You search "pest control near me" in your own city and your business doesn't appear in the top 3. Or even the top 10.
But three of your competitors are right there, getting all the calls. One of them has been in business half as long as you. Another one charges more than you do. Yet somehow they're dominating Google Maps while you're invisible.
Here's what's frustrating: You know your service is just as good - probably better. You have experienced technicians. You solve pest problems effectively. Your customers are happy. But none of that matters if potential customers never find you.
The companies ranking at the top of Google Maps aren't lucky. They're not necessarily better at pest control. They just understand something you don't: how to analyze what competitors are doing and strategically outmaneuver them.
This guide shows you exactly how to conduct a competitive analysis for your local pest control market, identify what's keeping you from ranking, and create a strategic plan to outrank the businesses currently beating you.
Why Competitive Analysis Is the First Step to SEO Success
Most pest control business owners approach local SEO backwards.
They optimize their Google Business Profile, build a nice website, and wonder why they're still not ranking. Meanwhile, their competitors stay firmly planted in the top 3 positions month after month.
Here's the problem: You're operating in a vacuum. You're making changes without understanding what it actually takes to rank in your specific market.
Ranking in Boise, Idaho is completely different from ranking in Houston, Texas. The number of competitors, their level of optimization, their review counts, their website quality - all of this varies dramatically by market.
Competitive analysis tells you:
- What the top-ranking pest control companies are doing right
- What weaknesses they have that you can exploit
- How much work it will actually take to outrank them
- Which ranking factors matter most in your specific market
- Where to focus your time and money for maximum impact
Without this information, you're guessing. With it, you have a roadmap.
How to Identify Your Real Local Competitors
Before you analyze anyone, you need to know who you're actually competing against.
Your real SEO competitors aren't necessarily your business competitors. The company you compete with for commercial contracts might not be the company you compete with for Google Maps rankings.
Step 1: Search Your Primary Keywords
Open an incognito browser window (this prevents Google from personalizing results based on your search history) and search these terms:
- "pest control near me"
- "exterminator near me"
- "pest control [your city]"
- "termite treatment [your city]"
- "bed bug exterminator [your city]"
- "rodent control [your city]"
Important: Do this on both desktop and mobile. Rankings can differ between devices.
Step 2: Identify the Top 3 in Each Search
The "Local Pack" (the map section showing 3 businesses) is what matters most. Write down which companies appear in the top 3 for each search.
You'll likely see the same 3-5 companies appearing repeatedly across different searches. Those are your real competitors.
Step 3: Expand to the Top 10
Click "More places" to see businesses ranked 4-20. These are secondary competitors - they're close to breaking into the top 3, which means they're putting in serious SEO effort.
Step 4: Check Organic Results Below the Map
Some pest control companies rank in the organic results below the map pack. These businesses have strong websites and are worth analyzing separately.
Your competitor list should include:
- The top 3 companies appearing in Google Maps consistently
- 2-3 companies ranked 4-10 (your closest threats)
- 1-2 companies ranking in organic results below the map
That's 6-8 companies total. You don't need to analyze 30 competitors - just the ones currently occupying the positions you want.
Analyzing Competitor Google Business Profiles: What to Look For
Your competitors' Google Business Profiles contain a goldmine of information about what's working in your market.
Review Count and Rating Analysis
What to check:
- Total number of reviews
- Average star rating
- Review velocity (reviews in the last 30 days, 90 days, 6 months)
- Response rate (do they respond to reviews?)
- Response quality (generic copy-paste or personalized?)
What this tells you:
If the top-ranking companies all have 150-250 reviews and you have 38, that's your gap. You can't compete at the top without closing that review gap.
If they're getting 8-12 new reviews monthly and you're getting 2, they have a systematic review generation process. You need one too.
If they all respond to reviews and you don't, that's an easy fix that can improve your rankings.
Benchmark insight: In most competitive pest control markets, you need 100+ reviews minimum to compete for top 3 positions. 150-200+ to consistently hold a top 3 spot.
Profile Completeness Analysis
What to check:
- Is their business description complete and detailed?
- How many service categories do they have listed?
- How many services do they list individually?
- Do they list specific service areas?
