Research · Online presence
The local business visibility gap
Only 22.3% of U.S. local businesses in our directory meet three basic benchmarks for their trade: a website, at least the trade's median number of Google reviews, and a 4.5+ rating. 28.3% meet none.
Key findings
- 22.3% of 1,485,480 U.S. local businesses in our directory meet all three benchmarks for their trade; 28.3% meet none.
- 32.3% have no website, 69.6% have fewer Google reviews than their trade's median, and 57.4% are not rated 4.5 or higher (including those with no rating yet).
- Furthest behind: towing services (11.5% meet all three), handyman services (12.9% meet all three) and appraiser (13.1% meet all three).
- Furthest ahead: chiropractors (45.1%), pest control (43.5%) and med spas (42%).
Page One Partner Research · 1,485,480 businesses · Updated November 2026 · Methodology
Businesses meeting all three benchmarks, by trade
A website, at least the trade's median Google review count, and a 4.5+ rating.
- Chiropractors45.1%
- Pest Control43.5%
- Med Spas42%
- Damage Restoration36.8%
- Remodeling Contractors34.8%
- Charters & Recreation34.8%
- Moving Companies32.4%
- Cash For Gold32.3%
- Self Storage32.2%
- Tree Services32.2%
- Interior Design & Architecture30.3%
- Equipment Rental30.3%
- Auto Repair & Detailing30.1%
- Deck & Outdoor Living30.1%
- Trailer Rental29.6%
- Home Inspectors28.9%
- Windows, Doors & Garage Doors27.9%
- Flooring & Tile27.9%
- Accountants & Tax27.7%
- Pet Services27.6%
- Insurance Agencies26.9%
- Plumbers26.7%
- Salons & Beauty26.1%
- Junk Removal & Hauling25.7%
- Concrete, Masonry & Paving25.1%
- Excavation & Site Work24.8%
- Roofing Contractors24.6%
- Auto Glass24.5%
- Garage Doors24.5%
- Demolition Contractors24.4%
- Painters24.3%
- Attorneys24%
- Home Builders24%
- HVAC Contractors23.9%
- Pressure Washing & Exterior Cleaning23.6%
- Fence Contractors23.1%
- Cleaning Services23%
- Siding & Gutters22.4%
- Real Estate21.6%
- Podiatrists21%
- Pool Contractors20.7%
- Landscaping & Lawn Care20.7%
- Welding & Metal Fabrication20.5%
- Locksmiths19.7%
- General Contractors18.7%
- Limo Service18.4%
- Solar Installation18.2%
- Security Systems18.1%
- Waste Management18.1%
- Appliance Repair17.6%
- Electricians17.3%
- Doctors & Clinics17.1%
- Carpentry & Cabinets17.1%
- Travel Agencies16.2%
- Property Maintenance16.2%
- Drywall & Insulation15.9%
- Restaurants13.9%
- Appraiser13.1%
- Handyman Services12.9%
- Towing Services11.5%
Visibility gap by trade
Download CSV| Trade | Listed businesses | Trade median reviews | Has a website | At or above median reviews | Rated 4.5+ | Meets all three | Meets none |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Towing Services | 23,011 | 52 | 46.7% | 22.7% | 25% | 11.5% | 47.5% |
| Handyman Services | 33,565 | 8 | 37.2% | 17.2% | 25.8% | 12.9% | 57% |
| Appraiser | 8,371 | 3 | 77.1% | 25.3% | 24.3% | 13.1% | 20.4% |
| Restaurants | 3,826 | 715 | 90.5% | 44.7% | 31.4% | 13.9% | 7.9% |
| Drywall & Insulation | 13,034 | 8 | 49.6% | 22.7% | 31.5% | 15.9% | 45.6% |
| Property Maintenance | 1,222 | 7 | 64.2% | 27.9% | 35.5% | 16.2% | 30.3% |
| Travel Agencies | 17,947 | 10 | 67.7% | 25.1% | 32.5% | 16.2% | 28.5% |
| Carpentry & Cabinets | 17,321 | 7 | 57.3% | 23.5% | 34.4% | 17.1% | 39.6% |
| Doctors & Clinics | 108,122 | 18 | 52.9% | 29.7% | 33.3% | 17.1% | 39.2% |
| Electricians | 63,245 | 10 | 54.7% | 23.3% | 32.7% | 17.3% | 41.5% |
| Appliance Repair | 12,561 | 37 | 59.4% | 25.1% | 31.4% | 17.6% | 36.9% |
