Google Maps for house cleaning companies: what gets you into the top 3
People pick a cleaner they'll let into their home, so they read the map carefully. "House cleaning service" alone gets about 100,000 US searches a month. Here's what the companies Google showed first had in common across Central Florida.
House cleaning companies that reached the top 3 in our searches had a median of about 80 Google reviews and 47 photos, against 13 reviews and 16 photos for the rest. 94% used House cleaning service as their primary category. Reviews are the biggest gap, and it's one of the widest we've seen.
What customers type into Google
US searches a month, from Ahrefs. Every one of these shows a map with three businesses at the top.
| Search | Searches a month (US) |
|---|---|
| house cleaning service | 102,000 |
| cleaning services near me | 91,000 |
| house cleaning near me | 28,000 |
| maid service | 13,000 |
| move out cleaning | 11,000 |
| deep cleaning service | 2,800 |
What the top 3 have
We ran "house cleaning service" and "maid service" from 5 points around each of Orlando, Winter Garden, Kissimmee (30 Google Maps searches, October 27, 2026) and compared every business that reached the top 3 with the ones ranked 4 to 20.
| Top 3 | Ranked 4–20 | |
|---|---|---|
| Google reviews (median) | 80 | 13 |
| Star rating (median) | 4.9 | 5.0 |
| Photos (median) | 47 | 16 |
| Website on the listing | 75% | 63% |
| Profile claimed | 94% | 92% |
| Businesses counted | 36 | 224 |
- About six times the reviews in the top 3 (80 against 13), one of the widest gaps we've measured.
- Photos were three times higher too (47 against 16).
- 94% of the top 3 used House cleaning service as primary. Over a third of the rest had the vague Service establishment category on their profile.
- 75% of the top 3 had a website on the listing, against 63% of the rest.
Our own searches, Central Florida. These are patterns, not guarantees: Google also weighs distance and relevance, and every area is different.
Categories the top 3 use
Primary category (the one that matters most): House cleaning service (94% of the top 3).
All categories seen on top-3 profiles:
- House cleaning service 94%
- Cleaners 44%
- Janitorial service 31%
- Window cleaning service 19%
- Carpet cleaning service 11%
Only use categories for work you really do.
Five fixes, in order
- Claim and verify your profile. See is my business on Google Maps?
- Make House cleaning service your primary category. Add Cleaners, and Janitorial, Window or Carpet cleaning only if you really offer them. Swap out Service establishment.
- Ask regular clients for a review. Your recurring clients are your best source. Ask after the first clean and again after a few months. See what to say when you ask.
- Add before-and-after and team photos. Kitchens, bathrooms, your team in uniform. Aim to pass 45 photos.
- Reply to every review. Trust is the whole sale in this trade. See how to reply to reviews.
What it costs
The scan is free. If you want us to track it every week and tell you what to do next:
- Foundation, $75/month ($50 for the first 25 businesses, for 12 months): 5 searches, weekly scan, what moved and who took your spot, full fix checklist.
- Growth, $150/month ($100 for the first 25 businesses, for 12 months): 10 searches, close-up scan, top 10 competitors with alerts, monthly PDF.
- Premium, $300/month ($200 for the first 25 businesses, for 12 months): 20 searches, 2 service areas, review replies, 4 Google posts a month, and the one thing to do each week.
Questions
How many reviews does a cleaning company need to rank on Google Maps?
In our Central Florida searches the top-3 companies had a median of about 80, while most of the rest had fewer than 15. A free scan shows where you stand against the cleaners near you.
Should I add Janitorial service if I do some office cleaning?
Yes, as an extra category, if you really do it. Keep House cleaning service as primary if homes are most of your work.
I work from home. Can I still rank?
Yes. Hide your address and set the area you serve. Google still ranks you from your business location, so reviews and a complete profile matter more the further out you want to show.