E55: The Complete Guide to Ranking Your Google Business Profile Higher
If you are a local service business owner and you are not showing up in the Google Map Pack, you are leaving money on the table.
In this episode of Marketing Domination, I break down exactly how I optimize Google Business Profiles to rank higher in the Map Pack and dominate local markets. I walk through real examples of how I fully complete and optimize profiles, choose the right primary category, add detailed services and products, and use high-quality photos to stand out from competitors.
I also explain how I use review velocity to outrank businesses with more total reviews, how I think about keywords without stuffing them, how often I recommend posting, and what I do when expanding into new markets. I cover proximity, service area businesses, and the most common triggers that cause suspensions, so you can avoid costly mistakes.
If you want a clear, practical system for ranking higher and generating more local leads, this is exactly how I do it.
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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]: When your potential customers go to Google and type in the service you provide in your city, you want to show up in that very coveted Google Map Pack—where every local service business owner should be. If you’re not ranking there, or not ranking where you should, in this video I’m going to answer some of the most common questions local service business owners have when it comes to optimizing their Google Business Profile so you can rank higher.
Why isn’t your business profile ranking? How important are reviews, and how many does it take to rank? How often should you be posting? And can you rank without a physical office? We’re going to answer all those questions and more in this episode of Marketing Domination.
The first main question everyone asks is, “Why is my Google Business Profile not ranking?” Today, I’m going to walk through some real examples so you can see what we do to optimize accounts.
The first thing you need to do is Google your business. If you haven’t set up a Google Business Profile, you absolutely need one. This is how you rank in the Map Pack in your service area.
One of the most common reasons I see profiles not ranking is that they are not completely filled out and optimized. When you set up your account, every single section needs to be completed properly.
For example, this is one of the businesses we work with, WellSpot IV, an IV therapy clinic. When we rank, we don’t just want to rank—we want to dominate. One of the ways we dominate is through reviews.
You can see this business has 251 reviews. The second-place competitor has 40. When you crush the competition with reviews, it becomes almost impossible for them to stand out.
Here’s another example: Tulsa real estate appraiser. Measured Home Services has 360 reviews. The second-place competitor has 67. That’s what domination looks like.
That’s what I want to show you how to do—get your Map Pack presence to look like that, ranking number one in a 20-mile radius in your service area. That’s domination.
Why Your Google Business Profile Is Not Ranking
Sean Garner [02:08]: How we make that happen is by optimizing the Google Business Profile. Here’s an example of a local service business—a garage door repair company in Richmond, Indiana.
The first step to ranking is having your profile completely filled out. When you log in—either by going to business.google.com or by searching your business name while logged into the correct Google account—you should see your Business Profile Manager.
The most common reason I see businesses not ranking is that their profile isn’t complete. When you click “Complete profile,” you want as much of that information filled out as possible. Add your service areas, social profiles, website, correct phone number, business description, categories—everything needs to be filled out and optimized.
Most businesses only fill in the basics, upload a few photos, collect a few reviews, and think they’re done. That’s not even the bare minimum.
When we optimize a Google Business Profile, the first thing we do is audit what’s currently there. Then we look at what the competition is doing. Ranking isn’t about tricking Google—it’s about being clear and proving why you deserve to rank where you are. SEO isn’t hacking; it’s clarity and optimization.
One thing most businesses don’t do is properly optimize their services section. Inside the profile, you can edit services and add service descriptions. Most people don’t even add services, and if they do, they rarely add descriptions. You can include up to 300 characters for each service description.
For this garage door client, we’ve added dozens of services with descriptions—even though they’re “just” a garage door company. That’s optimization. We’re clearly showing Google everything they do.
When we approach SEO, we think about the two C’s: customers and crawlers. We want it to be simple and clear for customers to understand what services we provide and where. And we want it to be equally clear for Google’s crawlers so they know exactly how to categorize and rank the business.
Services, Products, and Photos That Boost Visibility
Sean Garner [04:25]: We want to do the same thing for the crawlers—Google, Bing, large language models, and everything else. That means every part of your profile needs to be filled out. Add all your services and include service descriptions.
The next thing we do—and I don’t see many businesses doing this—is add products, even if you’re a service business. You might think, “I don’t sell products, I sell services.” That’s fine. What we do is turn core services into individual products inside the profile.
For example, for a garage door company, we list each main service as its own product. This helps your business show up in additional places on Google. We add the service name as the product name, write a detailed description—up to 1,000 characters—and here’s the key: we link each product to its specific landing page.
We don’t send everyone to the homepage. If the product is garage door repair, the link goes directly to the garage door repair page. Remember, SEO is about being clear and proving relevance. If someone is looking for garage door repair, they should land on a page specifically about garage door repair. That clarity helps both users and Google.
Next, we add high-quality photos—and we update them regularly. This client has hundreds of images. They’re professionally shot, well-framed, and high quality. Spending $500 to $1,000 on a professional photo shoot—or at least being more intentional with your photos—can dramatically set you apart. A clean, well-framed image will always stand out compared to competitors who upload quick, low-quality snapshots.
