> **Illinois SEO Market Map: Local Competition by City** > How competitive local search is in 5 Illinois cities across 12 industries, scored on one national scale. See what your market needs. [SEO Market Map](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-market-map/) Illinois SEO Market Map · Illinois · 5 cities · 12 trades # Today’s SEO forecast for *Illinois*. Illinois ranks 8th of 14 states for search competition, at 54 against a median of 54 across the 14 states measured so far. Its hardest trade is dentists (67); its calmest is pool companies (41). Pick yours. All trades Plumbing HVAC Roofing Electricians Landscaping Pest control Pool companies Dentists Law firms Med spas Veterinarians Chiropractors [Run myfree audit](https://seoeliteagency.com/free-seo-audit/) [Booka call](https://seoeliteagency.hbportal.co/public/69bccfccf61f1d002932ebbe) In one paragraph How hard is it to reach the top of Google Maps in Illinois? We scored five cities and 12 trades from 0 to 100 using who ranks, their reviews, their websites and how crowded each county is, all read October 29, 2026. Illinois averages 54, the 8th highest of 14 states so far. The five-city outlook ## Where search is calm, and where it is *severe*. Joliet is calmest at 48; Chicago runs at 67. Clouds building ### Joliet 48 / 100 Local SEO needed Hardest Dentists · 64 Calmest Electricians · 31 Clouds building ### Rockford 49 / 100 Local SEO needed Hardest Pest control · 58 Calmest Electricians · 27 Storms likely ### Aurora 53 / 100 Local SEO needed Hardest HVAC · 64 Calmest Pool companies · 35 Storms likely ### Naperville 55 / 100 Local SEO needed Hardest Dentists · 72 Calmest Pool companies · 42 Severe ### Chicago 67 / 100 Full SEO plus paid Hardest Law firms · 80 Calmest Landscaping · 52 The Illinois radar ## Chicago runs *hottest*. Chicago, Naperville, Aurora, Rockford and Joliet, stormiest first. - **67** Chicago *Severe* - **55** Naperville *Storms likely* - **53** Aurora *Storms likely* - **49** Rockford *Clouds building* - **48** Joliet *Clouds building* - **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. On this page - [01How competitive is local search in Illinois?](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-market-map/illinois/#overview) - [02SEO competition in Chicago](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-market-map/illinois/#sec-chicago-il) - [03SEO competition in Naperville](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-market-map/illinois/#sec-naperville-il) - [04SEO competition in Aurora](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-market-map/illinois/#sec-aurora-il) - [05SEO competition in Rockford](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-market-map/illinois/#sec-rockford-il) - [06SEO competition in Joliet](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-market-map/illinois/#sec-joliet-il) - [07Where Illinois needs full SEO and paid search](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-market-map/illinois/#trades-severe) - [08Where local SEO decides the call in Illinois: the tougher trades](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-market-map/illinois/#trades-local-1) - [09Where local SEO decides the call in Illinois: the lighter trades](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-market-map/illinois/#trades-local-2) - [10What Illinois's top competitor websites do](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-market-map/illinois/#websites) - [11How to use the Illinois forecast](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-market-map/illinois/#use) 01 / 11 ## How competitive is local search in Illinois? Illinois scores 54 out of 100, 8th of the 14 states measured so far, against a median state of 54. Its 60 city and trade markets run from 27 for electricians in Rockford to 80 for law firms in Chicago, so the answer depends on your trade and your city. By band: 7 markets score over 65 (full SEO, usually with paid search), 49 fall between 35 and 65 (local SEO) and 4 come in under 35 (a strong profile and reviews may do). Trade by trade, dentists (67), law firms (61) and plumbing (60) average highest across Illinois. Pool companies (41), electricians (43) and landscaping (47) average lowest. Size matters less than you might expect: Chicago, the largest measured city at 2,731,585 residents, averages 67, while Rockford, at 147,384, averages 49. 02 / 11 ## SEO competition in Chicago Across 12 trades, Chicago comes in at 67, the 1st highest of Illinois’ 5 measured cities. The hardest trade is law firms (80), with a 1,365-review median among the top three and 20 of 20 competitors past 100 reviews. Landscaping is calmest at 52, where 154 reviews is the top-three median. In Chicago, 6 of 12 trades score over 65, 6 sit between 35 and 65 and 0 fall under 35. The top ten map results average 4.6 stars in veterinarians and 4.9 in chiropractors, the lowest and highest rating bars in Chicago. Chicago has 2,731,585 residents in the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025 estimate. Cook County counts 11,644 establishments across the trades the Census codes, about 5.1 per 1,000 homes. For Chicago, 34 ranking competitor sites were readable: local business markup on 61%, a sitemap change in the past year on 69%. Read more: [SEO for law firms](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-for-law-office/). 