Painters in Melbourne: what customers search, and what it takes to rank

Five things we found

1. “painter” is the biggest single search. About 2,400 a month in Greater Melbourne, and advertisers pay US$3.07 a click for it.
2. Distance decides a lot. In 9 of the 9 areas we checked, the #1 painter showed a street address in or near that area.
3. Nobody owns Melbourne. 27 different businesses filled the 27 top-3 spots across 9 areas.
4. The bar can be very low. In Werribee, Broadmeadows and Box Hill, a business with no reviews made the top 3.
5. Job searches add up. Searches for interior painting add up to about 1,400 a month, led by “interior painters melbourne”.

What Melbourne customers search for

About 18,700 Google searches a month in Greater Melbourne are people looking for a painter. Phrases Google treats as the same are counted once. Searches for jobs, products, brands and other cities are left out.

Cost per click is the average advertisers pay, weighted by searches (US$, as Google reports it).

What a click is worth. Buying 130 clicks a month for “painters near me” through Google Ads would cost about US$2,100 at today’s prices (130 × US$16.24). A top-3 spot on Google Maps earns clicks from the same searches without paying for each one.

The jobs people search for

• Interior painting: about 1,400 a month, led by “interior painters melbourne”.
• Commercial and strata: about 1,200 a month, led by “melbourne commercial painter”.
• Exterior painting: about 1,100 a month, led by “exterior painters melbourne”.
• Roof painting: about 320 a month, led by “roof painter near me”.
• Fences, decks and doors: about 200 a month, led by “fence painters near me”.

When people search

Busiest in October and March. Quietest in December (19% below an average month). Sep 2025 is left out: Google’s data shows an unusual one-off spike.

Suburbs people search by name

Searches like “painter dandenong”. A page for each suburb you serve can win these.

What it takes to rank top 3 on Google Maps in Melbourne

We searched Google Maps for “painter” from 9 suburbs across Greater Melbourne on 25 September 2026, on a mobile phone, and compared the profiles that came up.

Typical = the middle value (median). Near the city centre, our national benchmarks put the typical top-3 painter at 20 reviews: busy central areas need more.

Area by area

Entry bar = reviews held by the weakest business in the top 3. On the map = businesses Google listed for that search (up to 20).

Extra categories the top 10 use: Painting (18 of 82), Plasterer (6 of 82), Interior Decorator (5 of 82), Handyman/Handywoman/Handyperson (5 of 82), Roofing contractor (4 of 82), Bathroom remodeler (3 of 82).

Six steps to win more of these searches

Based on what the top-3 painters in Melbourne have in common. Do the ones that fit your business.

1. Use “Painter” as your main category18 of the 27 top-3 businesses do. Then add extras only for work you really do: Painting, Plasterer and Interior Decorator.
2. Aim for 20+ genuine reviewsTop-3 painters typically have just 14, so 20 would put you ahead in most areas. Ask every customer with a direct review link, and never offer rewards.
3. List the jobs people searchInterior painting, commercial and strata, exterior painting and roof painting: as services on your profile and pages on your website.
4. Add 25+ real photosTop-3 profiles typically have 27. Real jobs, your van and your team, added every month.
5. Pick your battlesMelbourne CBD, Footscray, Werribee and Broadmeadows had low entry bars. Busier areas need a strong review count.
6. Time your pushesSearches peak in October and March. Have your profile, photos and pages ready a month before. December is the quietest month.