Storms likely
Evansville
51/ 100
Local SEO needed
Hardest Dentists · 68
Calmest Pool companies · 32
SEO Market Map Indiana
SEO Market Map · Indiana · 5 cities · 12 trades
Today’s SEO forecast for Indiana.
Indiana ranks 6th of 14 states for search competition, at 55 against a median of 54 across the 14 states measured so far. Its hardest trade is dentists (66); its calmest is pool companies (40). Pick yours.
In one paragraph
How hard is it to reach the top of Google Maps in Indiana? 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. Indiana averages 55, the 6th highest of 14 states so far.
The five-city outlook
Where search is calm, and where it is severe.
Evansville is calmest at 51; Indianapolis runs at 61.
Storms likely
Fishers
53/ 100
Local SEO needed
Hardest Dentists · 66
Calmest Pool companies · 36
Storms likely
Fort Wayne
54/ 100
Local SEO needed
Hardest HVAC · 67
Calmest Pest control · 42
Storms likely
Carmel
54/ 100
Local SEO needed
Hardest Dentists · 69
Calmest Pool companies · 33
Storms likely
Indianapolis
61/ 100
Local SEO needed
Hardest Law firms · 74
Calmest Pool companies · 48
The Indiana radar
Indianapolis runs hottest.
Indianapolis, Carmel, Fort Wayne, Fishers and Evansville, stormiest first.
- 61IndianapolisStorms likely
- 54Fort WayneStorms likely
- 54CarmelStorms likely
- 53FishersStorms likely
- 51EvansvilleStorms likely
- 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 Indiana?
The short answer for Indiana is 55 out of 100, 6th of 14 states, where the median state scores 54. The long answer is 60 separate markets, from 32 (pool companies, Evansville) to 74 (law firms, Indianapolis), and the one that matters is yours.
By band: 8 markets score over 65 (full SEO, usually with paid search), 50 fall between 35 and 65 (local SEO) and 2 come in under 35 (a strong profile and reviews may do).
Trade by trade, dentists (66), HVAC (60) and law firms (59) average highest across Indiana. Pool companies (40), pest control (46) and landscaping (48) average lowest.
Size matters less than you might expect: Indianapolis, the largest measured city at 901,116 residents, averages 61, while Fishers, at 104,812, averages 53.
02 / 11
SEO competition in Indianapolis
Indianapolis scores 61 on average, ranking 1st of 5 in Indiana. Its toughest market is law firms at 74, where the top three Google Maps results hold 870 reviews at the median and 15 of 20 rivals have passed 100. Pool companies are calmest at 48, where 120 reviews is the top-three median.
In Indianapolis, 4 of 12 trades score over 65, 8 sit between 35 and 65 and 0 fall under 35.
The top ten map results average 4.2 stars in pool companies and 4.9 in med spas, the lowest and highest rating bars in Indianapolis.
Indianapolis has 901,116 residents in the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025 estimate. Marion County counts 1,769 establishments across the trades the Census codes, about 4.0 per 1,000 homes.
We read 36 competitor websites that rank for Indianapolis searches. 53% carry local business markup and 58% changed their sitemap in the last year.
Read more: SEO for law firms.
03 / 11
SEO competition in Fort Wayne
Across 12 trades, Fort Wayne comes in at 54, the 2nd highest of Indiana’s 5 measured cities. The hardest trade is HVAC (67), with a 2,143-review median among the top three and 18 of 20 competitors past 100 reviews. Pest control is calmest at 42, where 46 reviews is the top-three median.
In Fort Wayne, 1 of 12 trades score over 65, 11 sit between 35 and 65 and 0 fall under 35.
Ratings run from 4.5 stars (pool companies) to 4.9 (chiropractors) across Fort Wayne’s top ten results.
Fort Wayne has 275,203 residents in the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025 estimate. Allen County counts 761 establishments across the trades the Census codes, about 4.4 per 1,000 homes.
For Fort Wayne, 36 ranking competitor sites were readable: local business markup on 44%, a sitemap change in the past year on 53%.
Read more: SEO for HVAC.
04 / 11
SEO competition in Carmel
Carmel averages 54 across 12 trades, 3rd of 5 Indiana cities. Its toughest market is dentists at 69, where the top three Google Maps results hold 490 reviews at the median and 18 of 20 rivals have passed 100. The calmest is pool companies at 33 (4 reviews at the median).