Once the profile is fully set up and optimized, then you can start building momentum. If your profile isn’t ranking, it’s likely because it’s not fully optimized yet.
The next question is: What categories should you choose for your Google Business Profile? I’ll show you a free tool we use called GMB Everywhere. This isn’t an affiliate plug—we just find it helpful. It has a free version and is a great resource for selecting the right categories.
Choosing the Right Categories and Using GMB Everywhere
Sean Garner [06:46]: As an agency owner, we use the paid version of GMB Everywhere because it gives us more data and analytics. But even the free version is great for helping you optimize your account.
When I’m inside a Google Business Profile, I see additional menu items that most people don’t see. That’s coming from the GMB Everywhere plugin. One of the most common reasons I see profiles not ranking—especially when they’ve done some optimization—is that they’ve selected the wrong primary category.
When you go to edit your profile, you’ll see the business category section. You can choose one primary category and then add additional categories. The primary category is extremely important.
For example, a plumber’s primary category might be “Plumber,” but they could also add additional categories like “Drain Cleaning Service” or “Water Filtration Service,” depending on what Google allows.
With GMB Everywhere, when you’re logged in and using the plugin, it helps you identify other relevant categories. It even shows estimated national search volume for those categories and suggests recommended options. That’s incredibly helpful when deciding which category should be primary.
The plugin also helps you identify additional services you should be adding to your Google Business Profile. If you’re unsure what services to list, you can look at what competitors are adding and what Google associates with your category.
The tool won’t optimize your profile for you—you still have to put in the work—but it gives you clarity on what needs to be done. Not selecting the right primary category is one of the biggest issues I see when profiles aren’t ranking.
Next, let’s talk about reviews. How important are they? They’re huge.
Reviews are critical for ranking in the Map Pack, but if you want to outrank your competition, review velocity—how consistently you’re getting reviews—is even more important.
Another great feature of the GMB Everywhere tool is that it gives you insights into what your competitors are doing. For example, this is one of our clients, Taftman Plumbing and Electric.
Reviews, Review Velocity, and Beating Bigger Competitors
Sean Garner [08:55]: They have multiple Google Business Profiles. This one is for their Tulsa location, and they have around 2,000 reviews. But there’s another competitor in town with almost 6,000 reviews.
So how are they able to outrank someone in the Google Map Pack who has more reviews?
There are multiple ranking factors Google considers, but one of the biggest factors in this situation is something called review velocity.
If you look at the data, you can see month-over-month review growth. Their reviews are steadily increasing at a strong rate. Even though we’re mid-month and the data isn’t complete, you can clearly see an upward trend.
Now compare that to the competitor. Their review growth is relatively flat. They’re still getting reviews, but the pace is much slower and less aggressive.
Think about Google’s job. Google wants to show the most relevant and trusted result. If there’s a long-standing business with thousands of reviews but no recent momentum, and another business with strong, consistent growth and increasing engagement, Google interprets that as renewed interest and activity.
It’s similar to a restaurant analogy. Imagine a restaurant that’s been around for years but people have stopped talking about it. Then a new restaurant opens and everyone is raving about it. In Google’s eyes, the business generating more buzz and activity deserves more visibility.
So if you’re in a competitive market and you feel like you can’t catch up because your competitors have more reviews, that’s not necessarily true. Review velocity can help you outrank them. If you’re moving faster and generating consistent engagement, you can overtake competitors with higher total review counts.
Now, how many reviews does it actually take to rank? That depends on two things: How competitive your market is and how many reviews your competitors have.
There isn’t a universal number. It’s relative to your industry and your local competition.
Sean Garner [11:13]: Review velocity is the key. If you’re in a brand-new market, launching a new business, starting a new Google Business Profile, or you’ve let things go stagnant for a couple of years, you need to refresh and reactivate it. That means running review campaigns to former clients, friends, and colleagues to get momentum going again. That’s what gets things moving.
But you have to know what your competition is doing. SEO isn’t about blindly doing tasks. It’s about understanding where you are, where your competition is, and what they’re actively doing.
For example, if your competitor has more reviews and they’re gaining them at the same velocity you are, you’re not going to outrank them. That’s why SEO is never a one-and-done activity. You’re always optimizing and improving.
Most local business owners aren’t losing customers because of bad service. They’re losing them because they don’t have enough reviews. Your Google reviews are often the first thing people see before they even call or click. That’s why I created the Five-Star Google Review Scripts—done-for-you templates that show you exactly how to ask, follow up, and collect more five-star reviews without feeling awkward. You can download them free at SeanGarner.co/reviewscripts.
Now, back to the show.
The next question is: What keywords should you use in your Google Business Profile?
This is where people often get it wrong. They think they should stuff keywords everywhere—like writing, “PJ’s Doors is a garage door company that does garage door services and we are garage door experts”—over and over again. That doesn’t work.
Instead, use natural, conversational language. Yes, you want your main keywords included. For local service businesses, that typically means your core services and the cities or service areas you operate in. But don’t overthink it. There’s a limited word count, and you want it to sound normal.
Remember, we’re always optimizing for both customers and crawlers. Use the right words naturally, clearly describe what you do and where you do it, and focus on clarity over keyword stuffing.
