Mostly sunny
Hilo
32/ 100
Profile and reviews may be enough
Hardest Dentists · 52
Calmest HVAC · 20
SEO Market Map Hawaii
SEO Market Map · Hawaii · 5 cities · 12 trades
Today’s SEO forecast for Hawaii.
Hawaii ranks 13th of 14 states for search competition, at 40 against a median of 54 across the 14 states measured so far. Its hardest trade is dentists (55); its calmest is electricians (29). Pick yours.
In one paragraph
The Hawaii SEO Market Map scores how hard it is to win local Google search in five Hawaii cities across 12 trades, from 0 (calm) to 100 (severe). Each score reads who shows up on Google Maps, how many reviews they hold, what their websites do and how many businesses compete per home. Hawaii averages 40, 13th of 14 states measured, read October 29, 2026.
The five-city outlook
Where search is calm, and where it is severe.
Hilo is calmest at 32; Honolulu runs at 52.
Clouds building
Pearl City
38/ 100
Local SEO needed
Hardest Plumbing · 53
Calmest Pool companies · 28
Clouds building
Waipahu
38/ 100
Local SEO needed
Hardest Dentists · 55
Calmest Landscaping · 19
Clouds building
Kailua
39/ 100
Local SEO needed
Hardest Dentists · 53
Calmest Electricians · 22
Storms likely
Honolulu
52/ 100
Local SEO needed
Hardest Dentists · 65
Calmest Pool companies · 37
The Hawaii radar
Honolulu runs hottest.
Honolulu, Kailua, Waipahu, Pearl City and Hilo, stormiest first.
- 52HonoluluStorms likely
- 39KailuaClouds building
- 38Pearl CityClouds building
- 38WaipahuClouds building
- 32HiloMostly sunny
- Clear skies 0–19
- Mostly sunny 20–34
- Clouds building 35–49
- Storms likely 50–64
- Severe 65–100
State lines: US Census Bureau. Numbered pins follow the key, stormiest first.
01 / 11
How competitive is local search in Hawaii?
The short answer for Hawaii is 40 out of 100, 13th of 14 states, where the median state scores 54. The long answer is 60 separate markets, from 19 (landscaping, Waipahu) to 65 (dentists, Honolulu), and the one that matters is yours.
Counting markets, 0 are severe enough to call for full SEO and paid search, 40 are contested local-SEO markets and 20 are calm enough for profile and review work.
Trade by trade, dentists (55), med spas (45) and plumbing (44) average highest across Hawaii. Electricians (29), pool companies (30) and landscaping (31) average lowest.
Size matters less than you might expect: Honolulu, the largest measured city at 350,964 residents, averages 52, while Kailua, at 40,514, averages 39.
02 / 11
SEO competition in Honolulu
Honolulu averages 52 across 12 trades, 1st of 5 Hawaii cities. Its toughest market is dentists at 65, where the top three Google Maps results hold 1,061 reviews at the median and 17 of 20 rivals have passed 100. At the other end, pool companies score 37 with a 25-review median.
Split by verdict, Honolulu has 0 full-SEO markets, 12 local-SEO markets and 0 where a profile may be enough.
Ratings run from 4.7 stars (pest control) to 5.0 (chiropractors) across Honolulu’s top ten results.
Honolulu has 350,964 residents in the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025 estimate. Honolulu County counts 1,694 establishments across the trades the Census codes, about 4.5 per 1,000 homes.
Of the 36 top competitor sites we could read here, 50% use local business markup, and 58% have a sitemap updated within twelve months.
Read more: SEO for dentists.
03 / 11
SEO competition in Kailua
Kailua scores 39 on average, ranking 2nd of 5 in Hawaii. Its toughest market is dentists at 53, where the top three Google Maps results hold 230 reviews at the median and 10 of 20 rivals have passed 100. Electricians are calmest at 22, where 2 reviews is the top-three median.
In Kailua, 0 of 12 trades score over 65, 8 sit between 35 and 65 and 4 fall under 35.
Kailua’s rating bar is lowest for pool companies, 4.0 stars across the top ten, and highest for med spas, at 5.0.
Kailua has 40,514 residents in the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025 estimate. Honolulu County counts 1,694 establishments across the trades the Census codes, about 4.5 per 1,000 homes.
Of the 36 top competitor sites we could read here, 58% use local business markup, and 58% have a sitemap updated within twelve months.
Read more: SEO for dentists.
04 / 11
SEO competition in Pearl City
Across 12 trades, Pearl City comes in at 38, the 3rd highest of Hawaii’s 5 measured cities. Its toughest market is plumbing at 53, where the top three Google Maps results hold 219 reviews at the median and 6 of 20 rivals have passed 100. Pool companies are calmest at 28, where 26 reviews is the top-three median.
Of its 12 trades, 0 call for full SEO plus paid search, 8 for local SEO and 4 for a strong profile and reviews.
Pearl City’s rating bar is lowest for electricians, 4.4 stars across the top ten, and highest for med spas, at 5.0.
Pearl City has 45,295 residents in the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025 estimate. Honolulu County counts 1,694 establishments across the trades the Census codes, about 4.5 per 1,000 homes.