Of its 12 trades, 1 calls for full SEO plus paid search, 10 for local SEO and 1 for a strong profile and reviews.
Carmel’s rating bar is lowest for pool companies, 4.5 stars across the top ten, and highest for dentists, at 4.9.
Carmel has 105,634 residents in the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025 estimate. Hamilton County counts 907 establishments across the trades the Census codes, about 5.7 per 1,000 homes.
Of the 36 top competitor sites we could read here, 58% use local business markup, and 72% have a sitemap updated within twelve months.
Read more: SEO for dentists.
05 / 11
SEO competition in Fishers
Fishers averages 53 across 12 trades, 4th of 5 Indiana cities. The hardest trade is dentists (66), with a 599-review median among the top three and 20 of 20 competitors past 100 reviews. The calmest is pool companies at 36 (48 reviews at the median).
Of its 12 trades, 1 calls for full SEO plus paid search, 11 for local SEO and 0 for a strong profile and reviews.
Ratings run from 4.2 stars (pool companies) to 5.0 (chiropractors) across Fishers’ top ten results.
Fishers has 104,812 residents in the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025 estimate. Hamilton County counts 907 establishments across the trades the Census codes, about 5.7 per 1,000 homes.
Of the 36 top competitor sites we could read here, 61% use local business markup, and 67% have a sitemap updated within twelve months.
Read more: SEO for dentists.
06 / 11
SEO competition in Evansville
Evansville averages 51 across 12 trades, 5th of 5 Indiana cities. The hardest trade is dentists (68), with a 1,510-review median among the top three and 19 of 20 competitors past 100 reviews. Pool companies are calmest at 32, where 25 reviews is the top-three median.
Of its 12 trades, 1 calls for full SEO plus paid search, 10 for local SEO and 1 for a strong profile and reviews.
Ratings run from 4.3 stars (pool companies) to 4.9 (chiropractors) across Evansville’s top ten results.
Evansville has 116,176 residents in the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025 estimate. Vanderburgh County counts 381 establishments across the trades the Census codes, about 4.4 per 1,000 homes.
We read 36 competitor websites that rank for Evansville searches. 44% carry local business markup and 72% changed their sitemap in the last year.
Read more: SEO for dentists.
07 / 11
Where Indiana needs full SEO and paid search
One trade averages over 65 in Indiana: dentists (66). 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 11 points above the Indiana average of 55.
SEO for dentists: Fort Wayne 60 to Carmel 69, a 599-review median.
In Carmel, dentists’ top three hold 490 reviews at the median, 18 of the top 20 have passed 100 and the top ten average 4.9 stars.
Fort Wayne is the easiest Indiana city for it, at 60 with a 461-review median, and 4 of the 5 cities fall in this band.
08 / 11
Where local SEO decides the call in Indiana: the tougher trades
Six trades average between 35 and 65 in Indiana: HVAC (60), law firms (59), med spas (59), veterinarians (59), plumbing (58) and roofing (57). 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 HVAC: Fishers 51 to Fort Wayne 67, a 731-review median. SEO for law firms: Evansville 52 to Indianapolis 74, a 297-review median. SEO for med spas: Evansville 50 to Indianapolis 71, a 202-review median. SEO for veterinarians: Carmel 53 to Indianapolis 67, a 370-review median. SEO for plumbing: Fort Wayne 53 to Indianapolis 64, a 518-review median. SEO for roofing: Carmel 54 to Indianapolis 64, a 196-review median.
Fort Wayne sets the bar for HVAC: 2,143 reviews at the median among the top three, 18 rivals past 100 reviews and a 4.9-star average.
In Indianapolis, law firms’ top three hold 870 reviews at the median, 15 of the top 20 have passed 100 and the top ten average 4.9 stars.
09 / 11
Where local SEO decides the call in Indiana: the lighter trades
Five trades average between 35 and 65 in Indiana: chiropractors (55), electricians (48), landscaping (48), pest control (46) and pool companies (40). 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 chiropractors: Evansville 49 to Indianapolis 61, a 229-review median. SEO for electricians: Evansville 43 to Fort Wayne 53, a 216-review median. SEO for landscaping: Fishers 45 to Indianapolis 53, a 110-review median. SEO for pest control: Evansville 37 to Indianapolis 54, a 67-review median. SEO for pool companies: Evansville 32 to Fort Wayne 49, a 48-review median.
