How to Rank Higher on Google: 7 Things Your Competitors Are Doing That You're Not

You've Googled your own business. Maybe you typed in "plumber Toronto" or "landscaper near me" — and you're not on the first page. Meanwhile, a competitor you know does inferior work is sitting at the top. It feels unfair, but there's a reason it's happening. They're doing things you're not. This post breaks down exactly what those things are, and how to catch up fast.

1. They've Fully Optimized Their Google Business Profile

Your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is the single most important free tool for local SEO. Businesses that rank in the Google Map Pack — those top three local results — almost always have a complete, actively maintained profile.

That means every field filled in: business name, address, phone number, website, hours (including holidays), services offered, and a detailed business description with relevant keywords. It also means uploading real photos of your work, your team, and your location on a regular basis. Google rewards profiles that show activity.

If you set up your profile two years ago and never touched it again, you're leaving a massive ranking opportunity on the table. Log in today and do a full audit. Add your services individually — don't just rely on the category. Write a description that includes phrases like "serving [city]" and your main service type.

2. They're Consistently Collecting Google Reviews

Reviews aren't just social proof — they're a direct ranking signal. Google looks at the quantity, recency, and quality of your reviews when deciding where to place you in local search results. A competitor with 80 reviews averaging 4.8 stars will almost always outrank you if you have 12 reviews averaging 4.2 stars.

The difference isn't that their customers love them more. It's that they have a system for asking. They send a follow-up text or email after every completed job with a direct link to their Google review page. They make it effortless — one tap, done.

You should be doing the same. Create a short link to your review page (Google provides this in your GBP dashboard), and make asking for a review part of your standard job wrap-up process. The businesses winning at local SEO aren't getting lucky with reviews — they're working for them deliberately.

3. They Understand On-Page SEO Basics

On-page SEO refers to the content and code on your actual website pages. Most service businesses ignore this entirely. Your competitors who rank well have figured out a few critical things:

• Title tags and meta descriptions — every page has a unique, keyword-rich title tag (the blue link in Google search results). If yours says "Home" or "Services," you're invisible.
• H1 headings — each page has one clear H1 that tells Google (and users) exactly what the page is about. For a plumbing company in Markham, a good H1 might be: "Emergency Plumber in Markham — Available 24/7."
• Service-specific pages — instead of one catch-all "Services" page, they have individual pages for each service. One page for drain cleaning, one for water heater installation, one for bathroom renovations. Each one targets different search queries.
• Location mentions — city and neighbourhood names appear naturally throughout the content, in headings, and in the footer. Google needs to know where you serve.

If you want to go deeper on this, check out our full breakdown of ranking on Google for service businesses.

4. Their Business Is Listed Everywhere That Matters (Local Citations)

A "citation" in SEO terms is any mention of your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) on other websites. Think Yelp, Yellow Pages, HomeStars, BBB, Houzz, and dozens of industry-specific directories.

Google cross-references these listings to confirm your business is legitimate and that your information is consistent. If your phone number is different on Yelp than it is on your website, that inconsistency hurts your trust score.

Your competitors who rank well have taken the time — or hired someone — to build out consistent citations across 30–50 directories. Tools like BrightLocal or Whitespark can help you audit and build citations efficiently. It's not glamorous work, but it moves the needle.

5. They Create Content That Answers Real Customer Questions

Blogging for SEO isn't about writing for writing's sake. It's about capturing search traffic from people who are one step before they're ready to hire you. Someone who searches "how much does it cost to replace a furnace in Ontario" is probably going to need a furnace company soon. If your blog post answers that question, you get the traffic — and potentially the call.

Your top-ranking competitors likely have pages or blog posts targeting questions like:

• "How long does [service] take?"
• "[Service] cost in [city]"
• "Best [service] company near me"
• "Signs you need [service]"
• "DIY vs. hiring a professional for [service]"

You don't need to publish 10 posts a month. Even one well-written, genuinely helpful post per month compounds over time into a serious source of organic leads. The key is targeting questions people are actually typing into Google — not topics you think are interesting.