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

Five things we found

1. “pest control near me” is one of the biggest searches. About 2,400 a month in Greater Melbourne, and advertisers pay US$18.13 a click for it.
2. Distance decides a lot. In 9 of the 9 areas we checked, the #1 pest controller 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 Broadmeadows, Box Hill and Ringwood, a business with no reviews made the top 3.
5. Job searches add up. Searches for termites add up to about 5,200 a month, led by “termite inspection”.

What Melbourne customers search for

About 20,100 Google searches a month in Greater Melbourne are people looking for pest control. 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 240 clicks a month for “pest control near me” through Google Ads would cost about US$4,400 at today’s prices (240 × US$18.13). A top-3 spot on Google Maps earns clicks from the same searches without paying for each one.

The jobs people search for

• Termites: about 5,200 a month, led by “termite inspection”.
• Cockroaches: about 1,500 a month, led by “cockroach control”.
• Spiders, ants and others: about 1,300 a month, led by “possum removal near me”.
• Rodents: about 1,100 a month, led by “rodent control”.
• Pre-purchase inspections: about 50 a month, led by “building and pest inspections near me”.

When people search

Busiest in March, September and February. Quietest in June (26% below an average month).

Few people in Melbourne name a suburb when they search for pest control. They search nearby on the map instead.

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

We searched Google Maps for “pest control” 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 pest controller at 7 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: Home inspector (4 of 77), Bird control service (2 of 77), Window cleaning service (2 of 77), House cleaning service (2 of 77), Lawn care service (2 of 77), Carpet cleaning service (1 of 77).

Six steps to win more of these searches

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

1. Use “Pest control service” as your main category23 of the 27 top-3 businesses do. Then add extras only for work you really do: Home inspector, Bird control service and Window cleaning service.
2. Aim for 20+ genuine reviewsTypical for the top 3 is 15. Ask every customer with a direct review link, and never offer rewards.
3. List the jobs people searchTermites, cockroaches, spiders, ants and others and rodents: as services on your profile and pages on your website.
4. Add 10+ real photosTop-3 profiles typically have 10. Real jobs, your van and your team, added every month.
5. Pick your battlesMelbourne CBD, Footscray, Broadmeadows and Box Hill had low entry bars. Busier areas need a strong review count.
6. Time your pushesSearches peak in March, September and February. Have your profile, photos and pages ready a month before. June is the quietest month.