Keywords and Posting Strategy for Ongoing Momentum
Sean Garner [13:33]: We want it to be clear so our customers know exactly what we do and why they should hire us over the competition.
How often should you post on your Google Business Profile? I recommend at least a couple of times a week. There’s a post feature inside your profile where you can add updates. We do this for our clients, and we even use a platform that benchmarks posting frequency against national competitors in specific industries.
We analyze how often businesses in a given industry are posting, then make sure our clients are posting at or above that average.
Most businesses don’t post at all. So simply being active already gives you an advantage. Typically, we post one to three times per week.
The types of posts we create include service reminders, updates, announcements, and highlights of what the business offers. This is where high-quality images really help. Each post can include a strong image, clear copy, and a button that links back to your website.
We also reshare five-star reviews. We turn those reviews into branded graphics with a short quote and post them not only on social media but also directly on the Google Business Profile.
Don’t overthink the keywords inside your posts. Yes, use natural service and location language, but the bigger point is activity. You want Google to see that you’re using the platform and that you’re an active, legitimate business. Doing something consistently is far better than doing nothing. You can refine and optimize later.
Now, can you rank without a physical office?
Yes, you can—but it’s more difficult if you’re competing against businesses with physical locations. Proximity is a major ranking factor in the Map Pack. Google considers how close the searcher is to the business location.
If you don’t have a physical office and your competitors do, it can be harder to dominate certain areas. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible, but you’ll need to be stronger in other areas—like optimization, reviews, review velocity, and overall activity—to compete effectively.
Ranking Without a Physical Office and Expanding Smart
Sean Garner [15:47]: To me, that’s domination—being able to rank number one even when someone is 20 miles away from your facility. That doesn’t happen by accident. That happens because we’ve fully optimized and dominated that market.
Now, if you’re a service-area business—like a plumber working out of your home without a physical storefront—you can absolutely set up your business as a service-area business. But it will be more difficult to compete in the Google Map Pack against competitors who have physical locations.
In competitive markets, having a physical location is important. Having multiple physical locations can be even more powerful.
What we typically see with clients is that once they dominate one service area and want to expand, they need another Google Business Profile to break into a new market. It’s rare to have complete domination in a 20-plus-mile radius, especially in densely populated cities like Miami, Dallas, or New York. In those markets, ranking outside of just a few miles is much harder because proximity plays such a big role.
A general rule of thumb—though this varies by market—is that you want to dominate within three miles, perform strongly within six miles, and start evaluating expansion around nine miles. In less dense markets, we’ve been able to stretch that to 12, 15, and sometimes even 20 miles before opening another location.
When you open another location, you don’t necessarily need to buy a new building. Many businesses use rented office space. For home service companies, for example, renting an office for $500 to $1,000 per month to establish a legitimate Google Business Profile in a new area can unlock tens of thousands of dollars in additional revenue if it allows you to rank and generate leads in that market.
That’s how you expand strategically once you’ve already dominated your original area.
Avoiding Suspensions
Sean Garner [18:06]: I don’t recommend creating multiple locations just because you can—especially if it’s going to cost you money. If you’re still trying to build reviews and momentum for one location, spreading that effort across multiple profiles can make things harder.
But if you’re ready to expand and you’ve already dominated one area, adding additional Google Business Profiles for new physical locations can absolutely help you rank in those other markets.
Now, the last question—what causes Google suspensions and how do you avoid them?
If you start optimizing your Google Business Profile after watching videos like this, there are certain changes that can trigger a suspension or what’s called a re-verification.
The most common triggers are:
Changing your business name
Making a dramatic shift in your primary category
Changing your address
When you make one of those changes, it usually triggers a re-verification. That doesn’t necessarily mean your account is permanently suspended. It means Google wants proof that the changes are legitimate.
In the past, you might receive a postcard with a code. Now, most verifications are done through video—either by submitting a recorded video through the Google Maps app or doing a live verification call where you show proof of your location and services.
For example, if a business suddenly changes from “garage door supplier” to “plumber” or “lawyer,” that’s going to trigger a review. If you move addresses, that will also trigger re-verification.
If you legitimately need to make those changes, make sure everything is ready before updating your profile. If you’re moving locations, don’t update your Google Business Profile address until:
The new location is fully set up
Signage is installed
You can physically prove that you operate from that location
I’ve seen construction delays and signage delays cause Google Business Profiles to be shut down for months because the business couldn’t verify the new address. That can absolutely crush revenue.
So be strategic. Make sure you can prove any major changes before you update your profile.
This is part one of what you need to know to optimize your Google Business Profile and answer the most common questions local service business owners ask.
Take Action Now
Sean Garner [20:25]: Local service business owners, take action on this. Don’t let this be another thing you listen to and never implement.
One of the biggest things you can do today is start getting more reviews. And we’ve made that as simple as possible for you.
Go to SeanGarner.co and download our Google Review Scripts. These are plug-and-play scripts you can send to former customers, friends, family members, and the people you’ve worked with so you can start collecting more five-star Google reviews immediately.
Go to SeanGarner.co, download the scripts, start getting more reviews, grow your business, and dominate your industry.
