E38: The 5 Places Your Business Needs to Show Up on Google to Truly Dominate
Did you know there are five unique places your business can appear when customers search for you on Google, and each one requires a different strategy?
In this episode of Marketing Domination, Sean Garner walks through exactly how small businesses can take control of their online visibility and show up everywhere their customers are looking.
He breaks down paid search ads, Local Service Ads, the Google Map Pack, organic search results, and the new AI overviews, explaining how each works and what business owners must do to rank. You’ll learn how to optimize your campaigns, landing pages, and Google Business Profile, and why SEO isn’t about tricking Google; it’s about proving your authority. Whether you’re a local service business or a growing online brand, this episode shows how to build a holistic strategy that gets real results and puts your business everywhere it deserves to be seen.
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Sean Garner is a marketing consultant and Certified StoryBrand guide dedicated to helping small business owners grow and dominate their industries. He created the Marketing Domination podcast to teach people how to combine storytelling with strategic marketing to help businesses connect with customers and stand out online.
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MARKETING DOMINATION PODCAST
Introduction
Sean Garner: [00:00]
All right, Madina. This one’s going to be a little bit different because I don’t know how it’s going to work in the editor, but I’ll be doing a lot of screen shares in this episode. Pretty much the whole episode will be a screen share. What I want you to do is sometimes show me talking, sometimes show the screen, or both at the same time, so people can clearly see the information as we go through it. So, let’s see. First, I go here to share the screen — entire screen.
There, that’s what it’s going to look like for me as I’m going through this.
Sean Garner: [00:42]
And if I want to stop sharing the screen — that’s it. Yeah. Here we go. I think the audio’s working.
Sean Garner: [00:53]
Did you know there are actually five places where your business can show up on Google? And if you want to truly dominate the SERPs.
The 5 Places Your Business Can Show Up on Google
Sean Garner: [01:04]
Did you know there are actually five places where your business can show up when customers are looking for you on Google, and each one requires you to do something different? If you want your business to truly dominate online, you must do all five of these things so you can reach your customers in every possible place they’re looking. Welcome to Marketing Domination.
Sean Garner: [01:29]
So, on this video, guys, I’m going to start us—
Sean Garner: [01:35]
Did you know there are actually five places where your business can show up on Google, and your potential customers use each one of them differently? If you want to make sure you’re truly dominating online, you need to show up in all five places. But what you do to show up in those five places is different. So, on this episode of Marketing Domination, I’m going to show you exactly what those five places are and what your small business needs to do if you want to truly dominate online and show up everywhere your customers are looking for you. Welcome to Marketing Domination.
Sean Garner: [02:16]
So, people, where do I want to start?
Sean Garner: [02:25]
So, we want to make sure that we’re reaching our customers everywhere they’re looking for us and for our potential services.
Sean Garner: [02:51]
Okay, so here are the five places where your business can show up on Google. And make sure you stay until the end, because number five — most business owners and even marketing agencies don’t know how to do it, or they don’t do it right. So stick around for that one.
The first place that you can show up on Google — and guess what, you have to pay for it — because Google wants to make their money. The first place your business can show up on Google is with paid ads. Paid search ads are a great way to advertise your business, especially if you’re trying to get some initial traction.
When you search for a topic like “wholesale plumber,” you’ll see right here that this is our example — “plumber Owasso.” You can see that right here. Let’s start this.
Paid Ads and Local Service Ads (LSA)
Sean Garner: [03:46]
Okay, so these are going to be the five places that your small business can show up on Google — and you’re going to want to stay until the end. Spoiler alert: most people aren’t doing number five.
So, these are the five places your small business can show up on Google, and you’ll definitely want to stick around because number five — most small business owners don’t even know how to do it. Most marketing agencies don’t either, and it’s a goldmine of an opportunity for your small business right now.
Number one — the first place your business can show up on Google is with paid search ads. Whenever you search for a topic like “plumber Owasso,” you’ll see these sponsored ads right at the top. These are created through Google Ads, and yes, you do have to pay to show up here.
