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How to Rank Higher on Google Maps (and Why a Competitor Is Above You)

ByTerell Kissendal

Updated November 2026 · Written by the Zolo Marketing Group team. We have done local SEO for storefront businesses since 2013.

Google ranks Maps results mainly on relevance, distance and prominence, so you climb by choosing the most specific primary category, completing and verifying your profile, earning a steady flow of reviews and backing it all up with your website. When a competitor sits above you, they are usually closer to the searcher, in a better-matched category or ahead on reviews, and sometimes their listing breaks Google’s rules.

How does Google decide who ranks on Google Maps?

Google says local results are “mainly based on relevance, distance, and popularity”, and it explains the third factor as prominence:

  • Relevance is how well your profile matches what someone searched for. Google’s advice is to provide complete and detailed business information.
  • Distance is how far each business is from the person searching. If they don’t share their location, Google uses what it knows about where they are.
  • Prominence is how well-known your business is. Google says it’s based partly on how many websites link to you and how many reviews you have, and that more reviews and positive ratings can help your local ranking.

Google also says the categories you choose affect your local ranking, and that “there’s no way to request or pay for a better local ranking on Google.”

The checklist: work through it in order

  1. Verify your profile. Google says verification tells it you’re authorised to represent the business, so you’re more likely to show up. After you complete the steps, Google’s review can take up to 5 business days.
  2. Choose the most specific primary category. Pick the one that describes what most customers come to you for, using Google’s test: “This business IS a”, not “this business HAS a”.
  3. Add only a few more categories. Google asks for the fewest categories it takes to describe your core business, and says not to use categories as keywords.
  4. Use your real business name. No cities, services or taglines unless they’re on your sign. Google says unnecessary information in the name could get the profile suspended (see Google Business Profile suspended).
  5. Complete everything. Google lists your full address if customers visit, your hours including special hours, what kind of business you are, and details such as parking or Wi-Fi.
  6. Set the address or service area correctly. If customers don’t come to you, hide the address and keep one profile for your whole service area.
  7. Build a steady review flow. Ask every customer, the same way. Our guide on how to get more Google reviews has scripts for each industry, and the Google review calculator shows the gap to close.
  8. Reply to reviews. Google says replies show you value feedback and help you stand out.
  9. Add real photos and videos of your premises, team and work.
  10. Back it up with your website. Link the profile to a page that matches your main service and location. Links from other websites count toward prominence. Google Search Central also documents LocalBusiness structured data, which lets you tell Google your hours, departments and more.
  11. Keep it current and keep one profile per location. Google says businesses with complete and accurate information are more likely to show up, and duplicate profiles break its guidelines.

Why is a competitor above me on Google Maps?

Check these five causes in order. Only the last one is something Google may act on for you.

1. They’re closer to the person searching

Distance is measured from the searcher, not from you, so the order changes as people move around. Before you panic, look at results from where your customers actually are, for example on a phone at a few spots across your area. Nothing in your profile changes your distance.

2. Their primary category matches the search better

If someone searches for a cosmetic treatment and the clinic above you uses that exact category while you use a general one, relevance is on their side. Compare their primary category with yours (it shows under the business name on Maps).

3. They’re ahead on reviews

Google says more reviews and positive ratings can help local ranking. In our check of downtown Vancouver (top-10 Maps results, one evening, personalised, 13 November 2026), the median top-10 business had 627 reviews for dentists, 650.5 for hair salons, 234 for physiotherapists, 222.5 for chiropractors, 162.5 for lawyers, 157 for auto repair and 82 for family lawyers. A big gap takes time to close. See how many Google reviews you need.

4. Their profile and website say more about the service

Relevance rewards complete, detailed information. If their profile lists services, attributes and photos and links to a page about exactly what was searched, while yours links to a bare homepage, they give Google more to match.

5. Their listing breaks the rules

Keyword-stuffed names, virtual-office addresses, duplicate listings and businesses that don’t exist all break Google’s guidelines. Here is how to report them:

  • A business that doesn’t exist: on Google Maps, select it, then Suggest an edit, then Place is closed or not here, and choose an option such as “Doesn’t exist here”. Google says you might get follow-up questions, and approved requests remove the business from Search and Maps.
  • Misleading or fraudulent name, phone number or website: use Google’s Business Redressal Complaint Form. Paste the full Google Maps URL of each listing and quote the exact content you believe is misleading. Google says it can’t guarantee action, won’t update you on the status, and suggests submitting 10 to 100 URLs at a time if you have many.
  • Don’t retaliate with reviews. Google’s policy bans posting content on a competitor’s listing to undermine its reputation.

What ads can and can’t buy on Google Maps

Google Ads can buy visibility. Google’s Local Ads can show your business to nearby people on Search and Maps, including as pins on the map at your location, and need location assets linked to the ads account. What ads can’t buy:

  • A better organic ranking. Google says there’s no way to request or pay for one.
  • Reviews. Paying for reviews, directly or in kind, is fake engagement under Google’s policy.
  • Proximity. The searcher’s location is still a ranking factor in the organic results.

When the ads stop, the paid visibility stops too. The organic list still runs on relevance, distance and prominence.

Industry and country notes

The ranking factors are the same in Canada, the US, the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. What changes is the words people search. Drivers in the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand often say “garage” or “mechanic”, Americans and Canadians “auto repair”. People in the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand look for a “solicitor”, while Americans look for a “lawyer” or “attorney”. Use those words in your services and website, never in your business name. Industry guides: dental offices, clinics, salons, auto repair shops and law firms. In Vancouver? See local SEO in Vancouver.

When to get help

If you’ve worked through the checklist and still can’t see why a competitor is ahead, or you’re not showing at all (see why your business isn’t showing up on Google Maps), a fresh look usually finds it. We also manage profiles month to month through our Google Business Profile management service, and the same signals help you get named by AI assistants: see how to get recommended by ChatGPT.

Get your free Brutally Honest Review

We compare your profile, reviews and website with the businesses ranking above you, and tell you what to fix first.

Get your free Brutally Honest Review

Or call 778-892-7802.

Frequently asked questions

Can I pay Google to rank higher on Google Maps?

No. Google says there’s no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. Google Ads can show your business in ad placements on Search and Maps, but that doesn’t change the organic order.

Why is my Google Maps ranking different depending on where I search?

Distance is one of Google’s three main local ranking factors, and it’s measured from the person searching. If they don’t share their location, Google uses what it knows about where they are.

Does putting keywords in my business name help me rank?

Don’t do it. Google says your name must match your real-world name, and including unnecessary information in it could result in the suspension of your Business Profile.

Do more Google reviews help me rank higher on Maps?

Yes. Google says prominence is partly based on how many reviews you have, and that more reviews and positive ratings can help your local ranking. Ask every customer, with no incentives.

How do I report a fake business that ranks above me?

On Google Maps, select the listing, then Suggest an edit and Place is closed or not here. For a misleading name, phone number or website, use Google’s Business Redressal Complaint Form.

How long does it take to rank higher on Google Maps?

Google gives no timeline for ranking. Profile edits usually show within about 10 minutes but can take up to 30 days, and closing a big review gap depends on how many customers you serve.

Sources

Ranking rules come from Google’s Business Profile Help, Google Ads Help and Search Central pages, checked in November 2026. Review counts are Zolo’s own data: downtown Vancouver, top-10 Maps results, one evening, personalised, 13 November 2026.

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