The toughest map in the province
Vancouver has more businesses competing for every map result than anywhere else in the province. In most trades, the businesses already in the top 3 have complete profiles, hundreds of reviews and websites that have been around for years. Some have agencies working on them full time.
That’s the honest picture. And it’s exactly why the usual approach fails here. A business that tries to rank “electrician Vancouver” across the whole city from one address is up against everyone, everywhere.
A city of neighbourhoods
Vancouver people don’t think in terms of “Vancouver”. They think in neighbourhoods. Kitsilano. Mount Pleasant. Commercial Drive. Kerrisdale. Dunbar. Marpole. Hastings-Sunrise. Riley Park. The West End. The city has 22 official local areas, and residents will tell you they’re all different.
They search that way too. “Plumber Kits.” “Cafe Main Street.” “Physio near Commercial Drive.” And when they search “near me”, Google shows them businesses close to where they’re standing, which in a city this dense means close to their neighbourhood.
That’s the opening. Win the neighbourhood you’re in, then the ones next to it.
Who I work with in Vancouver
Trades: plumbing, electrical, HVAC, renovation, painting, roofing.
Restoration, strata maintenance and building services.
Clinics, physios, dentists, salons and spas.
Cafes, restaurants and neighbourhood retail.
Cleaning, moving, pet care and home services.
Professional services with a local client base.
What I do for Vancouver businesses
Your Google Business Profile
In this market, every detail counts. The right primary category, carefully chosen secondary categories, a complete list of services, a description that names the neighbourhood you’re in, and photos and posts every single week. That’s Google Business Profile optimization.
Your website
Your neighbourhood and “Vancouver” in your title tag and H1, your name and phone in every footer, schema, and full pages for every main service. In Vancouver, thin websites lose. Page count and depth matter here more than anywhere. That’s on-page local SEO.
Your reviews
The businesses at the top in Vancouver tend to have a lot of reviews, and fresh ones. A steady weekly stream from real customers is non-negotiable here. Here’s how I set that up.
Then citations: consistent name, address and phone across Apple Maps, Bing, Yelp and the Canadian directories. Plenty of iPhone users search Apple Maps first, and plenty of businesses are missing from it or listed wrong.
Choosing a target you can actually hit
The guarantee is top 3 on Google Maps for an agreed main keyword in an agreed target area within 90 days. In Vancouver, that agreement is the most important conversation we have.
Here’s how it goes. I run a heatmap around your location. We look at who holds the top 3 near you and how strong they are. Then we pick a target that’s ambitious and realistic. Usually that’s your main service in your own neighbourhood. Once you own it, we push into the neighbourhoods next door.
I’d rather tell you the truth on the strategy call than take your money for a target that needs two years.
Get the local details right
In a market this competitive, small details separate the businesses Google trusts from the ones it ignores:
Your neighbourhood named clearly on your profile and website, not just “Vancouver”.
“Vancouver, BC” and your address written exactly the same way everywhere, including suite or unit numbers.
A service area that matches where you actually work. A plumber in Kits listing Surrey and Abbotsford looks less local, not more.
Photos from real local jobs and your actual storefront or vehicles.
Listings with your local business improvement association, if your neighbourhood has one, plus the directories Vancouver customers use.
What Vancouver customers search for, season by season
Vancouver’s rainy season is long, and it drives searches: roof leaks, drainage, mould, gutters and window repairs from October through spring. Cold snaps bring frozen pipes and furnace emergencies, often all at once. Summer brings patio season for restaurants and cafes, and a growing wave of heat pump and air conditioning searches from homes and condos built for a cooler climate. Spring is painting, landscaping and renovation planning.
Your posts and photos follow that calendar, so your profile is speaking to what your neighbourhood is searching for right now.
The first 90 days
Week 1: heatmap around your location and a breakdown of the businesses holding your spot.
Weeks 2 to 4: your Google Business Profile.
Weeks 5 to 8: your website.
Weeks 9 and 10: citations.
Weeks 11 and 12: fresh heatmap and full review.
A short email every Friday: what got done and what’s next.
If you’re not in the top 3 for the agreed target within 90 days, I keep working for free until you are. And I only take one business per industry in each area.
Working with me
I’m based in the Fraser Valley. All of the work happens on your profile, your website and your listings, so we work by phone and email. No downtown meetings needed.
I also work east in Burnaby and across the harbour in North Vancouver.
Questions Vancouver business owners ask
Can you get me to the top 3 for “plumber Vancouver”?
Across the whole city from one location? That’s not a realistic 90-day target in most trades, and I won’t pretend otherwise. Top 3 in your own neighbourhood first is. Then we expand.
Should my website mention every neighbourhood I serve?
Only the ones where you do real work, and only with real content. A list of 22 neighbourhoods at the bottom of a page does nothing for you.
I’m a storefront. Does that help?
Yes. Customers visiting you is a strong local signal, and your address on the map makes the neighbourhood connection obvious. Make sure your hours, photos and storefront details are perfect.
An agency already does my SEO. Can you work alongside them?
We’d need to talk first. Two people editing the same profile and website at the same time is a mess. If their work isn’t covering the map, I’ll show you where the gaps are.
How long does it take?
The guarantee is top 3 for your agreed main keyword in your agreed target area within 90 days. In Vancouver, choosing that target well is what makes the timeline work.
What do I need to give you?
Access to your Google Business Profile and website, weekly photos, and a habit of asking every customer for a review.
What does it cost?
It depends on your trade and how competitive your neighbourhood is. You get a flat price on the strategy call before you commit to anything.
See where you rank in your neighbourhood
Book a free strategy call. I’ll show you who holds the top 3 around you, how strong they are, and what it’ll take to pass them.