Businesses placing high in maps with no website. How?

In a category I am associated mudjacking. I have seen in many cases even in other categories, businesses placing at the top of the Google maps without a website at all. Some of these listing barely even have any nap citations. I am dumbfounded by how this is happening. Heres the link. the top 3 companies have no website at all. Whats going on anyone have insight? Ok I cant post a link - search kansas city mudjacking.

Maybe they have relevant/plenty of reviews?

Citations both structured and unstructured gluing it all together? Combine that with low competition in a true specialty niche of construction?

Few different reasons as to why. My guess is it is Running off of the old system, I used to be able to get Slot "A" positions all day long without websites. In fact, it was one of my easiest things to sell because I didn't need a website to rank my client.

Google is still changing and adjusting but I am assuming the competition isn't very high.

That would make sense, that it was some type of legacy placeholder stuck in the system that has yet to be flushed.

A website is not required to rank in maps. Any business can list themselves with Google, even if they do not have a website.

Techxan said:

A website is not required to rank in maps. Any business can list themselves with Google, even if they do not have a website.

Click to expand...

Sorry techxan, I disagree. When listing into Google Local 7 pack (This is what the OP is talking about) Having a website is a MAJOR ranking factor. It didn't use to be so bad post pigeon update, earlier this year. Having a website is very crucial now.

Here is a fun post from moz.
http://moz.com/local-search-ranking-factors

SkylerJarman said:

Sorry techxan, I disagree. When listing into Google Local 7 pack (This is what the OP is talking about) Having a website is a MAJOR ranking factor. It didn't use to be so bad post pigeon update, earlier this year. Having a website is very crucial now.

Here is a fun post from moz.
http://moz.com/local-search-ranking-factors

Click to expand...

Have you noticed what is actually going on since Pigeon? After piegon, a lot of maps listings have been eliminated, and the radius the maps are showing is a fraction of what they were.

Queries that used to throw a 7 or 10 box are throwing a 3 box, and those 3 results are super local to the search location. The reduction of the shown results radius is easily 1/4 to 1/2 of what it was before, which means there are fewer results, an they are close to the search location.

Now what I am seeing in my local searches is sites listed with google that do not have a website, but do have reviews and citations being shown in the maps box if they are close to this search location.

I think if you search in a large metro area you will be able to duplicate what I am seeing. It seems to me tha the citations and reviews are carrying most of the weight, and in all almost all citations I have ever done the website of the business is optional.

The focus of the local algorithm has always been NAP, not NAPW.

Maybe in your area, the business that do not have a website simply do not establish a presence in local directories because they do not market online.

It will be interesting to see if anyone else has noticed this.

It would also explain what the OP is talking about.

many relevant business lost ranking in NY. Difficult to understand why. They have credibility, reviews, website, g+ page, proper citations. Any suggestions?

gene_nero said:

many relevant business lost ranking in NY. Difficult to understand why. They have credibility, reviews, website, g+ page, proper citations. Any suggestions?

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If you mean maps, pigeon happened. it also handed a lot of local terms to yelp.

A listings age right now has a lot to do with ranking so even though it doesn't have a website it can outrank those with websites but in order to hit more keywords you would need a website unless you are only going after a few.