We scanned 532 local service businesses on Google Maps. Most barely show up.

Between September 8 and October 30, 2026, we ran a Google Maps scan for 532 local service businesses across the United States. Each scan searches the business's main service, such as plumber or movers, from 49 points spread over its service area, and records where the business shows up at each point.

These were businesses we were looking at as possible clients, so this is not a random sample of every business in America. Many were Texas trades scanned in late September. But the pattern is consistent enough across trades and states that it is worth sharing.

The headline numbers

Out of 532 scans, 171 businesses, or 32.1%, did not reach Google's top 3 at any of the 49 points. Searchers in their own service area would not see them in the map pack anywhere.

70% of the businesses were in the top 3 at fewer than 10% of the points. The median business reached the top 3 at just 1 of 49 points.

In plain terms: for most local service businesses, the map pack is a place customers see their competitors.

Trade by trade

The share of businesses that reached the top 3 at none of the 49 points, by trade, for trades with at least 8 businesses scanned:

Dumpster rental: 63% of 19. General contractors: 59% of 27. Cleaning services: 53% of 19. Water damage restoration: 50% of 12. Movers: 38% of 24. Roofing: 37% of 27. Tree service: 36% of 22. HVAC: 33% of 33. Fence companies: 33% of 18. Plumbing: 29% of 42. Landscaping: 26% of 23. Appliance repair: 25% of 8. Pest control: 24% of 21. Pressure washing: 20% of 20. Junk removal: 20% of 10. Carpet cleaning: 18% of 11. Electricians: 12% of 33. Garage doors: 11% of 9. Septic: none of 16.

Septic stood out. Every septic company we scanned showed up in the top 3 somewhere, and the median one was in the top 3 at half the points. Rural markets with fewer competitors are easier maps to own. Busy categories with many similar listings, like general contractors and cleaning, are the hardest.

Why so many businesses miss the map

Reviews are not the main reason. On our scans we regularly see a business with hundreds of five star reviews sitting outside the top 3, while a competitor with a handful of reviews holds the spots. Our results page has real examples.

The causes we find most often are plain setup problems: the wrong primary category, a listing that was never claimed, a pin placed in the wrong town or even the wrong state, an address Google cannot confirm, services left empty, and no recent activity. Each of these is fixable, and most are quick. Our Google Business Profile optimization checklist covers each one.

What the businesses at the top do

The leaders in each scan tend to share the same basics: the most specific primary category for their main service, a complete services list, a service area that matches where they work, steady recent reviews with replies, regular posts and photos, and a website that backs up the profile. None of it is secret. It is done every week.

How we measured

Each scan is a 7 by 7 grid of 49 points across the business's area, searching one main keyword. We counted a point as a win when the business was in the top 3 map results at that point. When a business was scanned more than once for the same keyword, we used only the first scan, so rescans do not count twice. We left out trades with fewer than 8 businesses.

See your own map

Wondering which side of these numbers your business is on? We will run the same 49 point map scan for your service area at no cost and tell you what we would fix first.