Seeing competitors ranking higher than you on Google isn’t a fatality. It’s a source of information.
If Google highlights a business, it’s because it is sending the right signals. Instead of guessing what to do, get inspired by your competitors to improve your own visibility.
Here are 4 simple elements to observe to make progress.
🏷️ 1. Their Google Business Profile categories
To show you in the right place, Google needs to understand exactly what you do.
- Main category: Do your competitors define themselves differently? This can completely change your ranking.
- Secondary categories: Some add services you might have forgotten. Secondary categories can broaden your visibility to more searches.
Choosing the right categories is often the fastest lever to become more visible.
⭐️ 2. Their review volume… especially recent ones
Reviews are essential, but it is not the total count that matters most. It is the recent reviews that prove your business is dynamic today.
Look at:
- How many reviews did your competitors receive this month?
- Does the owner reply to messages?
- Do customers post photos?
This gives you a clear goal: be more active than them. This is what Google values most.
📸 3. Their activity on their Google Business Profile
Google prefers displaying "lively" businesses that update their digital storefront.
Ask yourself:
- Do they add photos regularly?
- Do they publish Google Posts (news, promotions, events)?
- Does their profile look up-to-date?
If your competitors are inactive, you have a golden opportunity: a minimal frequency of activity will be enough to surpass them.
💰 4. Advertisements
If you see the "Sponsored" label, it means a competitor is paying to appear at the top.
This does not mean you have to do the same. Ads bring immediate but short-lived visibility. By working on your Google profile, you build natural, lasting, and free visibility.
In summary
Analyzing the competition allows you to take the pulse of your market. It prevents you from navigating blindly and helps you focus your efforts on what really works.
👀 Competitor monitoring made easy
Begonia.pro allows you to monitor your competitors automatically. We track their activity (reviews, posts, ads) and compare their visibility to yours.
Discover our competitor analysis tool to know exactly where you stand, and what to do to progress.