| Waste Management | 6,044 | 25 | 88.4% | 41.8% | 38.9% | 18.1% | 7.6% |
| Security Systems | 8,778 | 10 | 66.3% | 24.6% | 33.5% | 18.1% | 32.4% |
| Solar Installation | 12,599 | 14 | 73.3% | 24.1% | 34.4% | 18.2% | 25.5% |
| Limo Service | 10,242 | 22 | 63.5% | 22.8% | 33.8% | 18.4% | 35% |
| General Contractors | 125,565 | 8 | 65.4% | 27.3% | 36.9% | 18.7% | 31.5% |
| Locksmiths | 10,907 | 99 | 64.3% | 21.9% | 35.5% | 19.7% | 34.5% |
| Welding & Metal Fabrication | 13,084 | 7 | 64.6% | 33.3% | 47.4% | 20.5% | 24.6% |
| Landscaping & Lawn Care | 54,623 | 13 | 62% | 29.6% | 39.8% | 20.7% | 33.2% |
| Pool Contractors | 19,046 | 21 | 73.9% | 33.7% | 39.3% | 20.7% | 23.4% |
| Podiatrists | 7,669 | 18 | 53.1% | 28.6% | 37.8% | 21% | 39.6% |
| Real Estate | 187,908 | 13 | 80.1% | 30.5% | 43.1% | 21.6% | 17.8% |
| Siding & Gutters | 6,482 | 25 | 58.9% | 25.4% | 40.9% | 22.4% | 38.1% |
| Cleaning Services | 47,586 | 15 | 63.3% | 27.2% | 43.1% | 23% | 33% |
| Fence Contractors | 15,740 | 21 | 68.8% | 31.4% | 41.6% | 23.1% | 28% |
| Pressure Washing & Exterior Cleaning | 31,243 | 22 | 56% | 25.6% | 45.3% | 23.6% | 38.9% |
| HVAC Contractors | 73,183 | 25 | 60.6% | 28% | 42.9% | 23.9% | 35.4% |
| Home Builders | 6,144 | 9 | 94.7% | 43.4% | 50.8% | 24% | 2.7% |
| Attorneys | 114,545 | 13 | 72% | 33.1% | 43% | 24% | 25.2% |
| Painters | 21,300 | 16 | 59.1% | 27.3% | 45.3% | 24.3% | 36.4% |
| Demolition Contractors | 1,978 | 10 | 71.1% | 33.8% | 46.9% | 24.4% | 25% |
| Garage Doors | 6,440 | 53 | 68.9% | 26.2% | 45.4% | 24.5% | 26.9% |
| Auto Glass | 8,379 | 53 | 60.7% | 30% | 44.5% | 24.5% | 34.3% |
| Roofing Contractors | 70,606 | 24 | 62.3% | 28.2% | 44.3% | 24.6% | 34.7% |
| Excavation & Site Work | 2,360 | 7 | 80.8% | 41.4% | 50.3% | 24.8% | 13.1% |
| Concrete, Masonry & Paving | 23,020 | 12 | 79.5% | 37.1% | 46.4% | 25.1% | 17.1% |
| Junk Removal & Hauling | 5,664 | 41 | 65.2% | 28.4% | 48.5% | 25.7% | 31.2% |
| Salons & Beauty | 29,329 | 86 | 77.9% | 43.1% | 61.2% | 26.1% | 12.2% |
| Plumbers | 28,516 | 32 | 71.2% | 32.3% | 45.9% | 26.7% | 25.6% |
| Insurance Agencies | 35,916 | 18 | 73.9% | 33.1% | 48.6% | 26.9% | 22.6% |
| Pet Services | 31,905 | 85 | 72.2% | 36.5% | 56.8% | 27.6% | 21% |
| Accountants & Tax | 2,051 | 11 | 84.2% | 40.1% | 52.7% | 27.7% | 10.2% |
| Flooring & Tile | 20,436 | 22 | 74.1% | 34.3% | 51.8% | 27.9% | 23% |
| Windows, Doors & Garage Doors | 12,903 | 32 | 80.2% | 36.3% | 50.9% | 27.9% | 17.8% |
| Home Inspectors | 13,931 | 29 | 81.2% | 29.9% | 51.2% | 28.9% | 17.3% |
| Trailer Rental | 1,861 | 42 | 82.3% | 40.8% | 56.4% | 29.6% | 13.4% |
| Deck & Outdoor Living | 2,884 | 24 | 75.2% | 34% | 55.8% | 30.1% | 22.3% |
| Auto Repair & Detailing | 42,500 | 93 | 80% | 43.9% | 58.5% | 30.1% | 12.6% |
| Equipment Rental | 1,312 | 48 | 95.6% | 46.4% | 58.9% | 30.3% | 3% |
| Interior Design & Architecture | 8,469 | 6 | 95.4% | 37.4% | 60.5% | 30.3% | 3.9% |
| Tree Services | 8,233 | 34 | 75% | 36.8% | 58.2% | 32.2% | 20.7% |
| Self Storage | 2,535 | 47 | 89.4% | 44.2% | 53.9% | 32.2% | 8.6% |
| Cash For Gold | 3,231 | 69 | 83.3% | 46.8% | 52.3% | 32.3% | 10.4% |
| Moving Companies | 8,085 | 81 | 83.9% | 38.6% | 56.1% | 32.4% | 14.2% |
| Charters & Recreation | 8,996 | 46 | 90.5% | 39.7% | 64.9% | 34.8% | 7.8% |
| Remodeling Contractors | 8,500 | 19 | 85.2% | 41% | 64.5% | 34.8% | 11.2% |
| Damage Restoration | 6,707 | 38 | 91.4% | 41.6% | 66.8% | 36.8% | 7.2% |
| Med Spas | 6,504 | 71 | 93.6% | 45.3% | 76.6% | 42% | 4.9% |
