How Do I Get My Business to Show Up Higher on Google?
You built the website. You claimed your Google Business Profile. You may have even Googled your own business approximately 47 times just to see where you show up.
And yet... there’s your competitor.
Sitting above you.
Rude.
One of the most common questions I hear from small business owners is: “How do I get my business to show up higher on Google?”
The short answer is SEO — search engine optimization.
Showing up higher on Google isn't one magic trick. Strong SEO comes from building the right signals consistently over time.
The more useful answer? Google looks at a whole collection of signals to decide which businesses and websites deserve those coveted spots at the top of search results.
The good news is that there are several things you can start working on yourself.
1. Make It Very Clear What Your Business Does
Google shouldn't have to play detective.
Your website should clearly explain:
What you do
Where you do it
Who you serve
What individual services you offer
For example, if you're a painting contractor in Huntsville, Alabama, your website shouldn't rely on vague language like:
“Transforming spaces with quality you can trust.”
Lovely. But... transforming them how?
Instead, your website should naturally use phrases your customers actually search for, such as interior painting in Huntsville, AL, exterior house painting, or commercial painting contractor.
You can still have personality. Just make sure Google understands what the heck you're selling.
2. Give Important Services Their Own Pages
One of the biggest DIY SEO improvements you can make is creating useful pages for your primary services.
If your company offers painting, drywall repair, deck staining, and handyman services, cramming everything onto one Services page makes it harder to demonstrate expertise on any individual topic.
Instead, consider dedicated pages that thoroughly answer questions about each service.
This also gives Google more opportunities to match one of your pages with a specific search.
3. Optimize Your Google Business Profile
For a local business, your Google Business Profile can be just as important as your website.
Make sure your profile has accurate:
Business information
Hours
Categories
Services
Website information
Photos
Service areas
And don't claim categories or services you don't actually provide just because you think they'll help you rank.
Google likes accurate information. Your customers do too.
4. Ask Your Customers for Google Reviews
Yes, reviews matter.
But don't just think about your star rating.
Reviews help build trust with potential customers and give Google additional context about your business.
Make asking for reviews part of your normal process after a successful job or transaction.
And please don't wait until you desperately need reviews and suddenly text every customer you've had since 2017.
A slow, steady stream is much healthier.
5. Answer the Questions Your Customers Are Already Asking
This is one of my favorite SEO strategies because it benefits humans AND search engines.
Pay attention to the questions customers ask you:
How much does it cost?
How long does it take?
Do I need this service?
What's the difference between Option A and Option B?
Can I do this myself?
Those questions can become FAQs, service-page sections, or full blog posts.
In fact, you're reading an example right now. :)
This entire article exists because “How do I get my business to show up higher on Google?” is a real question business owners ask.
Instead of writing blogs simply because someone told you that you're “supposed to blog for SEO,” create content that provides the best possible answer to something your ideal customer actually wants to know.
6. Make Sure Your Website Doesn't Suck on Mobile
Technical SEO can get complicated quickly, but you don't need to be an SEO expert to check the basics.
Open your website on your phone.
Can you read everything easily?
Can you tap the buttons?
Does it load reasonably quickly?
Can you figure out what the company does within a few seconds?
Can you easily call, request a quote, book an appointment, or take whatever action you want a customer to take?
Getting someone to your website is only half the job.
If they arrive and immediately leave because your website is confusing, slow, or looks like it hasn't been touched since flip phones were cutting-edge technology, better rankings aren't going to solve the real problem.
7. Build Your Business's Authority Around the Web
Google doesn't evaluate your website in complete isolation.
Your business should also appear on directories, association websites, local organizations, news sites, industry resources, chambers of commerce, sponsorship pages, and other websites.
When reputable websites mention or link to your business, those backlinks can help establish credibility and authority.
For a local business, that could mean getting involved in your actual community.
Sponsor the team. Join the professional organization. Submit your business to legitimate directories. Get featured in local publications. Build relationships.
Good SEO doesn't always happen while sitting behind a computer.
So, How Long Does It Take to Rank Higher on Google?
Unfortunately, there isn't a magic number.
SEO is a long-term strategy, and your timeline depends on your market, competition, website, current rankings, location, industry, and what your competitors are doing.
Some improvements can produce movement relatively quickly. Competitive searches may take months of consistent work.
That's also why I'm suspicious of anyone promising you the #1 spot on Google by next Tuesday.
SEO isn't a light switch.
It's more like planting a garden.
You can prepare the soil, plant the right things, water consistently, and give everything the best possible conditions to grow.
But yelling “RANK, DAMMIT!” at the dirt isn't going to make tomatoes appear tomorrow.
Even if June does have everything else growing like crazy.
Can I Improve My Google Ranking Myself?
Absolutely.
Start with the basics:
Clearly explain your services on your website.
Optimize your Google Business Profile.
Ask happy customers for reviews.
Create genuinely useful content.
Make sure your website works well on mobile.
Build legitimate mentions and links around the web.
Keep doing it.
That last one is where many businesses struggle.
SEO isn't usually difficult because there's nothing a business owner can do themselves. It's difficult because effective SEO involves a lot of different pieces that need consistent attention.
And presumably, you also have an actual business to run.
When Should I Hire Someone to Handle My SEO?
If you've handled the basics but aren't getting the visibility you want—or you've reached the point where you'd rather spend your time doing the thing people actually pay you to do—that's when professional SEO starts making sense.
At Tektite Digital, I help businesses improve how they're found online through SEO, local visibility, website optimization, content, backlinks, Google Business Profile management, and broader growth strategies.
Because showing up online isn't about chasing one magic keyword.
It's about building a digital presence that makes it very, very clear:
This business knows what it's doing.
You focus on your craft. We'll make sure they notice.
