We Audited 50 Brimbank Plumbers' Google Profiles: What the Top 3 Do Differently
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[Fill after audit: one-sentence headline finding, e.g. "The three plumbers who ranked highest across our Brimbank searches had [X] times more reviews than the median, replied to [X]% of them, and had posted on their profile within the last [X] days."] We checked 50 plumbers' Google Business Profiles across Brimbank suburbs in [month year] to see what the businesses at the top of Google Maps have in common.
Why did we run this audit?
Google says local results depend on relevance, distance and prominence, and that prominence includes reviews and links (Google). That tells you what matters, not how much. We wanted to see, for one trade in one area, what the profiles at the top actually look like compared with everyone else.
How did we collect the data?
- Searched "plumber [suburb]" on Google Maps from a set location in each of [list suburbs: e.g. Sunshine, St Albans, Deer Park, Keilor, Cairnlea], logged out, on [date range].
- Recorded the first [X] results for each search until we had 50 unique plumbing businesses.
- For each profile, recorded: map position, star rating, review count, reviews in the last 90 days, share of reviews with an owner reply, photo count, primary and secondary categories, services listed, date of last post, website link, and whether the business name contained extra keywords.
- Defined the "top 3" as the businesses with the best average map position across all suburb searches.
- Published the anonymised table below. Business names are not shown.
Note for readers: map rankings vary by searcher location and time. This is a snapshot, not a ranking formula.
What did the top 3 have in common?
| Measure | Top 3 (average) | All 50 (median) |
|---|---|---|
| Star rating | [X] | [X] |
| Total reviews | [X] | [X] |
| Reviews in last 90 days | [X] | [X] |
| Reviews with an owner reply | [X]% | [X]% |
| Photos on profile | [X] | [X] |
| Secondary categories | [X] | [X] |
| Days since last post | [X] | [X] |
| Website linked | [X] of 3 | [X] of 50 |
[Fill: 2 to 3 sentences on the biggest gaps between the top 3 and the median.]
Pattern 1: recent reviews, not just many reviews
[Fill with data: compare reviews in the last 90 days for the top 3 against the rest. If the data shows it, note whether a business with fewer total but more recent reviews outranked one with more total reviews.]
What to do: ask every customer for a review after every job, with a direct link. See how to get more Google reviews.
Pattern 2: owners reply
[Fill with data: reply rates for the top 3 against the median.]
What to do: reply to every review within a few days, good or bad. See how to reply to negative reviews.
Pattern 3: complete profiles with the right categories
[Fill with data: categories and services listed by the top 3 against the rest. Note common secondary categories such as gasfitter or drainage service if they appear.]
What to do: choose accurate primary and secondary categories and list your services. See Google Business Profile categories and filling in your Google services list.
Pattern 4: real photos, added regularly
[Fill with data: photo counts and how recent the latest photo is.]
What to do: add photos of real jobs, your van and your team each month. Google lists adding photos and videos among its tips for local ranking (Google).
Pattern 5: a website that matches the profile
[Fill with data: how many of the top 3 linked to a website, and whether the website listed the same name, phone and suburbs.]
What to do: link a website with a page for each service and the suburbs you cover. See plumber websites in Melbourne.
What didn't seem to matter as much?
[Fill with data: anything that did not separate the top 3 from the rest, e.g. star rating differences of 0.1 or 0.2.]
One thing to avoid regardless of results: adding keywords to your business name. Google's guidelines say extras like service descriptions or locations in the name can lead to suspension (Google).
Next step
Want to know how your profile compares? Morphic will check your Google Business Profile against the top plumbers in your suburb. Get a free quote, or book a 30-minute call.
Related services: Google Business Profile management and local SEO.
Related reading: How to Rank on Google Maps, Local SEO for Tradies in Melbourne and How Fast Are Melbourne Tradie Websites?.
Title 11 to Title 15 and Main Content 11 to Main Content 15: leave empty.
Key Takeaways
[Fill] The top 3 Brimbank plumbers averaged [X] reviews against a median of [X].
[Fill] They had more recent reviews, with [X] in the last 90 days.
[Fill] They replied to [X]% of reviews.
Complete categories, real photos and a matching website were common to the top profiles.
Keyword-stuffed business names risk suspension and are not worth it.
Emon Datta
Founder, Morphic Agency
Morphic Agency is a Melbourne-based UX design agency. We've shipped 50+ products across 15+ countries.
