When someone in St. Louis searches “roofer near me” or “plumber in Belleville,” the first thing they usually see is a map with three businesses under it. That block is called the map pack, or local pack. Those three spots get a big share of the calls, and most businesses never show up in it. Here is what actually moves you in.
How Google picks the map pack
Google says local rankings come down to three things:
- Relevance: how well your business matches what the person searched
- Distance: how close you are to the searcher or the area they searched
- Prominence: how well known and trusted your business is, which includes reviews, links and mentions across the web
You cannot move your building closer to every customer, but you can control almost everything about relevance and prominence.
1. Finish your Google Business Profile completely
Your profile is the single most important piece. Most profiles we audit are half done. Make sure you have:
- The right primary category. This matters more than almost anything else. Pick the one that matches your main service.
- Secondary categories for your other main services
- Every service listed, with a short description
- Accurate hours, phone number and service area or address
- A link to the most relevant page on your website
- Real photos of your work, your team and your location, added regularly
Use your real business name. Stuffing keywords like “Best Roofer St. Louis” into your name is against Google’s guidelines and can get your profile suspended.
2. Get reviews every single week
Reviews are one of the strongest signals you control. What matters is not just the total count, but a steady flow of new ones. A business that gets a few new reviews every week looks more active and trusted than one that got 40 reviews two years ago and nothing since.
- Ask every happy customer, right after the job is done
- Send them a direct link so it takes ten seconds
- Reply to every review, good or bad
- Automate the ask with a text after each job so you never forget
3. Make your website back up your profile
Google checks that your website and your profile tell the same story. Your site should have:
- The exact same business name, address and phone number as your profile
- A page for each main service
- A page for each main area you serve, like St. Louis or Belleville and the Metro East
- Local business schema so Google can read your details
- Fast load times on a phone
4. Get listed in the right places
Mentions of your business on other trusted sites build prominence. Start with Yelp, the Better Business Bureau, Bing Places, Apple Business Connect, your local chamber of commerce and the top directories in your industry. Keep your name, address and phone number exactly the same on every one.
5. Stay active
Post an update to your profile every week, add new photos and answer questions people ask on your listing. Active profiles send Google a clear signal that the business is real and open.
A warning about fake addresses
Some businesses try to rank in more areas by using virtual offices or addresses where they do not actually work. That breaks Google’s rules and can get your whole profile taken down. A better plan is to win the map pack where you really are, and use Google Ads to reach the areas farther away.
Want us to handle it?
Our local SEO service covers your Google Business Profile, reviews, website pages and listings in one monthly plan. We work with businesses across St. Louis, the Metro East and nationwide. Get a free quote or call or text (618) 593-7175.
