results are primarily based on relevance, distance and prominence.
That creates opportunities for smaller local businesses.
Relevance matters
Google tries to show businesses that are relevant to what someone is searching for.
For example, if someone searches for:
“plumber Oslo”
Google wants to show businesses that actually provide plumbing services and are relevant to that search.
A smaller plumbing company can therefore be relevant to the search even if a much larger company also operates in the area.
Distance matters
Location is another major factor.
Google considers how far each potential result is from the location used in the search.
This means a smaller business located close to the searcher may appear in local results even when larger competitors are further away.
It also means there isn't necessarily one fixed Google Maps ranking for an entire city.
The results can vary depending on where the search is performed.
Prominence matters too
Google also considers how prominent a business is.
According to Google, prominence can be influenced by information about a business across the web, as well as factors such as the number of reviews and positive ratings.
Being a large company doesn't automatically mean you will appear first.
What smaller businesses can control
You can't control how close every potential customer is to your business.
You can't instantly become the most established company in your industry either.
But you can make sure the things you can control are properly handled.
For example:
Keep your Business Profile accurate
Choose the most appropriate category
Clearly describe your services
Keep your website relevant to your business
Encourage genuine customer reviews
Make sure your business information is accurate across important online sources
These steps don't guarantee a particular position.
But they can help Google better understand your business and its relevance to local searches.
Local visibility isn't reserved for big companies
A small local business doesn't need to compete with a national company on size.
It needs to be relevant to the searches that matter, serve the right geographic area, and build a credible local presence.
That's what makes local SEO different from simply being the biggest business in the market.
Want to improve your Google Maps visibility?
NorthPeak Solutions helps local businesses optimize their Google Business Profile and improve their local search presence.
[Get in touch with NorthPeak Solutions →]
Google's local search systems can change over time. This article is based on Google's publicly available guidance and provides general information.