Now, what you do in order to show up in these places depends on several factors in Google’s bidding structure. We want to make sure our campaigns are optimized for the end goal — whether that’s brand exposure, getting clicks, or booking services. We also want to ensure our campaigns are properly structured so we have the best chance to win the bid and show up higher on the search engine results. When running paid ads, Google considers several factors—like your ad spend and how much you’re willing to invest to acquire a customer. But one factor you have full control over is where you send that traffic. If you’re spending money to attract potential customers, don’t just send them to your homepage. Instead, direct them to a specific landing page that matches their search intent.
For example, if someone searches for “plumber Tulsa” and you send them to a generic drain cleaning page, your campaign won’t perform well. You might win the click, but you’ll lose the conversion—and conversions are what actually grow your business.
One of the easiest and most impactful optimizations you can make is to ensure your ad’s landing page is highly targeted and conversion-focused for the exact keyword you’re trying to rank for. If you’re running an ad for “drain cleaning in Owasso,” your landing page should clearly say “Drain Cleaning in Owasso” and guide users toward taking action. That level of alignment between the search term, the ad, and the landing page is what drives real results—not just clicks, but sales.
Sean Garner: [06:03]
I would want to make sure that the landing page we’re sending people to for this ad actually says “Drain Cleaning Owasso.” It should have a simple, conversion-focused structure designed around that specific search topic. That’s one of the great things about running paid search ads — you can make sure your business shows up for the exact service or keyword people are searching for, and then drive those customers to a specific landing page for that search term.
So that’s the first place you can show up on Google: paid search ads. Now the second place is another paid placement, and it’s one of my favorites. If you are a local service business, this is the best use of your money for paid ads: Local Service Ads, or LSA. With these ads, you do technically pay to be there, but you can see why they show up at the top when we searched “Tulsa plumber.” If you are not familiar with LSA, check Google Local Service Ads to see if your business in your service area is eligible — because in my opinion, this gives the greatest return on ad spend for local service-based businesses.
With PPC (pay-per-click) ads, you pay every time someone clicks, whether you get a lead or not. If someone clicks and then browses your site, you still pay. With LSA, what you pay for is different: you only pay when one of three things happens — a customer clicks to get your phone number and calls, the customer requests a booking and books directly through the LSA, or the customer sends a message that converts into a lead. You don’t pay just for someone clicking to learn more. Because you only pay when you get the lead, the cost per lead can be higher, but the conversion rates are through the roof.
Another advantage is the LSA dashboard in Google’s backend. If you’re getting spam calls, Google records those calls and has algorithms to flag ineligible calls; they’ll even refund you if the call wasn’t a valid lead. So you only pay when you actually get a lead. This is an amazing service, and you want to make sure your business is eligible and properly optimized for LSAs. But being eligible alone doesn’t mean you’ll dominate — you still have to optimize it.
Sean Garner: [08:26]
For example, one of our clients, Half Moon Plumbing, is dominating in LSAs and in the SERPs and PPC. That’s because you must optimize your LSA. Several ranking factors determine who shows up in that top spot. Make sure your Google Business Profile is optimized — LSAs pull information from there — and that you respond quickly to leads. Set up automations so when someone messages you, the customer is automatically followed up with, because Google wants to see fast responses and good service. Your images, selected service area, and the services you choose in the LSA dashboard all matter. Optimize those elements and continually refine them to attract the types of customers you want.
So the first place you can show up is paid search ads. The second is LSAs — both paid. The last three are earned placements, which I like because even small businesses without big ad budgets can show up there.
How to Dominate the Google Map Pack
Sean Garner: [10:50]
The next place you can show up is Google Maps, specifically the Google Map Pack. Here you want to be in the top three. For example, Half Moon Plumbing shows up in the top three map pack results.
The most important ranking factor for the map pack is reviews and review velocity. Google likes to see consistent reviews over time — not a massive one-time dump, but steady, ongoing reviews. Also, make sure your Google Business Profile is fully optimized.
Sean Garner [11:15]
So when it comes to optimizing your Google Business Profile, you want to do several things. These are basic steps, but most businesses aren't doing them right. The first thing is to go in and edit your profile. Make sure everything is completely filled out—your description, phone number, social media profiles—everything should be set up and connected. Another important detail is consistency. The information on your Google My Business profile must match exactly—down to the case and spacing—with how it appears on your website and other directories. This is called your NAP: your Name, Address, and Phone number. You can use tools like Yext or other citation services to make sure everything matches.