- Are their business hours up to date?
- Do they use attributes (veteran-owned, family-owned, etc.)?
The reality: Most pest control companies have incomplete profiles. If you spot gaps in your competitors' profiles, that's an opportunity. Fill those gaps in your own profile and you gain an advantage.
Photo and Content Analysis
What to check:
- How many photos do they have uploaded?
- When was their last photo uploaded?
- What types of photos (trucks, team, work, office)?
- Quality of photos (professional vs. phone snapshots)?
- Do they post Google Updates regularly?
- When was their last post?
Count everything:
What this tells you:
If Company A is ranking #1 with 87 photos and uploading consistently, while Company C is #3 with only 43 photos uploaded 3 months ago, photos might not be the primary ranking factor in your market. But they still matter.
If the top companies are posting 8-12 updates per quarter and you're posting zero, that's a clear gap to address.
Profile Engagement Signals
You can't see exact engagement metrics for competitors, but you can observe:
Question & Answer section:
- Do they have Q&As posted?
- Are they answering proactively (adding their own Q&As)?
- Do they respond quickly to customer questions?
Messaging:
- Do they have messaging enabled?
- How quickly do they respond to messages? (You can test this anonymously)
Website clicks and direction requests:
- You can't see these numbers, but you can infer engagement by how complete and compelling their profile is
Pro tip: Incomplete, outdated profiles = low engagement signals. If competitors have inactive profiles but still rank well, they likely have very strong review counts or powerful backlink profiles carrying them. You'll need to dig deeper.
Understanding Competitor Backlink Profiles and Citation Strategies
Backlinks and citations are trust signals that tell Google your business is legitimate and authoritative.
Analyzing Competitor Backlinks
Tools you need:
- Ahrefs (paid, most comprehensive)
- Moz Link Explorer (paid, good alternative)
- Ubersuggest (affordable, decent for small businesses)
- Free tools: Google Search Console (for your own site only)
What to analyze:
Total Backlinks: How many websites link to their site? Quality matters more than quantity, but quantity isn't irrelevant.
Referring Domains: How many unique websites link to them? 100 links from 5 websites = weak. 100 links from 75 websites = strong.
Link Quality:Where are backlinks coming from?
- High-quality: Local news sites, Chamber of Commerce, industry associations, .edu/.gov sites
- Medium-quality: Local business directories, community websites, relevant blogs
- Low-quality/Spam: Random directories, foreign websites, spammy blogs
Create a backlink profile comparison:
What this tells you:
If Company A has strong backlinks from local news sites and real estate blogs, that's likely a major ranking factor. You need to build similar high-quality local links.
If everyone's links are mostly directory listings, then backlinks might not be the primary differentiator in your market. Reviews and profile optimization might matter more.
Citation Audit for Competitors
Citations are mentions of a business's Name, Address, and Phone Number (NAP) across the web.
Where to check for competitor citations:
- Yelp
- Yellow Pages (YP.com)
- Better Business Bureau
- Angie's List / Angi
- HomeAdvisor
- Thumbtack
- Local Chamber of Commerce
- Local business directories
- Industry-specific directories
Tool shortcut: Use a tool like Moz Local, BrightLocal, or Yext to scan competitor citations automatically. Or manually Google "[Competitor Name] + [City]" and see where they appear.
What to look for:
Citation quantity: How many directories list them?Citation consistency: Is their NAP information identical everywhere?Citation quality: Are they in authoritative directories or spammy ones?
If competitors have 40+ consistent citations across quality directories and you have 12 inconsistent citations, that's a clear gap affecting your rankings.
Analyzing Competitor Websites: What Separates Winners from Losers
Your website works in tandem with your Google Business Profile. Let's analyze what top-ranking competitors are doing with their websites.
Technical SEO Analysis
What to check:
Mobile-Friendliness: Use Google's Mobile-Friendly Test tool. Is their site responsive and easy to use on phones?
Page Speed:Use Google PageSpeed Insights. How fast does their homepage load?
- Under 2 seconds = excellent
- 2-4 seconds = good
- 4-6 seconds = okay
- 6+ seconds = slow (opportunity for you)
HTTPS Security: Do they have SSL certificates (https:// not http://)? Google favors secure sites.
