Table of Contents
A Google Maps competitor benchmark shows how a local business compares with the companies appearing for the same searches and locations.
Building one manually can take hours. You have to check profiles one by one, copy ratings, reviews, categories, contact details, and business information, then repeat the process for every search or city.
Outscraper helps collect structured Google Maps business and review data for larger competitor sets. You can then compare the results, find the biggest gaps, and update the benchmark as the local market changes.
For a closer look at the data collection process, read our guide on how to scrape Google Maps data.
Quick Answer: How to Build a Google Maps Competitor Benchmark
- Choose the industry, search terms, and locations.
- Identify the businesses that appear repeatedly.
- Select the most useful benchmark metrics.
- Collect the business and review data.
- Compare each business with the local average or median.
- Score the main gaps and set priorities.
- Update the benchmark monthly or quarterly.
Use Outscraper to collect structured Google Maps business and review data before building your benchmark.
What Is a Google Maps Competitor Benchmark?
A Google Maps competitor benchmark is a structured comparison of businesses that appear for the same local searches. It shows how one business performs against nearby competitors using data such as ratings, review counts, categories, business details, and review activity.
A benchmark is not meant to copy what top competitors are doing. It shows the current local standard and where a business is behind, close to the market, or already performing well.
How It Differs From a Local SEO Audit
A local SEO audit checks one business for problems, such as missing profile details, weak categories, incorrect information, or poor review activity.
A competitor benchmark adds market context. For example, a business with 80 reviews may look strong on its own. But if the local median is 220 reviews, the benchmark shows that review volume is still a competitive gap.
An audit asks, “What is wrong with this profile?”
A benchmark asks, “How does this business compare with the competitors customers are seeing?”
Who Should Use a Competitor Benchmark?
This process is useful for:
- local SEO agencies comparing clients with nearby competitors;
- reputation management teams studying ratings, reviews, and customer complaints;
- consultants using web data for market research or preparing client reports;
- multi-location businesses comparing each branch with its local market;
- business owners deciding which profile improvements to address first.
A benchmark should not be treated as a one-time report. Ratings, reviews, business status, categories, and local competitors can change. Updating the benchmark regularly helps teams base their decisions on current data rather than an old spreadsheet.
Step 1: Identify the Right Google Maps Competitors
Start by deciding which businesses belong in the benchmark.
Do not rely only on the competitors a business already knows. The companies competing offline may not be the same businesses appearing most often in the local pack.
Choose the Search Terms and Locations
Use the searches customers are likely to enter.
For a plumbing company, this may include:
- plumber in Sacramento
- emergency plumber near me
- water heater repair in Sacramento
For a dental clinic, this may include:
- family dentist in Chicago
- emergency dentist near me
- dental implants in Chicago
Include service, category, and location-based searches. This gives you a clearer view of the businesses competing for the same customers in the same area.
Search results can also change by location. A business that appears in one neighborhood may not appear in another. For citywide or service-area businesses, check several relevant locations instead of relying on one search.
Find the Businesses That Appear Repeatedly
Record the businesses that show up across several searches and locations.
A company that appears once may not be a main competitor. A company that appears repeatedly for several target searches is more useful for the benchmark.
Track:
- business name;
- search term;
- search location;
- position or result group;
- date checked.
Repeated appearances make it easier to identify the businesses with the strongest presence in the target market.
Decide How Many Competitors to Include
Five competitors is a practical starting point for most benchmarks.
Use three competitors for a quick internal comparison. Use ten or more when studying a large city, several locations, or a broader market.
Choose a sample large enough to show the local standard without making the benchmark difficult to manage.
Compare Similar Businesses
Keep the competitor group focused.
A family dentist should not be compared directly with an orthodontist unless both compete for the same target service. A local restaurant should not be measured against a national chain without noting the difference in business size and market reach.
Compare businesses with:
- the same or closely related category;
- similar services;
- the same geographic area;
- a similar customer type.
For franchises and multi-location brands, treat each location as a separate business profile. This gives a clearer view of how each branch performs within its own local market.
Step 2: Choose and Collect the Benchmark Data
A useful benchmark compares the same data points across every competitor.
Start with the fields that show how each business presents itself in Google Maps and how customers respond to it.
Choose the Core Metrics
Most local industries can be compared using these fields:
- primary business category;
- additional categories;
- average rating;
- total review count;
- recent review activity;
- owner responses;
- business status;
- address or service area;
- phone number;
- website;
- opening hours;
- listed services or products.
Review data often needs a closer look. Two competitors may have similar ratings, but one may receive new reviews every week while the other has had little activity for months.
You can also check repeated review topics, such as slow response times, poor communication, pricing complaints, staff behavior, service quality, and common reasons customers recommend the business.
For a detailed review workflow, see how Google Maps reviews support competitor analysis and market research.
Adjust the Metrics for the Industry
Do not use the same priorities for every type of business.
A restaurant benchmark may focus on ratings, recent reviews, photos, hours, and service complaints.
A law firm may place more weight on categories, review quality, location, website details, and consultation options.
A home service business may need closer attention to review recency, service areas, phone availability, and owner responses.
A dental or medical practice may focus on patient feedback, appointment details, hours, and repeated comments about staff or waiting times.
Compare businesses with competitors in the same industry and area instead of using one fixed threshold for every market.
Collect a Small Competitor Set Manually
Manual collection can work when the benchmark covers only a few businesses.
Create one row for each competitor and record the selected fields. Keep the search term, location, and collection date beside every record.
This makes it easier to see where the data came from and prevents results from different searches or dates from being mixed together.
Manual collection becomes harder when the project covers:
- several cities;
- many competitors;
- multiple search terms;
- large numbers of reviews;
- regular benchmark updates.
