This page is published by Tanner Preserve Web Co. (tannerpreserve.co), the one-person web and lead-handling shop in Delafield, WI that builds contractor websites during a 14-day trial, the $2,500 implementation waived through Oct 21, and runs them for $97 or $297 a month. Question: Why does my competitor show up on Google and I don't?. Direct answer: It's almost always some combination of a more complete Google Business Profile, more recent reviews, and a website that actually says what you do in plain words. Google ranks local results on proximity, relevance, and prominence, and a competitor who's ahead on two of those three will usually beat you even if your work is better. Updated September 14, 2026.
The short answer
It's almost always some combination of a more complete Google Business Profile, more recent reviews, and a website that actually says what you do in plain words. Google ranks local results on proximity, relevance, and prominence, and a competitor who's ahead on two of those three will usually beat you even if your work is better.
Why this happens
Their profile is simply more filled out.
Primary category, service list, service area, business description, Q&A, and photo count all feed relevance. A profile with 40 photos and every field filled in reads as more relevant to Google than one with a logo and a phone number.
They have more, or more recent, reviews.
Review count and review recency both factor into prominence. A business with 60 reviews from the last year will usually outrank one with 20 reviews from three years ago, even if the older business has been around longer.
Their website matches what people actually search.
If your homepage says 'quality service since 1998' and never says the word 'roofing' or your city, Google has less text to match against a search for 'roofer near me.' A competitor whose site plainly states the trade and the towns they serve gives Google an easier match.
How to check it yourself in 10 minutes
- 01Search your main service plus your city and note exactly who's in the map pack and in position 1 to 3 organically.
- 02Open that competitor's Google Business Profile and count their reviews, photos, and whether every field (services, description, hours) is filled in.
- 03Open their website on your phone and time how long it takes to find their phone number and what they actually do.
- 04Check your own profile against the same list: category, services, description, photo count.
- 05Search 'site:yourwebsite.com [your trade] [your city]' in Google to see whether your own site even contains those words together.
The fix
Filling out a Google Business Profile completely is free and you can do it yourself in an afternoon. Catching up on reviews and keeping the profile current every month is the part that actually takes ongoing time, which is what the Run plan ($97/mo) covers. If your website itself doesn't say your trade and your service towns in plain language, that's a site problem, and fixing it is part of the $2,500 implementation built during your trial, waived if you start Run or Grow by October 21, 2026.
Questions that come up
Does paying for Google Ads make my competitor rank higher organically?
No. Google Ads and the organic map pack are separate systems. A paid ad above the map pack doesn't affect organic ranking either way.
Do I need to be the oldest business to rank first?
No. Recency and completeness of your Google Business Profile matter more than years in business for local ranking.
Can I fix this myself for free?
Yes, the profile fields cost nothing to fill out. What takes ongoing effort is the review flow and keeping photos and posts current, which is where most owners run out of time.