Why Is My Competitor Outranking Me on Google Maps?
When a competitor keeps showing up above you in the map pack, the cause is almost always one of a handful of signals Google has publicly described: relevance, distance and prominence.
By The Solsti Team · Published September 25, 2026 · 6 min read
Start with Google's three factors
Google states that local results are based mainly on relevance (how well a profile matches the search), distance (how far the business is from the searcher or the location in the query) and prominence (how well-known the business is, informed by things like reviews, links and articles).
A competitor outranking you is usually winning on at least one of those — and often the answer is distance, which no one can change.
Check proximity before anything else
If the searcher is standing closer to your competitor, they will often see that business first. This is why rankings look different when you search from your office versus your customer's neighborhood.
A GeoGrid report shows your position across many points in your service area, so you can tell whether you are losing everywhere or only in pockets closer to the competitor.
Compare the profiles side by side
Google Business Profile Management →
- Primary and secondary categories — are theirs more specific to the search?
- Services and products listed — do they name the exact service being searched?
- Review count, recency and rating — are they getting reviews more steadily?
- Photos, hours, attributes and business description — is their profile simply more complete?
- Website — does their site have a dedicated page for the service and location?
What you can actually change
You can't move your building, but you can improve relevance (categories, services, website content) and prominence (reviews, citations, local links). Those are the levers a Google Maps marketing program works on — measured across your service area, not a single search.
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FAQ
Common questions
Can I get my competitor removed from Maps?
Only if their listing violates Google's guidelines — for example, a fake address. You can suggest an edit or report it; Google decides.
Want to know exactly where you rank on Google?
Get a free Google Visibility Audit — your Maps coverage, Business Profile, reviews and the gaps competitors are exploiting.