But the most important thing for Google is that your Google Business Profile matches your website exactly, in the same format. Next, you want to add all relevant services and categories your business provides. Don’t spam or add random ones—only include the services your business actually offers. Adding irrelevant categories can dilute your results, and Google is smart enough to figure that out.
You also want to upload real photos regularly. Google values consistency, so update your profile with new images often. Use the Q&A section, even if you have to ask and answer your own questions, to make sure helpful information is visible. Another thing you can do is post updates—Google Posts—every few days. These help show Google that you’re active and engaged.
Here’s a helpful hack: even if you don’t sell products, you can still use the “Products” section by turning your services into products. For all of our local service clients, we list each service as a product and link each one to a specific landing page on their website. This helps tie everything together and gives Google even more relevant information to associate with your business.
Sean Garner [13:37]
We’re essentially trying to feed Google as much clear, accurate information as possible. SEO isn’t about tricking Google—it’s about proving to them that you deserve to rank higher in the map pack. That’s why optimizing your GMB is one of the biggest ranking factors.
To show you what this looks like in action—Half Moon Plumbing, one of our clients, had been working with a larger agency before us. Back in February, for the keyword “Tulsa Plumber,” they were only ranking in the top eight spots on Google Maps, even near their own location. Once we took over and began optimizing everything, their rankings started to climb dramatically. Now, across about a 20-mile radius, they’re averaging a 2.9 ranking position and continuing to improve—dominating the map pack because their listing is fully optimized.
It took time, though. We’ve been working with them since January, and it took several months to prove the value and consistency to Google. But once the results start compounding, it’s absolutely worth it.
Ranking in the Search Results and Building Authority
Sean Garner [14:50]
The third place your business can show up on Google is the Google Map Pack.
The fourth place is in the SERPs, or Search Engine Results Pages. For example, if you search “best plumber in Tulsa,” you’ll likely see a Yelp listing first—which you usually have to pay for—but right after that, you might see something like “Best Plumber in Tulsa 2025.” Ranking in the SERPs depends on your holistic SEO strategy: the strength of your website, the quality and structure of your content, and the overall authority your site builds over time.
If you haven’t watched our episode on the Five Pillars of Holistic SEO, go back and check it out—it breaks down exactly how to build this foundation for long-term rankings.
Sean Garner [15:57]
And if we're looking at this page right here, this is a detailed SEO plugin. If you guys don’t have this, it’s a free plugin—get it. It lets you quickly view your site’s title tags and meta descriptions, which is how Google actually “sees” your website. Ranking in the SERPs comes down to proving to Google that you deserve to be there for those key search terms.
Google evaluates several ranking factors: the quality and structure of your content, the user experience (how fast your page loads, how it looks on mobile), and whether users take action once they land on your site. It also considers technical authority factors—like backlinks.
Now, a backlink is simply another website linking back to yours. This helps Google know who to trust. When authoritative websites link to you, it signals to Google that your content is credible, increasing your domain authority and boosting your rankings. You can earn backlinks by listing your business in online directories, guest posting on other sites, joining your local Chamber of Commerce, or getting featured on reputable industry blogs.
For local businesses, citations and directory links are especially powerful. Beyond that, you should make sure your internal linking structure is solid—linking services, locations, and subtopics together throughout your site. This builds topical authority, which tells Google that your website deeply covers your area of expertise.
So, when someone searches for something like “best plumber in Tulsa,” Google recognizes your site as a trusted, comprehensive source.
Everything in SEO works together—but it’s not all the same. You can rank high in the Map Pack and not show up in the SERPs, or you can appear in the SERPs and not in the Map Pack. Both require different strategies, and mastering both is how you dominate local search.
The Future of SEO and AI Overviews
Sean Garner [18:13]
So if we want to show up in all of these different places on Google, we have to do different things. To show up in the SERPs, your website itself needs to be optimized. To perform well on Google My Business, your GMB profile needs to be optimized. For LSA ads, your Local Service Ads must be optimized. And the same goes for SERP ads—each one requires a slightly different optimization strategy.
