Why does Google show a competitor's instructions instead of mine?

The answer to “Why does Google show a competitor's instructions instead of mine?” may be that their page answers the customer’s task more directly, or Google hasn’t indexed yours. Give your instructions a focused, public page with a direct opening answer and clear numbered steps.

Useful advice can be hard to find when it sits halfway down a service page or only appears in a booking email. You do not necessarily need more advice; you may need a clearer home for what you already tell customers.

Why does Google show a competitor's instructions instead of mine?

Google’s choice can depend on relevance, whether it can access and index a page, and other search signals. Without checking your page and the search results, you cannot know which factor explains the difference.

Search the exact customer question and open the page Google shows. Compare how clearly it answers the task rather than copying its wording or assuming its format guarantees placement.

• Does the competitor have a page specifically about the task, while your advice is scattered across several pages?
• Does their opening answer the question before introducing the business?
• Can someone read your instructions without signing in, booking or submitting a form?
• If you use Google Search Console, inspect your page’s URL to check its indexing status.

Choose one customer task and answer it first

Start with a question customers already ask in emails or consultations. For a portrait photographer, “How do I prepare for a portrait session?” is more focused than “Photography tips.”

Use that question as the page’s main heading and give a short answer immediately below it. Keep your introduction and booking invitation out of the way until the reader has received useful help.

• Example page title: change “Helpful Information | Studio” to “How to Prepare for a Portrait Session | Studio.”
• Example page address: /prepare-for-portrait-session.
• Example opening: “To prepare for a portrait session, choose and try on your outfit, confirm the location and pack the items your photographer requested. Check your session email for any instructions specific to your booking.”

Write numbered steps someone can follow

Turn your usual preparation email into a sequence of actions. Begin each step with a verb and explain what the customer should do, rather than saying something broad like “Be prepared.”

For a portrait-session guide, the following could be your starting point. Adjust each step to match your actual service and include any important exceptions.

• 1. Confirm the session details. Check the date, arrival time, address and parking information in your booking email; contact your photographer if anything is missing.
• 2. Choose and try on your outfit. Sit, stand and move in it so you can check comfort and fit before the session.
• 3. Prepare your clothes. Follow the care label to remove wrinkles, and check for lint or visible marks.
• 4. Pack the requested items. Use your photographer’s list, and confirm any outfit changes or props before bringing them.
• 5. Check the arrival and weather plan. For an outdoor session, review how your photographer will communicate any weather-related changes.

Make the instructions easy to find on your website

Publish the instructions as readable text on a public web page, not just as an image or private attachment. Use your website editor’s heading and numbered-list tools so the page has a clear structure.

Link to it from your portrait service page using descriptive words such as “How to prepare for your portrait session.” You can also send that link in booking emails so customers use the same current instructions.

• Open the published page on your phone and check that the opening answer and steps are easy to read.
• Keep the page focused on preparation; link to prices and booking details instead of explaining everything here.
• If you use Google Search Console, inspect the published URL and request indexing if needed. A request does not guarantee indexing or placement.
• If a different page from your site keeps appearing, see [Why is Google showing the wrong page from my website?](/blog/google-showing-wrong-page).

Quick answers about getting instructions into Google

These questions can help you decide what to publish. The priority is useful, accessible instructions—not a special format that promises selection.

• Do I need a blog post? No. A regular website page can explain the task just as clearly.
• Will numbered steps get me into a Google answer box? No format guarantees that. Numbered steps make a sequence easier to follow, but Google decides what to display.
• Should I copy the competitor’s instructions? No. Write from your own process so customers receive advice that fits your service.
• Can I keep a downloadable checklist? Yes. Offer it alongside the web page rather than making it the only place customers can find the instructions.

How to tell whether your instructions page is working

In Google Search Console, filter the Performance report to your instructions page and review the queries, impressions and clicks. Look for searches about the task you explain, not just your business name.

Also note whether customers use the guide and ask fewer repeat preparation questions. Search Console does not provide a dedicated report confirming answer-box selection, so treat relevant search activity and customer feedback as useful signals—not proof of a particular placement.

Where to read more

The Visibility Fix checks all of this for you and walks you through each fix one at a time.

• How do I get my service prices into Google answers?
• Why does my booking page show up on Google instead of my website?
• Why is my old business address still showing on Google?

• Google Search Essentials
• Google: creating helpful, reliable content