Of the 36 top competitor sites we could read here, 50% use local business markup, and 61% have a sitemap updated within twelve months.
Read more: SEO for plumbing.
05 / 11
SEO competition in Waipahu
Waipahu averages 38 across 12 trades, 4th of 5 Hawaii cities. The hardest trade is dentists (55), with a 792-review median among the top three and 7 of 20 competitors past 100 reviews. At the other end, landscaping scores 19 with a 2-review median.
In Waipahu, 0 of 12 trades score over 65, 9 sit between 35 and 65 and 3 fall under 35.
Waipahu’s rating bar is lowest for plumbing, 3.9 stars across the top ten, and highest for law firms, at 5.0.
Waipahu has 43,485 residents in the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025 estimate. Honolulu County counts 1,694 establishments across the trades the Census codes, about 4.5 per 1,000 homes.
Of the 35 top competitor sites we could read here, 54% use local business markup, and 46% have a sitemap updated within twelve months.
Read more: SEO for dentists.
06 / 11
SEO competition in Hilo
Hilo averages 32 across 12 trades, 5th of 5 Hawaii cities. The hardest trade is dentists (52), with a 792-review median among the top three and 11 of 20 competitors past 100 reviews. The calmest is HVAC at 20 (6 reviews at the median).
Split by verdict, Hilo has 0 full-SEO markets, 3 local-SEO markets and 9 where a profile may be enough.
Ratings run from 3.7 stars (HVAC) to 4.9 (landscaping) across Hilo’s top ten results.
Hilo has 44,186 residents in the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025 estimate. Hawaii County counts 387 establishments across the trades the Census codes, about 4.1 per 1,000 homes.
For Hilo, 36 ranking competitor sites were readable: local business markup on 22%, a sitemap change in the past year on 36%.
Read more: SEO for dentists.
07 / 11
Where local SEO decides the call in Hawaii: the tougher trades
Five trades average between 35 and 65 in Hawaii: dentists (55), med spas (45), plumbing (44), pest control (43) and veterinarians (43). The map pack is contested here. A complete profile is not enough on its own; location pages, reviews and on-page work separate the businesses that get the call.
SEO for dentists: Pearl City 51 to Honolulu 65, a 792-review median. SEO for med spas: Hilo 38 to Honolulu 60, a 44-review median. SEO for plumbing: Hilo 25 to Honolulu 60, a 207-review median. SEO for pest control: Hilo 28 to Honolulu 56, a 241-review median. SEO for veterinarians: Pearl City 34 to Honolulu 49, a 186-review median.
To lead dentists in Honolulu, a business faces a 1,061-review top-three median, 17 established rivals and ratings averaging 4.8.
Honolulu sets the bar for med spas: 260 reviews at the median among the top three, 12 rivals past 100 reviews and a 4.9-star average.
08 / 11
Where local SEO decides the call in Hawaii: the lighter trades
Four trades average between 35 and 65 in Hawaii: HVAC (41), chiropractors (41), roofing (38) and law firms (36). These are contested map packs, where a finished profile gets a business into the running and location pages, reviews and on-page fixes decide who stays there.
SEO for HVAC: Hilo 20 to Honolulu 56, a 152-review median. SEO for chiropractors: Hilo 28 to Honolulu 58, a 57-review median. SEO for roofing: Hilo 31 to Honolulu 49, a 60-review median. SEO for law firms: Hilo 29 to Honolulu 47, a 7-review median.
In Honolulu, HVAC’s top three hold 440 reviews at the median, 8 of the top 20 have passed 100 and the top ten average 4.7 stars.
To lead chiropractors in Honolulu, a business faces a 472-review top-three median, 11 established rivals and ratings averaging 5.0.
09 / 11
Where a strong profile may carry a business in Hawaii
Three trades average under 35 in Hawaii: landscaping (31), pool companies (30) and electricians (29). Competition is thin enough that a complete Google Business Profile and a steady flow of reviews may win the map, with SEO as the way to stay ahead.
SEO for landscaping: Waipahu 19 to Honolulu 46, a 13-review median. SEO for pool companies: Pearl City 28 to Honolulu 37, a 25-review median. SEO for electricians: Kailua 22 to Honolulu 37, a 9-review median.
In Honolulu, landscaping’s top three hold 67 reviews at the median, 1 of the top 20 have passed 100 and the top ten average 4.8 stars.
In Honolulu, pool companies’ top three hold 25 reviews at the median, 0 of the top 20 have passed 100 and the top ten average 4.8 stars.
10 / 11
What Hawaii's top competitor websites do
We read 179 websites belonging to the businesses that rank in Hawaii’s searches. 47% carry local business markup, against 54% across every state measured, and 52% changed their sitemap in the last year. The median ranking site lists 1 location-style page.
Across every state measured the median ranking site lists 1 location-style page, so Hawaii’s leaders are level with the national pattern. WordPress runs 65 of them; custom or less common builders run 63. The builder matters less than the structure on it.
If your markup, sitemap and service-area pages trail these numbers, that gap is usually the fastest one to close. The free audit checks all three on your own site.