All of these areas feed into each other, but the goal is to dominate every place your business can appear on Google.
Now, the newest and most talked-about area where your business can show up is in AI search results. These are called AI overviews, and they appear when someone asks a conversational question, like “Who was voted the best plumber in Tulsa?”
When we scroll through that AI overview, we see Half Moon Plumbing—our client—featured as the best plumber in Tulsa. We got them to show up in that AI overview.
Here’s the key: there’s nothing completely new you have to do to appear in AI overviews compared to regular SERPs. You just have to do better SEO. AI uses many of the same ranking factors as traditional search, but it prioritizes clear, holistic, trustworthy content.
That’s why we always take a holistic SEO approach—focusing on quality content, clear structure, and genuine authority. Our clients, like Half Moon Plumbing, show up in AI overviews not because of some gimmick or “AI SEO,” but because we consistently prove to Google why they deserve to rank.
In this example, Google pulled information from two key places: a social post announcing Half Moon Plumbing’s award and a blog article we created about them winning Best Plumber in Tulsa.
That blog followed strong on-page SEO fundamentals—proper heading structure, internal linking, and natural keyword use in a conversational tone. We also used authentic images from the event instead of stock photos, which helps build trust and authority.
This is the kind of content that gets rewarded not only in traditional search results but also in AI-generated overviews.
Sean Garner [20:39]
And that's how we got them to rank in these AI overviews. To rank in the AI on Google, you need to make sure that you have this holistic SEO strategy in place. Because customers are still searching for things. People have been asking me and I've seen so many articles online, is SEO dead? No, SEO is not dead because people, your customers are still searching for your business, for your products and services, but how and where they search and where you have the ability to show up is changing. And if you truly want your business to grow, you want to make sure that you're showing up in all five of those places.
So quick recap, number one, make sure that your campaigns for your PPC are optimized. You're driving people to specific highly relevant landing pages, your ad spend and everything you're targeting is set up to make sure that you're attracting the right people that are looking for your service that you can provide. The second one is LSA those local service ads. Big huge opportunity. If you're not doing that and your business is eligible, make sure that you sign up for your LSA account. You're optimizing your listing, selecting your service area. You're quick to respond to messages and calls when they come in. You're being very active in your dashboard. You're letting Google know which ones were good customers and which ones weren't, so it knows who to show up your ads to.
Number three is the map pack. Optimize your GMB listing. Make sure it's completely filled out. You've connected all social accounts, description set up. You've listed your product service categories in there, you've gotten descriptions for them, and then you driving those to specific relevant landing pages on your website, you're constantly adding updates, FAQs, images, and getting reviews on a weekly basis. We don't want to just do it and set it and forget it. We want to make sure that we're constantly staying active with our GMB profile.
The fourth one is the search, the search engine result pages. You got to get your website optimized, you got to make sure it's got a good clean site flow. It loads fast. We've got all the topical authority of the content around our products and services set up. We're getting backlinks from other reputable sources to show Google that they can trust our website. Our site loads fast. It's got a good user experience because it's got clear calls to action. So when customers do show up because Google showed our website up, they're taking action. Google sees that as a good positive ranking factor. So it's going to show it to more people. Then we want to prove that we are the industry dominator so we can show up in things like AI overviews.
Boost Your SEO Now
Sean Garner [22:57]
It's not about tricking Google. We're writing things in conversational tones, how people are searching for them. We're making sure that we've got tons of content and topical authority added to our websites and that those things are being shared in multiple places. When people are looking for questions around your product and service, you can show up as a reference in those AI overviews or within the AI overview altogether.
So if you want your small business to dominate online, do those five things. But as a business owner, it can be very confusing and overwhelming to do for yourself. That's where we come in. At Sean Garner Consulting, we help local service business owners grow their business and dominate their industry so you can serve the people that you're called to serve. And I would love the opportunity to work with you.
So go to our website, seangarner.co, schedule a call, meet with me. We're gonna do a complete audit of your website, your SEO, your overall marketing, see how things are performing so we can show you exactly what you need to do to stand out online and be the industry leader to connect with the people you're called to serve. Looking forward to talking to you guys soon. Have an awesome day.