Indianapolis sets the bar for chiropractors: 312 reviews at the median among the top three, 14 rivals past 100 reviews and a 4.9-star average.
To lead electricians in Fort Wayne, a business faces a 216-review top-three median, 7 established rivals and ratings averaging 4.8.
10 / 11
What Indiana's top competitor websites do
We read 180 websites belonging to the businesses that rank in Indiana’s searches. 52% carry local business markup, against 54% across every state measured, and 64% 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 Indiana’s leaders are ahead of the national pattern. WordPress runs 90 of them; custom or less common builders run 59. No builder is required; structure is what the leaders share.
Trailing the leaders on markup, sitemap or service-area pages is usually the quickest gap to close, and the free audit checks each of them.
11 / 11
How to use the Indiana forecast
Find your city and trade in the table and read its band. In Indiana, 2 markets score under 35, where a profile and reviews may be enough; 50 sit between 35 and 65, where local SEO decides the call; and 8 score over 65, where full SEO and paid search are the norm.
In Indiana, dentists in Indianapolis (66) is a full-SEO market; plumbing in Indianapolis (64) needs local SEO; pool companies in Evansville (32) is a market a strong profile may carry.
55 is the middle score among Indiana’s 60 city and trade markets. 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.
74/ 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.
- 870 median reviews among the top three
- 15 of the top 20 with 100 or more reviews
- 4.9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis | 64 | 61 | 64 | 53 | 53 | 54 | 48 | 66 | 74 | 71 | 67 | 61 |
| Fort Wayne | 53 | 67 | 55 | 53 | 46 | 42 | 49 | 60 | 59 | 56 | 57 | 55 |
| Evansville | 60 | 63 | 56 | 43 | 48 | 37 | 32 | 68 | 52 | 50 | 56 | 49 |
| Carmel | 55 | 59 | 54 | 46 | 50 | 52 | 33 | 69 | 58 | 61 | 53 | 53 |
| Fishers | 60 | 51 | 55 | 45 | 45 | 46 | 36 | 66 | 53 | 57 | 60 | 58 |
Questions
What business owners in Indiana ask first.
Jamie Kloncz · SEO Elite Agency, Naples
Dentists, at 66. No other of the 12 trades averages higher in Indiana, and 4 of its 5 cities put it over 65. It is hardest in Carmel, at 69: the top three Google Maps results there hold 490 reviews at the median, 18 of the top 20 have passed 100 and the top ten average 4.9 stars. Its calmest Indiana city is Fort Wayne, at 60. The least competitive trade statewide is pool companies, at 40, 26 points lower. The top trade usually needs review work and a stronger site together.
Jamie Kloncz · SEO Elite Agency, Naples
Of the 5 Indiana cities measured, Evansville averages lowest, at 51 across 12 trades, and Indianapolis averages highest, at 61, 10 points higher. Evansville’s calmest market is pool companies, at 32, and its toughest is dentists, at 68, with 1,510 reviews at the top-three median. There, 1 of 12 trades score under 35 and 1 score over 65, in a city of 116,176 residents. A low average means thinner competition than elsewhere, not none, so the profile and review basics still decide who ranks.
Jamie Kloncz · SEO Elite Agency, Naples
It depends on the trade. In Indianapolis, the median review count of the top three Google Maps results runs from 75 for landscaping to 3,250 for dentists, with roofing in the middle at 633. In dentists, 16 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. Treat the median as the bar to aim for: reviews are 30 of 100 points, and distance helps a smaller count near home.
Jamie Kloncz · SEO Elite Agency, Naples
Take roofing in Fort Wayne, which scores 55, close to the Indiana median. Its top three Google Maps results hold 127 reviews at the median (weight 30), 14 of the top 20 have passed 100 (15) and the top ten average 4.9 stars (10). 67% of its top sites carry local business markup, part of the website signal (20). Allen County has 0.28 of these businesses per 1,000 homes (10) and Fort Wayne has 275,203 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 Indiana’s 5 cities and 12 trades, covering 1,137 business listings. The Census figures are County Business Patterns 2023 and the Vintage 2025 population and housing estimates. Indiana 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 Indiana, 2 of 60 markets score under 35. The calmest are pool companies in Evansville (32), pool companies in Carmel (33) and pool companies in Fishers (36), where the top three hold as few as 4 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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