Your Competitors Aren’t Beating You – Google Is. Here’s How to Fight Back.
You know that sinking feeling when you Google the service you provide… and your competitors pop up and you don’t?
This is not because they’re better than you. They’re not cheaper. In some cases, they’re not even as good.
But they’re there — and you’re not.
Here’s the truth: it’s not your competitors who are winning — it’s Google. Until you understand how Google decides who gets seen, you’ll always be fighting the wrong battle.
The Real Enemy: The Algorithm, Not the Other Guy
Most business owners assume success online is about marketing spend or luck. It’s not.
It’s about visibility – and Google controls 90% of it.
Google doesn’t pick favourites. It rewards businesses that make life easy for its users.
That means if you’re not showing up, Google has decided – based on signals you’re sending (or not sending) – that someone else deserves that click.
Here’s a fact that stings: 75% of users never scroll past the first page of Google.
So if you’re not visible there, it’s like your shopfront doesn’t exist.
5 Ways Google Is Quietly Beating You
Let’s be honest -Google isn’t evil. It’s just ruthlessly practical. Here are the five ways it’s quietly pushing your business down the list:
1. You Haven’t Fully Optimised Your Google Business Profile
This is free, but most local businesses barely touch it. Missing hours, old photos, no updates – it all signals to Google that you’re not active.
2. Your Website Is Outdated
If it’s slow, clunky, or doesn’t look good on a phone, Google downgrades you.It’s not judging your design taste – just whether people can use your site easily.
3. You’re Not Managing Reviews
If your competitors have 50 reviews and you’ve got 5, Google assumes they’re more trusted – even if all your customers adore you. If you don’t reply to reviews? Another silent strike.
4. You’re Not Posting Fresh Content
Google loves signs of life – new blog posts, photos, updates, FAQs. No updates for six months? That’s digital tumbleweed.
5. You’re Not Talking About Your Location
If your website doesn’t clearly say “Kent”, “East Sussex”, or nearby areas, Google doesn’t know you’re local.
Therefore it’s not going to guess.
How to Fight Back – and Win
Now for the good news: this isn’t complicated. You don’t need to hire a tech wizard or spend a fortune on ads. You just need a plan.
Step 1: Own Your Google Business Profile
-Add current photos, correct hours, real updates.
-Post weekly if you can.
-Make sure every detail is accurate – because Google notices everything.
Step 2: Get Reviews (and Respond to Them)
-Make it part of your process.
– Ask every happy customer to leave a review and reply personally when they do.
-It builds trust with customers and boosts your ranking.
Step 3: Localise Your Website
– Add your town and county in headlines, titles and blog posts.
-Write about your local market, clients and events. It tells Google -and people – you’re part of this community.
Step 4: Post Consistently
-Fresh content is rocket fuel for your visibility.
-One new post, photo, or video a week is enough to signal to Google that you’re alive and relevant.
Step 5: Track, Don’t Guess
– Use free tools like Google Search Console and Analytics.
-You can’t improve what you don’t measure – and a little data goes a long way.
Bonus: The Power of the Network
Want an extra boost? Team up.
When local businesses link to each other – share blogs, mention each other, collaborate – Google sees it as community authority.
-Sponsor a local event.
-Write a guest post for another business.
You’ll get backlinks, exposure and goodwill – all things Google rewards.
Final Word
If you’re not showing up online, you’re losing customers you never even met. It’s not because you’re not good enough – it’s because Google can’t see you.
The good news? You can fix that faster than you think.
Start with your profile, get reviews, post regularly and bring your business to life online.
Because once Google sees you, your customers will too.
Bringing It Home Locally
Think about it this way: twenty years ago, your reputation lived on the High Street – now it lives on Google.
When someone in your area searches for your service, your online presence is your first handshake, your first impression, your first chance to build trust.
So treat it like you would your physical shopfront: keep it polished, updated, and full of life.
Because in an area that thrives on local connection, digital visibility is the new word of mouth.
