Why Your Competitor Shows Up First (And What You Can Do About It)
Why competitors outrank you on Google and what to do next. Practical local SEO diagnostics for plumbers, HVAC, and trades.
You search for your services. A competitor shows up first. They're not better than you. Maybe they've been around less time. Maybe their reviews aren't as good. Yet there they are, getting the clicks that should be yours.
Frustrating? Absolutely. But also fixable—once you understand what's actually happening.
The Real Reasons They Outrank You
Let's cut through the mystery. Here are the most common reasons a competitor ranks higher:
1. They Have More (and Better) Content
This is the #1 reason, and the most overlooked.
Check their website. Do they have:
- Blog posts about different services and topics?
- Detailed service pages for each offering?
- FAQ sections answering common questions?
- Resource guides and how-to content?
Compare that to your site. If they have 50 pages of content and you have 5, that's probably your answer.
What to do: Audit their content. List what they cover that you don't. Start building comprehensive content about your services.
2. They've Been Doing SEO Longer
Search engine optimization compounds over time. A competitor who started building content and links 3 years ago has a significant head start.
Their domain has more authority. Their content has had time to gather links. Google trusts their site more because it's been consistently publishing for years.
What to do: Accept that you're behind—but start now. The best time to start was 3 years ago. The second best time is today.
3. Their Website Is Better Optimized
Sometimes it's technical stuff:
- Their site loads faster
- Their mobile experience is better
- Their title tags and meta descriptions are more compelling
- Their internal linking is stronger
What to do: Run your site through Google's PageSpeed Insights. Compare it to theirs. Fix obvious technical issues.
4. They Have More/Better Reviews
For local searches especially, reviews matter enormously. If they have 200 Google reviews averaging 4.8 stars and you have 20 reviews at 4.5 stars, that affects rankings.
What to do: Implement a systematic review request process. After every job, ask happy customers to leave a Google review. Make it easy—send them a direct link.
5. They Have More Backlinks
Links from other websites to theirs signal trust and authority. They might have earned links through:
- Local press coverage
- Industry associations
- Partnerships with other businesses
- Content that others reference
What to do: Check their backlinks using a tool like Ahrefs or Moz (free trials available). See where their links come from. Some of those opportunities might be available to you too.
6. Location and Proximity
For "near me" searches, Google heavily weights physical location. If your competitor is closer to where most searches happen, they'll have an advantage you can't overcome for those specific searches.
What to do: Focus on searches where location matters less—informational content, longer research queries. Also make sure your service area is clearly defined in Google Business Profile.
How to Diagnose Your Specific Situation
Don't guess—investigate. Here's how to figure out what's actually happening:
Step 1: Search Like a Customer
Search for your services (use incognito mode to avoid personalization). Note:
- Who ranks in the Map Pack?
- Who ranks in organic results?
- What pages of theirs are ranking?
Step 2: Analyze Their Website
Look at the competitor who's outranking you:
- How many pages does their site have?
- What topics do they cover?
- How detailed is their content?
- How old is their domain? (use a WHOIS lookup)
Step 3: Compare Reviews
Check Google reviews for you and your top competitors:
- Total number of reviews
- Average rating
- How recent are the reviews?
- Do they respond to reviews?
Step 4: Check Technical Basics
Use free tools to compare:
- Google PageSpeed Insights – load time comparison
- Mobile-Friendly Test – does your site work on phones?
- Google Search Console – any errors Google has found?
Step 5: Look at Their Links
Use a backlink checker (Ahrefs, Moz, or even just searching for their business name) to see:
- How many sites link to them?
- What quality are those links?
- Are there directories or associations you're both missing?
A Realistic Competitor Strategy
Once you've diagnosed the gap, here's how to close it:
If Content Is the Gap
This is often the biggest opportunity because many local businesses neglect content entirely.
If you'd rather not spend nights and weekends writing 50+ articles yourself, productized content packs can aggressively close the gap with 1 hero article + 2 supporting pieces delivered every month. While agencies charge $3,000-5,000/month for similar work, monthly content packs start under $200/month—and you get the first month's pack completely free to see if it fits.
Action plan:
- List every topic they cover
- Create content on those same topics (but better)
- Add topics they've missed
- Publish consistently for 12+ months
You can catch up on content faster than you can catch up on domain age.
If Reviews Are the Gap
This is directly actionable starting today.
Action plan:
- After every completed job, ask for a review
- Send a follow-up email with direct link to Google review
- Respond to every review (positive and negative)
- Never fake reviews (Google catches this and penalizes hard)
Consistent effort here can close a review gap within a year.
If Technical Issues Are the Gap
Often the fastest fix—but requires some expertise.
Action plan:
- Fix page speed issues (compress images, better hosting)
- Ensure mobile responsiveness
- Add SSL if missing (HTTPS)
- Consider a website redesign if fundamentally broken
If Age/Authority Is the Gap
Hardest to close, but not impossible.
Action plan:
- Focus on content and links—these build authority over time
- Look for quick-win link opportunities (local directories, industry associations)
- Be patient—authority takes years, not months
What Not To Do
Avoid these common mistakes when trying to catch competitors:
Don't copy their content. Google knows. You'll get penalized.
Don't buy links. This can destroy your rankings.
Don't obsess over one competitor. Focus on improving your own presence.
Don't expect instant results. Closing a ranking gap takes 6-12+ months of consistent effort.
Don't ignore your own strengths. Maybe they outrank you for some searches, but what can you be best at?
The Long-Term Perspective
Here's the truth: if a competitor has been investing in their online presence for years and you're just starting, you won't outrank them next month.
But consider:
- They had to start somewhere too
- You can create better content than they did
- Many competitors stop improving—they got complacent
- The best time to start is now
A competitor's head start isn't permanent. It's just a gap to close.
The Bottom Line
Your competitor ranks higher because they've invested more in some combination of content, reviews, links, or time.
The path to catching up:
- Diagnose specifically why they're ahead
- Prioritize the gaps you can close fastest
- Execute consistently for 12+ months
- Monitor progress and adjust
They're not smarter than you. They just started earlier or invested more. There's nothing stopping you from doing the same—starting today.
Want a practical way to catch up? We'll generate a free Month-1 content pack focused on the highest‑intent topics your customers search for in your area, plus a 12‑month calendar preview that shows how to build momentum over time. No competitor audits—just a clear plan and content you can publish.
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