You search for your type of business on Google. Your competitor shows up. You don't. Or maybe you're buried on page three, which is basically the same as not showing up at all.
It's frustrating. Especially when you know your work is just as good as theirs (or better). So what's going on? What do they know that you don't?
The honest answer: it's probably not what they know. It's what they did. And most of it isn't complicated.
They Actually Filled Out Their Google Business Profile
This is the number one thing I see when I look at local businesses in Sedalia and the surrounding area. One business has a complete Google Business Profile with photos, hours, services listed, a description, and posts. The other business either doesn't have one at all or has a half-finished profile with a phone number and nothing else.
Google rewards completeness. If two businesses offer the same service in the same area, Google is going to show the one that gave it more information. It's that simple. Google's job is to give searchers the best answer. A business with a full profile looks like a better answer than one with a blank page.
I set up my own Google Business Profile for Orlov Digital, and I set one up for my client Lemko Coating as well. In both cases, we filled out every single field. Description, services, hours, service area, photos of real work. Not because it's fun paperwork, but because every field you fill out is another signal to Google that says "this is a real, active business."
They Have More Reviews (And More Recent Ones)
Reviews are one of the strongest ranking signals for local search. Not just the number of reviews, but how recent they are. A business with 50 reviews from three years ago will often rank lower than a business with 15 reviews from the last six months.
Google wants to show businesses that are active and that customers are currently happy with. Old reviews tell Google: this business used to be good. New reviews tell Google: this business is good right now.
If you're not asking your customers for reviews, your competitor probably is. It doesn't take a fancy system. Just ask. After you finish a job, send a text or an email with a link to your Google Business Profile. Most happy customers are willing to leave a review. They just need to be asked.
They Have a Real Website
I've looked at over 20 local business websites in Sedalia. Some of them are good. A lot of them are not. And some businesses don't have a website at all, just a Facebook page.
Here's what Google cares about when it looks at your website:
- Does it load fast, especially on a phone?
- Is it mobile-friendly (does it actually work on a small screen)?
- Does it have real content that describes what you do and where you do it?
- Is it secure (HTTPS)?
- Does it have basic technical stuff in order (page titles, meta descriptions, heading structure)?
Your competitor doesn't need a fancy website. They just need one that checks these boxes. If yours doesn't check them (or if you don't have a website at all), that's a gap they're filling and you're not.
A Facebook page is not a substitute for a website. Facebook controls what people see. Google can't properly index your Facebook page the way it indexes a real website. And when someone searches for your type of service, Google wants to send them to a website, not a social media profile.
Their Business Information Is Consistent Everywhere
This one sounds boring but it matters a lot. Google cross-references your business information across the internet. Your name, address, and phone number (people in the industry call this NAP) should be exactly the same everywhere it appears. Your Google Business Profile, your website, your Facebook page, Yelp, the Better Business Bureau, any directory listing.
If your Google listing says "123 Main St" but your website says "123 Main Street" and your Facebook says "123 Main" with no street designation, that inconsistency creates confusion. Not for humans (we can figure it out) but for Google's algorithms. They're not sure if these are the same business or three different ones.
Your competitor might not even know they're doing this right. They might have just been consistent by accident. But consistency tells Google: this is one real business with one real location, and I can trust the information I have about them.
They Have Content That Mentions What They Do and Where
This is where a lot of business websites fall short. The homepage says "Welcome to our business" and has some generic stock photos. But it never actually says, in plain text, what services they offer and what area they serve.
Google reads text. If your website never says "powder coating in Sedalia, Missouri" then Google doesn't know you do powder coating in Sedalia, Missouri. It seems obvious when I say it like that, but I see this constantly. Beautiful websites with almost no actual words on them.
When I built the Lemko Coating website, we made sure every service was described in clear, specific language. Not keyword-stuffed junk, but natural descriptions of what Nathan does and where he does it. The services page lists each type of coating. The homepage mentions Sedalia and the surrounding service area. The result is that Google knows exactly what this business offers and where.
Your competitor who ranks higher probably has a page (or multiple pages) that plainly describe their services. You might not. And that's often the entire difference.
It's Not Magic. It's Just Showing Up.
I know the SEO industry makes this stuff sound complicated. There are companies that charge thousands of dollars a month for "search engine optimization" and use terminology designed to make you feel like you can't do it yourself.
For most local businesses, the truth is simpler. Your competitor ranks higher because they did the basics:
- They claimed and completed their Google Business Profile
- They ask customers for reviews
- They have a website that works on mobile and describes what they do
- Their business info is consistent across the web
- Their website has real content with real words about their services and location
None of this requires expensive tools or a marketing agency. It requires showing up and doing the work.
What You Can Do This Week
Start with your Google Business Profile. If you don't have one, claim it. If you have one, fill out every field. Add photos of your actual work (not stock images). Write a real description. List every service you offer. Set your hours. Set your service area.
Then ask your last three happy customers for a Google review. Send them a direct link. Make it easy.
Then look at your website. Does it say what you do and where you do it? Does it load on a phone? Is the phone number and address the same as what's on Google?
That's it. Those three things will move the needle more than anything else. And if you need help with any of it, I'm here. I'll tell you straight what needs fixing and what's fine as-is.