Why You Want Green All Over The Map (And Not Just Around Your Shop)
Hi,
Had a call with a business owner last week. He told me he was already ranking number one on Google.
I asked him how he checked.
He pulled out his phone, typed in his service plus his city, and showed me. Sure enough, his business was sitting right at the top.
I asked him to do me a favor. Drive 10 minutes down the road. Search again.
He did it the next day and called me back. Turns out he wasn't number one anymore. He wasn't even on the first page.
This happens all the time.
Most business owners check their ranking from inside their own shop. Or from home. Or from the coffee place around the corner. And then they think they're doing great.
But Google doesn't show the same results to everyone. Where you search from changes what you see. So if you only check from one spot, you only know one tiny piece of the picture.
What you actually want is what we call "green all over the map".
This is absolute domination over competitors in the rankings.
Here's what that means.
When we run a check for a client we use a tool that searches from a bunch of different points across their service area. Every point shows up as a pin. Green pin means you're ranking in the top 3. Red pin means you're nowhere to be found.
Most business owners look at their map and they have one green pin. The one right where their business is. Everything else is red or yellow.
This is the ranking of most businesses in their city. They are in the top 3 only in front of their shop.
That's a problem.
Because the people who need your service aren't all sitting in your parking lot. They're spread out across the whole town. They're at home. They're at work. They're driving around. And every one of them is searching from a different spot.
If your map is mostly red, those people are calling your competitor. Not you.
So the goal is simple. We want green pins everywhere. Top of your town. Bottom of your town. Left side. Right side. The whole area you actually serve.
Now, why does this matter so much?
Two reasons.
First one is obvious. More green on the map means more calls. More calls means more clients. More clients means more money. Pretty straightforward.
Second reason is the one most people miss. Once you get to the top across the whole map, it gets really hard for someone to knock you off.
I had a client a while back. We worked on his ranking for about three months and got him into the top 3 across his service area. After that he texted me saying he had to slow things down because he couldn't keep up with the calls.
Good problem to have.
But here's the part I want you to pay attention to. He's still up there today. Years later. Because once you're at the top doing the right things, you just keep getting more reviews, more calls, more clicks. And all of that makes Google trust you even more. Which keeps you at the top. Which gets you more reviews. And on it goes.
The wolf at the top of the hill isn't as hungry as the wolf climbing it. But when he wants food, it's right there.
Same thing with local rankings.
Now if you check your map and it's mostly red, don't panic. That just means there's a lot of room to grow. Every red pin you turn green is more business coming your way.
Here's what I'd do.
Open Google Maps and search for what you sell. Then drive 5 minutes in one direction and search again. Then 5 minutes the other way. See what shows up.
If you're at the top everywhere, congrats. Keep doing what you're doing.
If you're only at the top near your shop, you've got work to do. And every day you wait, your competitor gets more reviews, more calls, and a stronger position. The longer you wait, the harder it gets to catch up.
So don't wait.
Talk soon,
Albert