Schema Markup: Use Google's Rich Results Test. Do they have LocalBusiness schema implemented? (This helps Google understand their business information)
Create a technical comparison:
What this tells you:
If all top competitors have fast, mobile-friendly sites with proper security, that's table stakes. You need it too.
If only the #1 competitor has schema markup implemented and others don't, that might be giving them an edge. Implementing it yourself could help you leapfrog #2 and #3.
On-Page Content Analysis
What to check:
Homepage optimization:
- Do they mention their primary service area in the H1 tag?
- Is their city name in the opening paragraph?
- Do they clearly state what services they offer?
- Is their NAP information visible in the footer?
Service pages:
- Do they have individual pages for each service (Termite Control, Bed Bug Treatment, Rodent Control)?
- How detailed are these pages (300 words vs. 1,500 words)?
- Do they include service-specific keywords naturally?
- Do they have local area mentions on service pages?
Location pages:
- If they serve multiple cities, do they have individual location pages for each?
- Are location pages just thin content (100 words) or comprehensive (500+ words)?
- Do location pages include unique, locally-relevant content?
Blog/Resources:
- Do they have a blog or resources section?
- How often do they publish?
- What topics do they cover?
Create a content comparison:
What this tells you:
If Company A (ranking #1) has 8 detailed service pages, 12 location pages, and monthly blog content, while Companies B and C have minimal content, that's likely a significant ranking factor. You need comprehensive content to compete.
If everyone has basic websites with minimal content, then website quality might not be the primary differentiator. Google Maps optimization and reviews might be more important in your market.
Conversion Optimization Analysis
While not directly related to rankings, it's worth noting how competitors convert visitors:
What to check:
- How prominent is their phone number? (click-to-call buttons, header visibility)
- Do they have clear calls-to-action?
- Is online booking available?
- Do they have chat widgets or messaging?
- Are customer reviews/testimonials displayed on the website?
- Do they have trust signals (licenses, certifications, guarantees)?
Why this matters: If you outrank a competitor but they convert better, they'll still get more business. Analyze what they're doing to convert visitors and implement those strategies yourself.
Finding Gaps in Competitor Coverage: Your Strategic Opportunities
This is where competitive analysis becomes strategic advantage.
You're looking for weaknesses - gaps where competitors aren't optimized that you can exploit.
Content Gaps
What to look for:
- Services they offer but don't have individual web pages for
- Cities they serve but don't have location pages for
- Keywords they rank for poorly despite being relevant
- Blog topics they haven't covered that customers search for
Example: You notice the #1 ranked competitor serves 10 cities but only has location pages for 3 of them. Opportunity: Create comprehensive location pages for all cities you serve and potentially outrank them in those areas.
Review Response Gaps
What to look for:
- Companies with high review counts but low response rates
- Competitors who respond generically (copy-paste responses)
- Competitors who ignore negative reviews
Opportunity: If competitors aren't responding to reviews or responding poorly, you can differentiate by responding thoughtfully to every review. This improves your engagement signals and builds trust with potential customers.
Service-Specific Gaps
What to look for:
- Services where competition is thin (fewer specialized competitors)
- Service-specific searches where nobody ranks strongly
- Niche services competitors don't prominently feature
Example: You search "bed bug heat treatment [your city]" and nobody has a dedicated page for it. Opportunity: Create a comprehensive bed bug heat treatment page and dominate that specific search.
Geographic Gaps
What to look for:
- Suburbs or neighborhoods where top competitors don't focus
- Zip codes with lower competition
- Adjacent cities where you operate but face fewer strong competitors
Opportunity: If you serve a metro area plus 5 surrounding suburbs, create hyper-local content for those suburbs where competition might be softer.
Technical Gaps
What to look for:
- Competitors with slow websites (opportunity: build a faster site)
- Competitors without schema markup (opportunity: implement it first)
- Competitors with poor mobile experiences (opportunity: build mobile-first)
- Competitors without chat/messaging features (opportunity: add it)
These technical advantages might seem small, but in competitive markets, small edges compound into ranking improvements.