| Pest Control | 3,506 | 96 | 95.7% | 45.6% | 76.2% | 43.5% | 3.5% |
| Chiropractors | 3,810 | 31 | 92.9% | 46.3% | 85.3% | 45.1% | 4.4% |
Answers
Questions this research answers
What percentage of small businesses have a strong online presence?
By three simple benchmarks (a website, at least their trade's median number of Google reviews, and a 4.5+ rating), 22.3% of U.S. local businesses in our directory qualify and 28.3% meet none (Page One Partner Research, November 2026).
Which local industries are furthest behind online?
Towing Services (11.5% meet all three benchmarks), Handyman Services (12.9% meet all three benchmarks) and Appraiser (13.1% meet all three benchmarks) (Page One Partner Research, November 2026).
Does meeting these benchmarks make a business rank higher?
This study does not measure rankings, so it cannot say. It shows how many businesses fall below simple, visible benchmarks their customers can see: whether they have a website, how many reviews they have compared with others in their trade, and their rating.
Methodology
How we measured it
Scope: every figure here describes businesses listed in the Page One Partner directory, not every business in the United States. Counts are businesses in our directory, not totals for a trade, state or city; percentages and benchmarks describe our listings and can differ from the whole market.
Source: the Page One Partner directory, 1,720,952 U.S. local service business listings (all 50 states and Washington, D.C.), each built from the business's public Google Business Profile and public business records. Listings held back by our quality checks (a phone number from another state, a map pin far from the stated city, a Google match that belonged to a different business) are excluded.
Trades: each business is filed under one trade from its Google category. Only trades with at least 1,000 listings are reported, and rating figures use trades with at least 200 businesses carrying 10 or more reviews.
The three benchmarks: (1) a website listed on the Google Business Profile; (2) a Google review count at or above the median for the business's own trade (median among businesses with at least one review); (3) a Google rating of 4.5 or higher. A business with no rating does not meet the third. These are descriptive benchmarks, not a ranking model: the study shows correlation with nothing and claims no effect on search rankings.
Figures are aggregates. Page One Partner does not publish business-level rows from this research. The aggregate tables are free to reuse under CC BY 4.0: credit "Page One Partner Research" with a link to the study.
Recomputed weekly from the live directory; this edition was computed in November 2026. Small shifts between editions are expected as businesses are added and ratings change.
Cite this study
Page One Partner Research. "The local business visibility gap." November 2026. https://pageonepartner.com/research/visibility-gap/
Link to it
<a href="https://pageonepartner.com/research/visibility-gap/">Page One Partner Research: The local business visibility gap</a>
Press and data questions: info@pageoneinsights.com
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For business owners
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Writing about this data?
Every figure is free to cite and chart under CC BY 4.0. Credit “Page One Partner Research” and link to this page. The numbers describe businesses listed in our directory, not every business in the country.