Google Maps for pest control companies: what gets you into the top 3
Pest problems are urgent, and people pick from the map. "Pest control near me" and "exterminator near me" together get close to 300,000 US searches a month. Here's what the companies Google puts first had in common.
Pest control companies that reached the top 3 in our searches had a median of about 98 Google reviews and 24 photos, against 38 reviews and 11 photos for the rest. Most used Pest control service as their only or main category. Reviews are the biggest gap in this trade.
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) |
|---|---|
| pest control | 211,000 |
| pest control near me | 187,000 |
| exterminator near me | 103,000 |
| rodent control | 47,000 |
| mosquito control | 44,000 |
| termite control | 27,000 |
| termite inspection | 23,000 |
| bed bug exterminator | 18,000 |
What the top 3 have
We ran "pest control" and "exterminator" 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) | 98 | 38 |
| Star rating (median) | 4.8 | 4.9 |
| Photos (median) | 24 | 11 |
| Website on the listing | 85% | 74% |
| Profile claimed | 92% | 88% |
| Businesses counted | 40 | 136 |
- Reviews are the big gap here: the top-3 group had a median of about 98, more than 2.5 times the rest.
- Ratings were slightly lower in the top 3 (4.8 against 4.9). More reviews beat a perfect score.
- Top-3 companies had more than twice the photos (24 against 11).
- They kept it simple: Pest control service as the primary category for 88% of them, with few extras.
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): Pest control service (88% of the top 3).
All categories seen on top-3 profiles:
- Pest control service 88%
- Lawn care service 15%
- Animal control service 8%
- Bird control service 5%
Only use categories for work you really do.
Five fixes, in order
- Claim and verify your profile. Check it's claimed and verified first. See is my business on Google Maps?
- Make Pest control service your primary category. Add Animal control or Lawn care only if you really offer them.
- Build a steady review habit. Ask on every treatment visit and every renewal. Two or more a week adds up fast. See what to say when you ask.
- Add treatment and team photos. Technicians, trucks, before-and-after (no gory shots). Aim to pass 25 photos.
- Reply to reviews, including the bad ones. See how to reply, and what to do about reviews that break Google's rules.
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 pest control company need?
In our Central Florida searches the top-3 companies had a median of about 98 reviews. Your local competitors set the bar; a free scan shows who's above you and by how much.
Should my business name include "pest control" and my town?
Only if that's your real, registered name. Adding words to your name is against Google's guidelines and can get a profile suspended.
Do I need separate profiles for termite and pest control?
No. One profile per business location. Use categories and services to show what you do.