03 / 11 ## SEO competition in Naperville Across 12 trades, Naperville comes in at 55, the 2nd highest of Illinois’ 5 measured cities. The hardest trade is dentists (72), with a 708-review median among the top three and 20 of 20 competitors past 100 reviews. At the other end, pool companies score 42 with a 23-review median. In Naperville, 1 of 12 trades score over 65, 11 sit between 35 and 65 and 0 fall under 35. Naperville’s rating bar is lowest for veterinarians, 4.6 stars across the top ten, and highest for chiropractors, at 5.0. Naperville has 153,114 residents in the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025 estimate. DuPage County counts 2,879 establishments across the trades the Census codes, about 7.8 per 1,000 homes. We read 36 competitor websites that rank for Naperville searches. 69% carry local business markup and 64% changed their sitemap in the last year. Read more: [SEO for dentists](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-for-dentistry/). 04 / 11 ## SEO competition in Aurora Aurora scores 53 on average, ranking 3rd of 5 in Illinois. The hardest trade is HVAC (64), with a 469-review median among the top three and 14 of 20 competitors past 100 reviews. The calmest is pool companies at 35 (8 reviews at the median). Of its 12 trades, 0 call for full SEO plus paid search, 12 for local SEO and 0 for a strong profile and reviews. The top ten map results average 3.9 stars in pool companies and 5.0 in law firms, the lowest and highest rating bars in Aurora. Aurora has 181,505 residents in the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025 estimate. Kane County counts 1,500 establishments across the trades the Census codes, about 7.7 per 1,000 homes. Of the 36 top competitor sites we could read here, 61% use local business markup, and 78% have a sitemap updated within twelve months. Read more: [SEO for HVAC](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-for-hvac/). Before you read on Want to see where your own business stands in this market? Run the free audit. About 60 seconds, no email, and you get named findings for your site and profile, not a score. [Run myfree audit](https://seoeliteagency.com/free-seo-audit/) [Booka call](https://seoeliteagency.hbportal.co/public/69bccfccf61f1d002932ebbe) 05 / 11 ## SEO competition in Rockford Across 12 trades, Rockford comes in at 49, the 4th highest of Illinois’ 5 measured cities. Pest control is hardest at 58: the first three businesses on the map carry a median of 377 reviews, with 8 of the top 20 above 100. The calmest is electricians at 27 (10 reviews at the median). Split by verdict, Rockford has 0 full-SEO markets, 10 local-SEO markets and 2 where a profile may be enough. The top ten map results average 4.4 stars in dentists and 5.0 in med spas, the lowest and highest rating bars in Rockford. Rockford has 147,384 residents in the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025 estimate. Winnebago County counts 585 establishments across the trades the Census codes, about 4.7 per 1,000 homes. We read 36 competitor websites that rank for Rockford searches. 53% carry local business markup and 61% changed their sitemap in the last year. Read more: [SEO for pest control](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-for-pest-control/). 06 / 11 ## SEO competition in Joliet Across 12 trades, Joliet comes in at 48, the 5th highest of Illinois’ 5 measured cities. Dentists are hardest at 64: the first three businesses on the map carry a median of 1,191 reviews, with 18 of the top 20 above 100. Electricians are calmest at 31, where 25 reviews is the top-three median. Split by verdict, Joliet has 0 full-SEO markets, 10 local-SEO markets and 2 where a profile may be enough. Joliet’s rating bar is lowest for pool companies, 4.2 stars across the top ten, and highest for chiropractors, at 4.9. Joliet has 152,241 residents in the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025 estimate. Will County counts 1,558 establishments across the trades the Census codes, about 6.0 per 1,000 homes. We read 36 competitor websites that rank for Joliet searches. 50% carry local business markup and 53% changed their sitemap in the last year. Read more: [SEO for dentists](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-for-dentistry/). 07 / 11 ## Where Illinois needs full SEO and paid search One trade averages over 65 in Illinois: dentists (67). Here the businesses on top have years of reviews and full websites behind them; catching up takes local SEO and review work, usually with paid search covering the gap. That is 13 points above the Illinois average of 54. [SEO for dentists](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-for-dentistry/): Rockford 58 to Chicago 77, a 826-review median. In Chicago, dentists’ top three hold 993 reviews at the median, 20 of the top 20 have passed 100 and the top ten average 4.9 stars. Rockford is the easiest Illinois city for it, at 58 with a 639-review median, and 2 of the 5 cities fall in this band. 08 / 11 ## Where local SEO decides the call in Illinois: the tougher trades Six trades average between 35 and 65 in Illinois: law firms (61), plumbing (60), HVAC (59), med spas (58), veterinarians (57) and chiropractors (57). Competition is real but beatable: a business that pairs its profile with service-area pages and a steady review habit can move into the top three. [SEO for law firms](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-for-law-office/): Rockford 52 to Chicago 80, a 232-review median. [SEO for plumbing](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-for-plumbing/): Rockford 50 to Chicago 78, a 427-review median. [SEO for HVAC](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-for-hvac/): Joliet 49 to Chicago 73, a 469-review median. [SEO for med spas](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-for-medspa/): Rockford 48 to Chicago 72, a 174-review median. [SEO for veterinarians](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-for-veterinarians/): Joliet 52 to Chicago 63, a 341-review median. [SEO for chiropractors](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-for-chiropractic/): Joliet 49 to Chicago 65, a 286-review median. In Chicago, law firms’ top three hold 1,365 reviews at the median, 20 of the top 20 have passed 100 and the top ten average 4.9 stars. To lead plumbing in Chicago, a business faces a 1,554-review top-three median, 17 established rivals and ratings averaging 4.8. 