Local SEO competitor analysis: reverse-engineering Map Pack leaders

The fastest way to climb the local Map Pack is to understand exactly why your top-ranking competitors are there. This lesson gives you a systematic competitor analysis framework for local SEO: from GBP profile audits to backlink profiles, citation counts and on-site content, all interpreted through the lens of your Wix site strategy.

The fastest route to the top of the local Map Pack is understanding exactly why your top-ranking competitors are there. A systematic local SEO competitor analysis reveals which signals are driving their rankings (GBP optimisation, review count, citation profile, website authority or on-site content) and gives you a prioritised action plan to outperform them.

Identifying Your True Local SEO Competitors

Your local SEO competitors are the businesses appearing in the Map Pack for your primary search queries, not necessarily the businesses you compete with commercially. Search for your main service keywords from your target location (use Google Maps and an incognito window), and note the top three businesses appearing consistently. These are your real competitors, regardless of whether they are direct commercial rivals.

Auditing Competitor GBP Profiles

• Count their total reviews and average rating. Note their review velocity (how recently the last reviews were posted)
• Review their primary and secondary GBP categories
• Count their GBP photos and note photo frequency (weekly, monthly or sporadic)
• Check whether they use GBP Posts regularly and what format (offer, event, news)
• Look for Products or Services sections and whether they are populated
• Note whether they have a Q&A section and whether they have answered the questions

Comparing Citation Counts and Directory Footprints

Auditing competitor citation profiles

• Search "[competitor business name] + [city]" in Google and note the directories that appear
• Use BrightLocal's Citation Tracker (free trial) to count competitor citation volume
• Check if they are listed in the major UK directories: Yell, Thomson Local, Yelp, Cylex, Scoot
• Note any industry-specific directories where they appear but you do not
• Compare your citation count to theirs. A significant gap often explains ranking differences

Analysing Competitor Local Landing Pages

Visit the website of each top-ranking competitor and review their local landing pages. Note word count, heading structure, schema markup presence (right-click > View Source and search for "LocalBusiness"), internal linking to and from the page, and whether they have testimonials, maps or local-specific content. Your Wix local landing pages need to match or exceed the quality signals on every dimension where competitors outperform you.

How to Run a Complete Local SEO Competitor Analysis for Your Wix Business

How to audit your local competitors and build an action plan to outrank them

• Open Google Maps in a private browsing window with your location set to your primary service area. Search for your main service keyword (for example "electrician Manchester") and note the three businesses appearing consistently in the Map Pack.
• For each top-ranking competitor, open their GBP listing and record: total review count, average rating, date of most recent review, primary GBP category, number of photos, and whether they use GBP Posts.
• Open each competitor's website and use your browser's View Source function to search for "LocalBusiness" or "schema.org". Note whether they have local schema markup implemented.
• Record the word count and heading structure of their main local landing page using a free tool like Word Counter or by reviewing the visible content.
• Search "[Competitor Business Name] [City]" in Google and note which citation directories appear in the first two pages of results.
• Use BrightLocal's free Citation Finder or Whitespark's citation tool to estimate competitor citation volume and identify directories where they are listed but you are not.
• Create a comparison spreadsheet with columns for: Reviews, Review Rating, GBP Photos, GBP Posts, Citations, Schema Markup, Landing Page Word Count, and score yourself and each competitor 1-10 for each.
• Identify the three factors with the largest gap between you and the top-ranking competitor.
• Build a 90-day action plan targeting the highest-impact gaps: for a review gap, set up a review request system; for a citation gap, build listings in the missing directories; for a content gap, expand your Wix local landing page.
• Repeat this audit every quarter to track closing the gap and to catch new competitor moves before they compound into a larger ranking disadvantage.

Essential Tools for This Lesson

• SEO Fix in a Box: My Wix app. Free to install, it scans your site and shows what needs fixing, and the paid plan writes the fixes from your own Google searches