The Exclusive Territory Advantage: Why Ranking Is Easier When Agencies Don't Compete Against Themselves
Here's something most pest control business owners don't think about:
Many of your competitors use the same marketing agency.
That agency is optimizing Google profiles, building backlinks, and generating reviews for 3-4 different pest control companies in your city. They're literally competing against themselves.
Why this matters:
When an agency works with multiple pest control companies in the same market, they can't give any single client a true competitive advantage. They're using the same strategies, the same content templates, the same link-building tactics for all their clients.
The result? Everyone rises together slowly, but nobody truly dominates.
This is exactly why we only work with one pest control company per metropolitan area.
When we work with you, we're not simultaneously optimizing your competitor down the street. Every strategy, every piece of content, every link we build is designed to give YOU the competitive advantage in your market.
We're not splitting our focus. We're not sharing strategies. We're exclusively focused on making your business the dominant player in your local search results.
The competitive analysis difference:
When we conduct competitive analysis for clients, we're identifying weaknesses to exploit - not wondering if we're accidentally competing against our own clients. That changes everything.
Creating Your Competitive Advantage: What You Can Do That They're Not
Now that you've analyzed competitors, it's time to create your action plan.
The formula for outranking competitors:
- Match their strengths - You can't have 38 reviews when they have 200 and expect to outrank them. Close the obvious gaps first.
- Exploit their weaknesses - Find where they're not optimized and dominate those areas.
- Add unique value - Do something they're not doing at all (better content, better responsiveness, better customer experience).
Your Competitive Action Plan
Phase 1: Close Critical Gaps (Months 1-3)
- If they have 150+ reviews and you have 50, implement aggressive review generation
- If they have complete Google profiles and yours is incomplete, fix it immediately
- If they have fast websites and yours is slow, optimize site speed
- If they respond to all reviews and you don't, start responding to every review within 24 hours
Phase 2: Match Their Best Practices (Months 3-6)
- If they have 8 detailed service pages, create 8-10 detailed service pages
- If they have location pages for every city, create comprehensive location pages
- If they have consistent citations across 30+ directories, build your citations
- If they post Google updates monthly, post weekly
Phase 3: Create Differentiation (Months 6-12)
- Build higher-quality backlinks than they have
- Create better, more comprehensive content
- Implement features they don't have (chat, online booking, video content)
- Generate reviews at higher velocity
- Provide superior customer experience that naturally leads to more positive reviews
The reality: You won't outrank established competitors overnight. But by systematically closing gaps and building on their weaknesses, you can move from page 2-3 to page 1 within 90 days, and compete for top 3 positions within 6-12 months.
This Requires Deep Analysis and Strategic Execution
If you've read this far, you probably have two thoughts:
- "This is more complex than I realized"
- "I don't have time to do all of this analysis and execution"
You're right on both counts.
Competitive analysis isn't complicated, but it is time-consuming. Properly analyzing 6-8 competitors across all these factors takes 8-12 hours. Creating and executing a strategic plan based on that analysis takes ongoing effort every single week.
You started a pest control business to solve pest problems and serve customers, not to become an SEO analyst. Between running jobs, managing your team, handling customer service, and growing your business, you don't have 10+ hours per week to dedicate to competitive analysis and strategic SEO execution.
But here's what you can't ignore: The pest control companies dominating Google Maps in your market aren't doing it by accident. They're either doing this work themselves or they have someone doing it for them systematically.
That's exactly why competitive analysis is built into our Business Growth Engine for pest control companies. We analyze your market, identify your competitors' strengths and weaknesses, and create a strategic roadmap to outrank them - then we execute that plan month after month while you focus on running your business.
We work with only one pest control company per metropolitan area (creating a true competitive advantage), we're completely transparent about what we do each month, and we operate on a no-contract basis.
If you'd rather have a team of specialists analyze your competitive landscape and execute a strategic plan to outrank your competitors while you focus on growing your pest control business, schedule a 15-minute discovery call. We'll look at your current position, analyze your top competitors, and give you an honest evaluation of what it will take to reach the top 3 in your market.
Either way, use this competitive analysis framework to understand your local market. The pest control companies that dominate 2025 will be the ones who understand their competition and strategically outmaneuver them.
