To rank higher on Google Maps, work on the two factors you control: relevance (categories, description, services) and prominence (steady reviews, replies, photos, consistent details across the web). Distance isn’t up to you, and Google doesn’t sell better spots. Here is how Google ranks profiles, how to measure your real position and the step-by-step action plan.
What is the Google Maps “top 3”?
When someone searches a trade and a town (“car body shop Basel”), Google shows a map and a small number of businesses before the web results: the local pack. On a phone it fills the first screen. In the Google Maps app the list is longer, but attention still focuses on the first profiles. Being in the pack means getting the calls.
What Google itself says
Google describes three factors: relevance (does the profile match the search?), distance (between customer and business) and prominence (how well known the business is: reviews, rating, links and mentions across the web). It also states that you can’t pay for a better local ranking.
| Factor | Concrete levers |
|---|---|
| Relevance | Precise primary category, additional categories, services, description, linked website naming trade and town |
| Distance | Exact address; for service businesses, a realistic service area |
| Prominence | Review count, rating and recency; replies; photos; identical details on local.ch, search.ch, Apple Maps, Bing; mentions in local press |
Measure before you act
Your position changes with the search and where the customer is. Searching your own name tells you nothing: everyone ranks for their own name. What matters is the “trade + town” search your customers type.
- List 3 to 5 key searches: main trade + your town, + neighbouring towns.
- Run them in a private window, or better, with a tool that simulates the customer’s location.
- Note your rank and the three businesses ahead of you.
- Compare: review count, rating, latest review, photos, hours, category.
The free check does exactly this in one minute: your position for your trade and town, and a number-by-number comparison with the competitors ahead of you.
The action plan, in order
Week 1: the foundations
- Fix the primary category based on the top three’s.
- Add real additional categories.
- Complete hours, description and services.
- Add 20 to 30 real photos.
- Make sure the name is your real business name, no keywords.
Weeks 2 to 4: consistency
- Align name, address and phone on local.ch, search.ch, Moneyhouse, Apple Maps and Bing Places.
- Remove duplicates and old addresses.
- Link a website that clearly names trade and town in the page title.
Month 2 onwards: prominence
- Ask every happy customer for a review on the same day (see how to get more Google reviews).
- Reply to every review (see how to respond to Google reviews).
- Add photos every week and post an update every two weeks.
- Look for local mentions: trade associations, club sponsorship, regional press.
Why a competitor ranks above you
| What you see | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| They have 5× more reviews | Prominence gap | Systematic review requests, over several months |
| Their rating is higher | Customers pick them when reading | Reply to negative reviews, fix the service concerned |
| Their category is more precise | Relevance gap | Revisit your primary category |
| Their latest review is from yesterday, yours from six months ago | Inactive profile | Steady flow of reviews and photos |
| They’re closer to the centre | Distance | Nothing to do on this factor; make up for it with the other two |
What doesn’t work (or gets you suspended)
- Adding the town or keywords to your business name.
- Buying reviews or offering anything in exchange for one.
- Creating several profiles for the same business, or profiles at fake addresses.
- Paying a provider who “guarantees” first place: nobody can guarantee it.
- Relying on Google Ads: ads show separately and don’t move the profile up.
How long does it take?
Profile fixes (category, hours, description) are picked up within days to weeks. Reviews build prominence over several months. Nobody can promise a timeline or a position: Google decides, and your competitors move too. What you can do is shrink the measured gap, point by point.
Next: the full checklist in optimize your Google Business Profile, and the overview in local SEO in Switzerland.
“Near me” searches
For “plumber near me”, Google uses the location of the customer’s phone. There’s nothing extra to add to the profile for these searches: the same factors apply (relevance, distance, prominence). Never add “near me” to your name or description.
Serving several towns
A profile shows mainly around its address. To appear further away, strengthen prominence (reviews from customers in those towns, work photographed on site) and publish useful regional pages with real jobs on your website. A profile at a fake address to “cover” another town is prohibited.
Your monthly dashboard
| Metric | Where | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Position for trade + town | Check or private-window search | Rising, month after month |
| Review count | Profile | Close the gap with #3 |
| Average rating | Profile | On par with the top three |
| Date of latest review | Profile | Under two weeks old |
| Calls and directions | Profile performance | Growth, season on season |
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to rank higher on Google Maps?
Often a few weeks for profile fixes, several months for reviews. No timeline is guaranteed: Google decides.
Do Google Ads help my ranking?
No. Ads show separately, labelled sponsored; they don’t improve the profile’s organic ranking.
Why don’t I show up even though I’m very close?
Distance is only one of three factors. A profile with a vague category or few reviews can be outranked by a business further away that is more relevant and better known.
My ranking changes from day to day. Is that normal?
Yes. It varies with the customer’s exact location, device, wording and competitor activity. Always measure the same search from the same place.
Does my website matter?
Yes, indirectly: a website linked to the profile that names your trade and town strengthens relevance and prominence.
Do I need links to my website to rank on Maps?
Mentions and links from local sites (associations, regional press, partners) are part of the prominence Google describes. They complement the profile and reviews, not replace them.
Can a profile drop?
Yes: if competitors improve, information becomes wrong or activity on the profile stops. Hence the value of a regular routine.