Where your competition is in California
The largest concentrations of child care centers and daycares in our California data are in Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Jose, San Francisco, Sunnyvale, Chula Vista, Irvine and Glendale. 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 Los Angeles.
The map pack in California
The map pack is a three-slot race, and in California it is won by review count and recency far more than by rating: 78.7% of California child care centers and daycares are already at 4.5 stars or better, so stars do not separate anyone. The 75th percentile is 10 reviews and the 90th is 19. Those are the numbers to plan around, not the median.
The website gap in California
37.9% of California child care centers and daycares list no website on their Google profile, more than the national 33.2%. Nationally, child care centers and daycares with a website have a median of 10 reviews against 2 without. A five-page site with tap-to-call and a page per service is the cheapest gap to close.
How California compares
Of the 51 states in our data, California ranks 1st for the number of child care centers and daycares, 35th for median review count, and 16th for the share with no website, which leaves more room than most states for a shop that builds a real site. The review bar is lower than in most of the country, so a few months of asking every customer moves you up fast.
| State | Listed | Median reviews | No site |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 6,997 | 4 | 37.9% |
| Alaska | 159 | 1 | 37.1% |
| Hawaii | 285 | 1 | 25.3% |
| Oregon | 1,010 | 4 | 25.4% |
| Washington | 2,060 | 8 | 30.8% |
What to do first in California
- Put up a real website if you are in the 37.9% without one. Service pages, city pages for Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Jose, tap-to-call on every screen.
- Set a review velocity. One review per job day, asked at the door, moves a 4-review shop past the California 75th percentile (10) 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 California 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 4 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.