Where Iowa's moving companies are
The largest concentrations of moving companies in our Iowa data are in Des Moines, Davenport, Cedar Rapids, Waukee, West Des Moines, Bettendorf, Sioux City and Iowa City. Competition for the map pack is heaviest there, and so is the reward: the same review count that dominates a small town is invisible in Des Moines.
The map pack in Iowa
Google shows three businesses in the map pack for a search like "moving company near me" in Des Moines. In Iowa the shops that hold those spots usually sit near the 90th percentile, 377 reviews, not the median. 31.9% of Iowa moving companies have passed 100 reviews; the other 68.1% are competing for whatever is left below the fold.
The website gap in Iowa
A website is the clearest marker of a moving company that is going to compete for the map pack, and 20.2% of moving companies in Iowa do not have one linked. Across the country the median review count with a site is 58, without one 1. If your shop is in the 20.2%, start there.
What to do first in Iowa
- Set a review velocity. One review per job day, asked at the door, moves a 31-review shop past the Iowa 75th percentile (142) within a year. The guides have the scripts.
- Finish the Google profile: primary category, every service you offer, real job photos, and hours that match reality. It is free and it is where Iowa customers decide.
- Follow up every lead within five minutes. Speed to lead beats ad spend in a trade where the customer is collecting three quotes. The calculator shows what slow replies cost.
- Then, and only then, spend on ads. Pointed at a profile with 31 reviews and no website, ads pay for your competitor's education. Pointed at a finished profile, they work.
The full national picture, with percentiles, ratings and hours, is in the benchmark report. The method is on the about page.