11 / 11
How to use the Hawaii forecast
Find your city and trade in the table and read its band. In Hawaii, 20 markets score under 35, where a profile and reviews may be enough; 40 sit between 35 and 65, where local SEO decides the call; and 0 score over 65, where full SEO and paid search are the norm.
Plumbing in Honolulu (60) needs local SEO; electricians in Pearl City (28) is a market a strong profile may carry.
Half of Hawaii’s 60 markets score below 38 and half above it. Choose a trade at the top of the page to redraw every card and the map for it, or open the methodology for each signal and its weight.
What a searcher sees on the map
The view from the phone.
65/ 100
Severe
The map pack is contested. Local SEO work is what separates the businesses that get the call.
- 1,061 median reviews among the top three
- 17 of the top 20 with 100 or more reviews
- 4.8 average stars across the top 10
The full forecast
Every city, every trade.
| City | Plumbing | HVAC | Roofing | Electricians | Landscaping | Pest control | Pool companies | Dentists | Law firms | Med spas | Veterinarians | Chiropractors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu | 60 | 56 | 49 | 37 | 46 | 56 | 37 | 65 | 47 | 60 | 49 | 58 |
| Pearl City | 53 | 36 | 36 | 28 | 31 | 38 | 28 | 51 | 35 | 44 | 34 | 44 |
| Hilo | 25 | 20 | 31 | 24 | 32 | 28 | 28 | 52 | 29 | 38 | 43 | 28 |
| Waipahu | 36 | 42 | 40 | 36 | 19 | 43 | 28 | 55 | 31 | 43 | 45 | 38 |
| Kailua | 48 | 52 | 32 | 22 | 25 | 49 | 28 | 53 | 36 | 39 | 43 | 37 |
Questions
What business owners in Hawaii ask first.
Jamie Kloncz · SEO Elite Agency, Naples
Dentists averages 55 across Hawaii’s 5 measured cities, the highest of the 12 trades, and 0 of the 5 cities score it over 65. It is hardest in Honolulu, at 65: the top three Google Maps results there hold 1,061 reviews at the median, 17 of the top 20 have passed 100 and the top ten average 4.8 stars. Its calmest Hawaii city is Pearl City, at 51. The least competitive trade statewide is electricians, at 29, 26 points lower. Leaders there win on several fronts at the same time.
Jamie Kloncz · SEO Elite Agency, Naples
Of the 5 Hawaii cities measured, Hilo averages lowest, at 32 across 12 trades, and Honolulu averages highest, at 52, 20 points higher. Hilo’s calmest market is HVAC, at 20, and its toughest is dentists, at 52, with 792 reviews at the top-three median. There, 9 of 12 trades score under 35 and 0 score over 65, in a city of 44,186 residents. Easy is relative: a low score means calmer than the other measured cities, not empty, and the map still rewards a complete, well-reviewed profile.
Jamie Kloncz · SEO Elite Agency, Naples
It depends on the trade. In Honolulu, the median review count of the top three Google Maps results runs from 25 for pool companies to 1,114 for pest control, with med spas in the middle at 260. In pest control, 11 of the top 20 have passed 100 reviews and the top ten average 4.7 stars. Those are the businesses you would be trying to pass. Reviews carry 30 of the index’s 100 points, but relevance and distance let a smaller count win close to your own address.
Jamie Kloncz · SEO Elite Agency, Naples
Take pest control in Pearl City, which scores 38, close to the Hawaii median. Its top three Google Maps results hold 11 reviews at the median (weight 30), 7 of the top 20 have passed 100 (15) and the top ten average 4.5 stars (10). 67% of its top sites carry local business markup, part of the website signal (20). Honolulu County has 0.09 of these businesses per 1,000 homes (10) and Pearl City has 45,295 residents (15). Each signal is scaled from 0 to 1 across every city measured, then weighted. Reviews and population use a logarithm.
Jamie Kloncz · SEO Elite Agency, Naples
The Google Maps data behind this page was read October 29, 2026, in 60 searches, one for each of Hawaii’s 5 cities and 12 trades, covering 953 business listings. The Census figures are County Business Patterns 2023 and the Vintage 2025 population and housing estimates. Hawaii is one of 14 states published so far, with 36 more joining as their monthly Places batches complete. Because the index is relative, adding states recalculates every score, and small moves can happen with no local change.
Jamie Kloncz · SEO Elite Agency, Naples
No. In Hawaii, 20 of 60 markets score under 35. The calmest are landscaping in Waipahu (19), HVAC in Hilo (20) and electricians in Kailua (22), where the top three hold as few as 2 reviews at the median. A low score means competitors there are less established than in other measured cities, not that customers stop searching. A complete Google Business Profile, correct categories and steady reviews may win those maps, and that work is cheapest before a rival does it first.
Sources
- Google Maps Platform: Text Search (New), Places API documentationOpened and checked October 30, 2026
- U.S. Census Bureau: County Business Patterns (2023)Opened and checked October 30, 2026
- U.S. Census Bureau: Population and Housing Unit Estimates (Vintage 2025)Opened and checked October 30, 2026
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Written by Jamie Kloncz, founderSEO Elite Agency, Naples FL. Data last read .
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