09 / 11 ## Where local SEO decides the call in Illinois: the lighter trades Five trades average between 35 and 65 in Illinois: roofing (52), pest control (51), landscaping (47), electricians (43) and pool companies (41). 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 roofing](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-for-roofing-contractors/): Joliet 42 to Rockford 57, a 146-review median. [SEO for pest control](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-for-pest-control/): Joliet 34 to Aurora 59, a 297-review median. [SEO for landscaping](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-for-landscaping/): Rockford 41 to Chicago 52, a 88-review median. [SEO for electricians](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-for-electricians/): Rockford 27 to Chicago 66, a 70-review median. [SEO for pool companies](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-for-pool-companies/): Rockford 33 to Chicago 59, a 23-review median. In Rockford, roofing’s top three hold 226 reviews at the median, 9 of the top 20 have passed 100 and the top ten average 4.8 stars. To lead pest control in Aurora, a business faces a 1,543-review top-three median, 5 established rivals and ratings averaging 4.9. 10 / 11 ## What Illinois's top competitor websites do We read 178 websites belonging to the businesses that rank in Illinois’ searches. 59% carry local business markup, against 54% across every state measured, and 65% changed their sitemap in the last year. The median ranking site lists 2 location-style pages. Across every state measured the median ranking site lists 1 location-style page, so Illinois’ leaders are ahead of the national pattern. WordPress runs 92 of them; custom or less common builders run 47. Platform matters less than markup, sitemap and service-area pages. If your markup, sitemap and service-area pages trail these numbers, that gap is usually the fastest one to close. The [free audit](https://seoeliteagency.com/free-seo-audit/) checks all three on your own site. 11 / 11 ## How to use the Illinois forecast Find your city and trade in the table and read its band. In Illinois, 4 markets score under 35, where a profile and reviews may be enough; 49 sit between 35 and 65, where local SEO decides the call; and 7 score over 65, where full SEO and paid search are the norm. In Illinois, plumbing in Chicago (78) is a full-SEO market; roofing in Chicago (56) needs local SEO; electricians in Joliet (31) is a market a strong profile may carry. The median Illinois market scores 56, so half of the 60 city and trade pairs here are calmer than that and half are tougher. Choose a trade at the top of the page to redraw every card and the map for it, or open the [methodology](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-market-map/methodology/) for each signal and its weight. What a searcher sees on the map ## The view from the *phone*. City Chicago Aurora Naperville Joliet Rockford Trade Plumbing HVAC Roofing Electricians Landscaping Pest control Pool companies Dentists Law firms Med spas Veterinarians Chiropractors 80 / 100 Severe Competitors with deep review counts and built-out websites hold the top spots. This market rewards full SEO, with paid search to buy time while it builds. - **1,365** median reviews among the top three - **20** of the top 20 with 100 or more reviews - **4.9** average stars across the top 10 9:41 ** G personal injury lawyer near Chicago ★ **4.9** 1,365 reviews ★ **4.9** 1,365 reviews ★ **4.9** 1,365 reviews **Top 20 on the map** **************************************** 20 with 100+ reviews Drawn from the measured Google Maps results. Names are never shown. The full forecast ## Every city, every *trade*. Illinois by city and trade, read October 29, 2026. [Methodology](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-market-map/methodology/). City [Plumbing](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-for-plumbing/) [HVAC](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-for-hvac/) [Roofing](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-for-roofing-contractors/) [Electricians](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-for-electricians/) [Landscaping](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-for-landscaping/) [Pest control](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-for-pest-control/) [Pool companies](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-for-pool-companies/) [Dentists](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-for-dentistry/) [Law firms](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-for-law-office/) [Med