Search engine optimisation, in plain English
How to Improve Your Local Ranking on Google
8 November 2026
To improve your local ranking on Google, start with your Google Business Profile: verify it, make your details complete and accurate, reply to reviews and add photos. Google says local results are based mainly on relevance, distance and prominence. You can't change how far a customer is from you, but you can help Google understand what you do and show that people know and rate your business.
Quick answer: Verify your Business Profile, keep your name, address or service area, hours and category complete and accurate, reply to reviews, and add photos and videos. Google ranks local results mainly on relevance, distance and prominence, and says there's no way to pay for a better local ranking.
Key Takeaways
Local results on Google Maps and Search are based mainly on relevance, distance and prominence.
Verifying your Business Profile makes it more likely to show up in search results.
Complete and accurate details help Google match your business to the right searches.
The number of reviews and positive ratings can help local ranking.
You can't request or pay for a better local ranking.
How Google ranks local results
When someone searches for a business or place near them, Google shows local results on Maps and Search. Google's help page, Tips to improve your local ranking on Google, says these results are based mainly on three things.
Factor | What Google says it means |
|---|---|
Relevance | How well a Business Profile matches what someone is searching for |
Distance | How far each business is from the person searching. If they don't share where they are, Google uses what it knows about their location |
Prominence | How well known the business is, based on information such as links to it from other websites and how many reviews it has |
Google also says there's no way to request or pay for a better local ranking, and that it keeps the details of the algorithm confidential.
1. Verify your Business Profile
Verification tells Google you're allowed to represent the business. Google says a verified business is more likely to show up in search results.
2. Make your details complete and accurate
Google says businesses with complete and accurate information are more likely to show up in local results, and that inaccurate information can stop a profile showing for relevant searches. Check that you've included:
Your full address, if customers can visit you.
Your opening hours, including special hours.
The category that describes your business.
Other details, such as parking or Wi-Fi.
Google's guidelines for representing your business add some rules. Use your real-world business name, as it appears on your signage and stationery. Adding taglines or extra keywords to the name isn't allowed and can get a profile suspended. Choose the fewest categories that describe your core business, and keep one profile per business.
3. Reply to reviews
Google says replying to reviews shows customers you value their feedback, and that positive reviews and helpful replies can help a business stand out. Under prominence, it adds that more reviews and positive ratings can help a business's local ranking.
Google's advice on getting more reviews is to remind customers to leave one, using a Google link or QR code. It's strict about incentives: offering free or discounted goods or services in exchange for reviews, or for changing or removing them, is prohibited. Customers need to be signed in to a Google Account to leave a review.
When you reply, Google suggests keeping it short, professional and relevant, avoiding promotions, and never sharing a reviewer's private information. For a negative review, be honest, apologise where it's appropriate and offer to sort things out by phone or email.
4. Add photos and videos
Google suggests adding photos and videos to show customers what you offer and tell the story of your business. If you run a shop, you may also be able to show in-store products on your profile. Google says this is only available for retail businesses in eligible countries.
Don't forget your website
Your Business Profile isn't the only thing that counts, so get your own website right too. Our SEO basics checklist covers the essentials, from page titles to speed.
Make sure each page has a clear title, as our guide on how to write a title tag explains.
Google indexes the mobile version of your site, so check that it works well on a phone, as covered in our guide to mobile-first indexing.
To see which searches bring people to your website, set up Google Search Console. It's free and shows the searches your site appears for.
How does Google decide local rankings?
Google says local results are based mainly on relevance, distance and prominence. Prominence includes how well known a business is, such as how many websites link to it and how many reviews it has.
Can I pay Google for a better local ranking?
No. Google says there's no way to request or pay for a better local ranking.
Do reviews help local ranking?
Google says more reviews and positive ratings can help a business's local ranking. Offering incentives for reviews is prohibited.
Can I add keywords to my business name on Google?
No. Google's guidelines say your name should match your real-world business name. Adding unnecessary information, such as marketing taglines, isn't permitted and could get your profile suspended.