Where your competition is in South Dakota
The largest concentrations of fence companies in our South Dakota data are in Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Mitchell, Black Hawk, Aberdeen, Tea, Lake Norden and Brookings. 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 Sioux Falls.
The map pack in South Dakota
The map pack is a three-slot race, and in South Dakota it is won by review count and recency far more than by rating: 70% of South Dakota fence companies are already at 4.5 stars or better, so stars do not separate anyone. The 75th percentile is 36 reviews and the 90th is 53. Those are the numbers to plan around, not the median.
The website gap in South Dakota
4.8% of South Dakota fence companies list no website on their Google profile, fewer than the national 22.8%. Nationally, fence companies with a website have a median of 23 reviews against 3 without. A five-page site with tap-to-call and a page per service is the cheapest gap to close.
How South Dakota compares
Of the 49 states in our data, South Dakota ranks 48th for the number of fence companies, 23rd for median review count, and 49th for the share with no website, so a website alone will not set you apart here. The review bar sits in the middle of the pack.
| State | Listed | Median reviews | No site |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Dakota | 21 | 17 | 4.8% |
| Illinois | 249 | 24 | 18.1% |
| Indiana | 165 | 29 | 22.4% |
| Iowa | 92 | 15.5 | 32.6% |
| Kansas | 87 | 9 | 25.3% |
| Michigan | 214 | 23 | 26.2% |
| Minnesota | 105 | 22 | 10.5% |
| Missouri | 159 | 15 | 28.3% |
| Nebraska | 58 | 10 | 22.4% |
What to do first in South Dakota
- Set a review velocity. One review per job day, asked at the door, moves a 17-review shop past the South Dakota 75th percentile (36) 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 South Dakota 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 17 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.