spas](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-for-medspa/) [Veterinarians](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-for-veterinarians/) [Chiropractors](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-for-chiropractic/) Chicago 78 73 56 66 52 58 59 77 80 72 63 65 Aurora 58 64 49 46 42 59 35 62 60 49 60 51 Naperville 58 60 57 43 50 45 42 72 55 63 56 60 Joliet 55 49 42 31 49 34 37 64 57 56 52 49 Rockford 50 51 57 27 41 58 33 58 52 48 54 58 Questions ## What business owners in Illinois ask first. - What is the most competitive trade for local SEO in Illinois? - Which Illinois city is the easiest place to rank on Google Maps? - How many Google reviews do I need to compete in Chicago? - How is the Illinois Market Competition Index calculated? - How often is the Illinois SEO forecast updated? - Does a low score mean my business does not need SEO? Jamie Kloncz · SEO Elite Agency, Naples Dentists averages 67 across Illinois’ 5 measured cities, the highest of the 12 trades, and 2 of the 5 cities score it over 65. It is hardest in Chicago, at 77: the top three Google Maps results there hold 993 reviews at the median, 20 of the top 20 have passed 100 and the top ten average 4.9 stars. Its calmest Illinois city is Rockford, at 58. The least competitive trade statewide is pool companies, at 41, 26 points lower. The top trade usually needs review work and a stronger site together. Jamie Kloncz · SEO Elite Agency, Naples Of the 5 Illinois cities measured, Joliet averages lowest, at 48 across 12 trades, and Chicago averages highest, at 67, 19 points higher. Joliet’s calmest market is electricians, at 31, and its toughest is dentists, at 64, with 1,191 reviews at the top-three median. There, 2 of 12 trades score under 35 and 0 score over 65, in a city of 152,241 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 Chicago, the median review count of the top three Google Maps results runs from 58 for pool companies to 2,597 for HVAC, with veterinarians in the middle at 512. In HVAC, 19 of the top 20 have passed 100 reviews and the top ten average 4.9 stars. Those are the businesses you would be trying to pass. Review strength is the largest weight in the index, 30 of 100, yet proximity still lets a business below the median rank nearby. Jamie Kloncz · SEO Elite Agency, Naples Take roofing in Chicago, which scores 56, close to the Illinois median. Its top three Google Maps results hold 170 reviews at the median (weight 30), 14 of the top 20 have passed 100 (15) and the top ten average 4.9 stars (10). 33% of its top sites carry local business markup, part of the website signal (20). Cook County has 0.15 of these businesses per 1,000 homes (10) and Chicago has 2,731,585 residents (15). Each signal is scaled from 0 to 1 across every city measured, then weighted. A logarithm tames review counts and population. 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 Illinois’ 5 cities and 12 trades, covering 1,097 business listings. The Census figures are County Business Patterns 2023 and the Vintage 2025 population and housing estimates. Illinois is one of 14 states published so far, with 36 more joining as their monthly Places batches complete. Each time states are added, every score is recalculated across all measured cities, so a number here can move slightly without any local change. Jamie Kloncz · SEO Elite Agency, Naples No. In Illinois, 4 of 60 markets score under 35. The calmest are electricians in Rockford (27), electricians in Joliet (31) and pool companies in Rockford (33), where the top three hold as few as 7 reviews at the median. A low score means competitors there are less established than in other measured cities, not that customers stop searching. In those markets, profile and review work is SEO at its cheapest, and it pays back fastest before anyone else builds a lead. Sources - [Google Maps Platform: Text Search (New), Places API documentation](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/places/web-service/text-search) Opened and checked October 30, 2026 - [U.S. Census Bureau: County Business Patterns (2023)](https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp.html) Opened and checked October 30, 2026 - [U.S. Census Bureau: Population and Housing Unit Estimates (Vintage 2025)](https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest.html) Opened and checked October 30, 2026 Keep reading [The national SEO forecast→](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-market-map/) [How the forecast is measured→](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-market-map/methodology/) [SEO for dentists→](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-for-dentistry/) [SEO for law firms→](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-for-law-office/) **Written by Jamie Kloncz, founder**SEO Elite Agency, Naples FL. Data last read October 29, 2026. Keep reading the map [The national forecast](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-market-map/)[Alabama · 54](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-market-map/alabama/)[Georgia · 55](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-market-map/georgia/)[Idaho · 53](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-market-map/idaho/)[Indiana · 55](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-market-map/indiana/) ## Start with *the audit*. About 60 seconds, no email, and you get named findings for your own site, not a score out of a hundred. [Run myfree audit](https://seoeliteagency.com/free-seo-audit/) [Book a callinstead](https://seoeliteagency.hbportal.co/public/69bccfccf61f1d002932ebbe)