Collect Larger Competitor Sets With Outscraper
Outscraper can help collect structured Google Maps business and review data for larger projects.
Build searches using an industry and location, such as:
- plumbers in Sacramento, California;
- dentists in Chicago, Illinois;
- restaurant in Miami, Florida.
Export the fields needed for the benchmark, such as business name, category, address, phone number, website, rating, review count, business status, and location data.
For a closer review comparison, use the Google Maps Reviews Scraper to collect review text, ratings, dates, and owner responses.
Outscraper handles the data collection part of the process. The benchmark calculations, scoring, and final recommendations are completed in the spreadsheet or reporting file.
Before running the task, check the query, location, result limit, duplicate settings, and selected fields in the Outscraper web app using the Google Maps scraper service.
Structure the Spreadsheet Before Comparing Results
Keep the spreadsheet simple.
Use one tab for the raw business and review data. Use another tab for calculations, scores, and recommendations.
Useful columns include:
- search term;
- search location;
- business name;
- category;
- rating;
- review count;
- recent review activity;
- owner-response rate;
- website;
- phone number;
- business status;
- collection date;
- local median;
- competitor gap;
- score;
- recommended action.
Keeping raw data separate from calculated fields makes the benchmark easier to update later.
Use Outscraper to gather structured business and review data for larger competitor benchmarks.
Step 3: Compare, Score, and Prioritize Competitor Gaps
Once the data is collected, compare each business with the local market instead of judging the numbers on their own.
Compare Each Business With the Market
Focus on the figures that show where a business stands against nearby competitors, such as:
- local average;
- local median;
- strongest competitor result;
- weakest competitor result;
- gap from the median.
The median is often more useful when one large competitor has far more reviews or activity than the rest of the market.
For example, 90 reviews may look strong until the local median shows that similar businesses have 180.
Use the Benchmark Calculator
Use the calculator below to compare a business with the local median, measure the gap, and assign a weighted benchmark result.
The calculator applies the formulas and scoring rules automatically.
Google explains that local results are mainly based on relevance, distance, and prominence, so no single benchmark metric should be treated as a confirmed ranking formula.
Use this tool to compare one business with the local market, assign a 1–5 score, calculate a weighted score, and decide which gap deserves attention first.
This is an internal comparison tool. It does not represent Google’s ranking formula.
| Business result compared with local median | Score |
|---|---|
| Below 50% of the median | 1 |
| 50% to 79% of the median | 2 |
| 80% to 109% of the median | 3 |
| 110% to 139% of the median | 4 |
| 140% or more of the median | 5 |
Prioritize the Main Gaps
Review the lowest results first and turn them into clear actions.
Group the work by timing:
- Quick fixes: correct hours, update categories, add missing contact details, or respond to reviews.
- Medium-term work: improve review activity, add clearer service information, or address repeated complaints.
- Long-term work: strengthen local reputation, improve local relevance, or update the website.
Add an owner, priority, and target date beside each action. This turns the benchmark into a working plan rather than a report that is reviewed once and forgotten.
Step 4: Maintain and Present the Google Maps Competitor Benchmark
A competitor benchmark becomes less useful when the data is left unchanged for too long.
Set an Update Schedule
Review active markets monthly and slower industries quarterly.
An earlier update may be needed when:
- a new competitor appears;
- a business closes or changes location;
- review activity changes quickly;
- a competitor updates its category or services;
- the business enters a new city or territory.
Save each dataset with the collection date instead of replacing the previous version. This makes it easier to track review growth, rating changes, new competitors, and profile updates over time.
Teams running this process across several locations can also use a repeatable market and competitor monitoring workflow to track changes between benchmark periods.
Present the Main Findings Clearly
The final summary should focus on the points that affect the next decision.
Include:
- the current market position;
- the local median;
- the strongest competitors;
- the largest gaps;
- the recommended actions;
- the next review date.
Keep the full spreadsheet as supporting material. The main report should show the findings without forcing the reader to study every row and column.
Repeat the Same Process Across Markets
The same benchmark can be applied to different industries, cities, client accounts, or business locations.
For multi-location businesses, compare each branch with its own local competitors before comparing locations with one another. This prevents a strong market from hiding weaknesses in another city.
Final Google Maps Competitor Benchmark Checklist
- Define the industry and local area.
- Select the search terms.
- Identify recurring competitors.
- Choose the benchmark metrics.
- Collect the business and review data.
- Record the query, location, and collection date.
- Compare each business with the local market.
- Score and prioritize the largest gaps.
- Assign actions, owners, and target dates.
- Save the dataset and schedule the next update.
For larger competitor sets, Outscraper can help collect structured Google Maps business and review data for each update. The same fields can then be compared against the previous benchmark.
Collect structured Google Maps business and review data with Outscraper, compare local competitors, and keep your benchmark current as the market changes.
FAQ
Most frequent questions and answers
Five competitors is a practical starting point for most local markets. Three may be enough for a quick review, while larger cities or multi-location studies may require ten or more.
Yes. A small benchmark can be built manually by checking Google Maps profiles and recording the selected data in a spreadsheet. The process takes more time when the project covers many competitors, locations, or reviews.
Monthly updates work well for active or highly competitive markets. Quarterly updates are often enough for slower industries. Update sooner when a major competitor opens, closes, changes location, or gains reviews quickly.
The median is often better when one competitor has much higher numbers than the rest. The average can still be useful when the results are more balanced.
No. The benchmark shows differences between competitors, but it does not prove that one metric caused a ranking position. Treat it as a comparison tool for finding gaps and setting priorities.
Yes. Compare businesses that serve the same area and appear for the same search terms. Check several relevant locations because Google Maps results can change across neighborhoods or cities.
Outscraper can help collect structured Google Maps business and review data. The final comparison, scoring, and recommendations are completed in the spreadsheet or reporting file.
