Google says it ranks local businesses on three things: relevance (whether you match the search), distance (how close you are to the person searching) and prominence (how well known and well rated you are). You cannot change distance. The other two you can.
Compare yourself point by point
| What to check | Where |
|---|---|
| Main and secondary categories | Their Google listing, under the name |
| Number of reviews and how recent | Their listing |
| Whether they reply to reviews | Their listing |
| Photos: how many and how recent | Their listing |
| Whether they have a page for the service you offer | Their website |
| Whether their site loads fast on a phone | Open it on your phone on mobile data |
What usually makes the difference
- A more precise category than yours.
- More reviews, and more recent ones.
- A website with a page for each service that mentions the town.
- Time: older listings and websites have an early advantage.
- On the coast, a version in English when customers search in English.
What not to do
Copy their text, buy reviews or add keywords to your listing name. Google spots it and you can lose the listing. Do what they do, but better and with your own details.