Google Maps in Denver, 2026: who gets the call, trade by trade
We counted 148 Google Maps listings across 10 trades in Denver, Aurora and Lakewood. Star ratings barely differ. Review counts differ by a factor of 8 between trades. And only 22 listings say they pick up at night.
The market
The Denver–Aurora–Centennial metro had an estimated 3,092,037 residents in July 2025. Denver County alone had 740,613. That's a lot of people typing "near me" into Google every day, and a Maps listing is the first thing most of them see.
The language picture matters too. In Denver County, 29.8% of residents are Hispanic or Latino, and 23.9% of people aged 5 and over speak a language other than English at home. A site and a phone line that work in Spanish reach a big share of the market that English-only competitors miss.
How many reviews it takes, by trade
The typical listing we counted had 324 reviews, but the number swings hard by trade. A Denver dentist with 300 reviews is below the middle of the pack. A landscaper with 300 is near the top.
| Trade | Listings | Median reviews | Most reviews | Avg rating | Open 24 hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dentist | 15 | 666 | 2,261 | 4.80 | 0/15 |
| Veterinarian | 15 | 507 | 2,078 | 4.73 | 0/15 |
| Auto repair | 15 | 343 | 904 | 4.77 | 0/15 |
| HVAC | 15 | 324 | 9,247 | 4.93 | 8/15 |
| Plumber | 15 | 317 | 17,946 | 4.84 | 6/15 |
| Chiropractor | 15 | 253 | 1,115 | 4.90 | 0/15 |
| Roofer | 15 | 224 | 984 | 4.84 | 3/15 |
| Electrician | 14 | 195 | 3,133 | 4.96 | 5/14 |
| Med spa | 15 | 173 | 2,398 | 4.93 | 0/15 |
| Landscaping | 14 | 82 | 369 | 4.87 | 0/14 |
Everyone has 4.8 stars
Average ratings ran from 4.73 for vets to 4.96 for electricians. When every listing on the screen shows almost five stars, the stars stop telling the customer anything. What they compare instead is the number next to the stars, and that's where the gaps are: the most-reviewed plumber we found has 17,946 reviews, while the median plumber has 317.
You can't close a 17,000-review gap. You don't need to. You need more reviews than the two or three listings that show up next to yours in your part of town, and a steady flow of new ones, because a review from last week counts for more with a customer than one from 2019.
Who answers after hours
Only 22 of the 148 listings say they're open 24 hours. All of them are in four trades: HVAC (8 of 15), plumbing (6 of 15), electrical (5 of 14) and roofing (3 of 15). Not one dentist, chiropractor, med spa, vet, auto shop or landscaper lists round-the-clock hours.
That leaves a simple opening. A pipe bursts at 10 PM, the customer searches, and the listings that say "Open 24 hours" get the call. If you can't staff a phone at night, an AI receptionist can answer, book the job and text you the details. Just don't list 24 hours unless someone, or something, actually picks up.
Names that break Google's rules
16 of the 148 listings put extra keywords in the business name, things like the city or "best" or the service, beyond the name on the truck. The most common were in HVAC, landscaping and med spas (3 each). Google's guidelines say the listing name should match the business's real-world name, and stuffed names are a common reason listings get suspended. If a competitor ahead of you is doing it, that's their risk. Don't copy it.
What this means for your trade
Median 195 reviews, the lowest bar of any home-service trade here. 5 of 14 list 24 hours, so after-hours coverage is the fastest way past the rest.
Median 224 reviews. Only 3 of 15 list 24 hours, and Denver hail season runs from April to September. Be the roofer who answers the morning after a storm.
Median 173 reviews, but the leader has 2,398. Three of 15 stuff their names. Clean listings and online consult booking stand out.
Average rating 4.90 and a median of 253 reviews. Ratings won't separate you. New-patient booking straight into your schedule will.
A median of just 82 reviews, and the leader has 369. This is the easiest trade on the list to climb. A steady review habit wins it.
How we counted
On October 27, 2026 we searched Google Maps for each trade in Denver, Aurora and Lakewood and recorded up to 15 listings per trade, mixing large and small businesses. We recorded each listing's rating, review count, listed hours and business name as Google showed them. This is a sample of what customers see, not a census of every business in the metro. We'll update it as we count again.
Sources
- City Population, Denver–Aurora–Centennial metro estimate (July 2025)
- US Census Bureau QuickFacts, Denver County, Colorado
- Google Business Profile guidelines
- Rankhand Google Maps count, Denver metro, October 27, 2026