Why is your competitor ranked above you in Google Business Profiles?

You search your business on Google and your competitor is showing up first. Not just once, but consistently. They appear in the top of the local results while your profile is stuck further down or missing completely.

It is not random. Google has a system and your competitor is playing it better. The question is not just why they rank higher, but what they are doing that you are not.

How google ranks business profiles?

Google ranks local businesses using three main factors. The first is relevance, which looks at how closely your business matches what people are searching for. The second is distance, which measures how close your business is to the person doing the search. The third is prominence, which reflects how well known and trusted your business appears online.

If your competitor ranks above you, it means they are winning in at least one of these categories and possibly all three. They are either closer to the customer, more relevant to the search or more trusted in the eyes of Google.

The location advantage

One reason your competitor may outrank you is location. If they are physically closer to the person searching, they have a natural advantage. Google often shows results based on proximity, especially for searches with words like near me or in town.

In city centres, even small differences in location can make a big difference in rankings. In rural areas, the range is wider but distance still matters.

You can't control where your business is located, but you can control how visible and trusted it appears to people nearby. That is where the other ranking factors come in!

Profile completeness and activity

Businesses that rank higher often have more complete and regularly updated google profiles. Your competitor may have filled out every field, added clear business descriptions, listed all services, uploaded high quality photos and posted updates often.

Google favours active profiles. If your competitor adds a post every week and you have not touched yours, Google sees them as more engaged. This sends a trust signal to the algorithm.

Photos play a big role too. Listings with recent, high quality images tend to get more clicks and more time spent on the profile. That activity feeds back into the ranking system.

Reviews that work

Your competitor likely has more reviews, better reviews and fresher reviews. They may also be replying to all of them.

Google sees reviews as social proof. A steady flow of positive reviews shows customer satisfaction and business activity. The algorithm also picks up on keywords inside the reviews themselves, which boosts relevance.

When replying to reviews, best practice is to thank the reviewer by name, mention something specific they said and include keywords naturally. This helps Google understand what your business offers and where it is located.

If your competitor has set up an automated system to request reviews after purchases or visits, they are building ranking strength every day. If you rely on chance, you are falling behind!

Citations and consistency

Google also looks across the web to verify your business details. These are called citations. If your name, address, and phone number appear consistently on other trusted websites it boosts your credibility.

Your competitor may have claimed their listings on dozens of directories you are missing. Even worse, if your information is inconsistent across platforms, Google might treat your business as less reliable.

Cleaning up your citations and getting listed on all the right platforms is one of the fastest ways to improve prominence.

Local content matters

Another edge your competitor may have is content. They might be writing about your city, your neighbourhoods or local problems your customers search for.

If they have blog posts about events in town or solutions for local needs, Google sees them as more relevant. It also increases the chances of them showing up in more types of searches.

Adding local keywords to your descriptions, services and blog content helps your profile match what people are typing into Google.

Website performance and engagement

Google tracks what happens after someone clicks on your listing. If people land on your site and leave quickly, that is a bad signal. If they stay, explore, and take action, that is a strong one.

Your competitor might have a faster website, better mobile design or more helpful content. These factors increase time on site and reduce bounce rate. They also help your ranking climb over time.

Engagement on your listing

Clicking for directions, tapping call now or sending a message from your profile are all actions Google tracks. These behaviours tell Google your listing is useful.

If your competitor is getting more of these actions, they will often be ranked higher. Improving your call to action, photos and profile structure can make a big difference here.

Customer service signals

Response time matters too. Google tracks how quickly you reply to messages and reviews. A business that responds within a few hours appears more active than one that takes days.

Google wants to show listings that offer good customer experience. Fast replies are part of that!

A plan to move up

If you want to rank higher than your competitors, focus on the factors you can control.

Fill out your profile completely. Post weekly. Upload real photos. Request and reply to reviews consistently. Fix your listings across the web. Write content about your local area. Speed up your website. Engage with customers directly from your profile.

These are the things your competitors are doing. Now it is your turn to do them better.

Fuzz Marketing helps businesses close the gap with their competitors through profile optimization, NFC-Plaques, review systems, SEO content and 360 degree photos that build trust and drive engagement.

Explore our services today and take back your top spot in local search!