Free guide · Google Maps
Get into Google's
top 3 map results.
How Google picks the three sparkies on the map, and what you can do.
The three factors
How Google picks the top 3
Google says its local results are based mainly on three things.
Relevance
How closely your profile matches the words the person searched for.
Distance
How close you are to the person searching. The one you can't change.
Prominence
How well known and trusted you look, from reviews to your website.
Three places on Google
Map results, normal results or ads?
Where a sparky can show up when someone searches, and what each one takes.
Normal results
Where it shows
Below the map and any ads, often past the first screen on a phone.
What it takes
A strong website with a page for each job and your main suburb.
What it costs
Your time or an agency's. No cost per click.
Builds over months
Google Ads
Where it shows
At the very top of the page, marked as sponsored.
What it takes
A budget, good ads and a page that turns clicks into calls.
What it costs
You pay for every click, and calls stop when you stop paying.
Calls while you pay
Map results
Where it shows
Above the normal results, with your reviews and a call button.
What it takes
A well set-up Google Business Profile, real reviews and photos.
What it costs
Free to show up. The work is in your profile and reviews.
Best for local calls
In your hands
7 steps that move you up
Practical changes you can make yourself, starting with the quickest wins.
- 1
Get your categories right
Pick Electrician as your main category, and only add others for work you really do. The wrong ones show you for the wrong searches.
- 2
List your services and service areas
Add each job as a service, in customers' words. If customers don't come to you, hide your address and list the suburbs you travel to.
- 3
Keep your business name honest
Only use your registered business name. Adding "Best Electrician Melbourne" breaks Google's rules and can get your profile suspended.
- 4
Add real job photos, often
Photos of your own work, your van and your team build trust. A few fresh photos every month beat fifty uploaded once and forgotten.
- 5
Build a steady flow of reviews
Ask every customer the same day the job's done, and send a direct link. Our guide to getting more Google reviews has texts you can copy.
- 6
Link to a page that matches
Point your profile at the page naming your main suburb and jobs, with the same name, phone and services as your profile.
- 7
Keep your details the same everywhere
Keep your name, phone and suburb identical on your website, Google, Facebook and directories. If they differ, Google trusts you less.
Rather have it done for you? See how we set up your Google Business Profile
FAQ
Questions sparkies ask.
What sparkies ask before they start, from cost to timing.
Prefer to read up first? Browse the free guides
Can I show up in suburbs I don't live in?
Yes, but it's harder the further you are from the person searching. A clear service area, a page on your website for your main suburb, and reviews from customers there all help.
How do I check where I rank on Google Maps?
Search "electrician" plus your suburb on your phone, the way a customer would, while you're in or near that suburb. The first three businesses on the map are the top 3. Check a few of your main suburbs, because your spot changes with where the person searching is.
Does having more photos help me rank?
Photos mainly help customers pick you once they've found you. Adding real job photos regularly also keeps your profile looking active, which can help.
Why does a sparky with fewer reviews show above me?
Usually distance: they're closer to the person searching, or to the suburb they typed. Their categories or services might also match the search better. Reviews matter, but they're only part of it.
Do Google posts help me rank?
They keep your profile looking active and give customers something to read, but on their own they're not a shortcut to the top 3. The right categories, services, photos and reviews matter more.
Should I show my address?
Only if customers come to you, like a workshop or showroom with set hours. If you always go to the customer, set up as a service-area business with your address hidden and list the suburbs you travel to. Google still knows where you're based, so distance still counts.
Still got a question? Text me and I'll give you a straight answer.
Text me0469 025 703Keep reading
More for sparkies.
Free guides and done-for-you services, made only for electricians.
Free, no call needed
Get your free Google audit.
Every audit is recorded by Taha himself. Within 2 business days, you'll get:
- A 3-minute video comparing you with the top 3 sparkies in your suburb, and why they get the calls
- The 3 fixes that would make the biggest difference, in order
- A free mockup of what your new homepage could look like
- Our 5-step checklist you can do yourself, whatever you decide
What your audit checks
- Your map ranking
- Your reviews vs the top 3
- Categories and services
- Photos and job details
- Your website on a phone
- Call button and quote form
- Hours and service area
- How fast your site loads
Rather talk first?