There's a lot of guesswork online about how Google Maps rankings work. You don't need most of it, because Google publishes the basics itself. Its help page, Tips to improve your local ranking on Google, says local results are based mainly on three things:
- Relevance: how well your profile matches what someone searched for
- Distance: how far your business is from the searcher, or from the location in their search
- Prominence: how well-known your business is
It also says there's no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. So the work comes down to improving the two factors you can influence, and being smart about the one you can't.
Relevance: make it obvious what you do
Relevance is Google deciding whether you're a good answer to the search. You influence it with the information in your profile and on your website.
Choose the right primary category. This is the single biggest relevance decision. Pick the most specific category for your main business: "Plumber", not "Contractor"; "Physiotherapist", not "Health". Add secondary categories only for things you genuinely do.
List your services. Add each service you offer to your profile, using the words customers use. If people search "furnace repair", say "furnace repair", not "heating system restoration solutions".
Write a plain description. What you do, where you do it, and what makes you the right choice. No keyword lists.
Back it up on your website. Give each main service its own page that says what it is and where you offer it. Google reads your website too, and a page about "drain cleaning in Kanata" is a clearer signal than one line on a general services page.
Distance: you can't move, but you can be accurate
Distance is the factor owners worry about most and can change least. A business closer to the searcher has a natural advantage.
What you can do:
- Make sure your address or service area is correct. If you're a service-area business, list the areas you actually serve. Google's service area guidance says the area generally shouldn't extend beyond about two hours of driving from where you're based.
- Don't create fake locations. Virtual offices and addresses where you don't actually work break Google's guidelines and can get every listing suspended.
- Win the searches where you're close. You'll rank more easily in your own neighbourhood first. That's where to start collecting reviews and building a reputation.
Prominence: become the business people know
Prominence is where most of the ranking gap between you and the top three usually is. Google describes it as how well-known a business is, based on information from across the web: links, articles, directories, and your reviews.
Reviews come first. Google's help page says review count and score factor into local ranking, and that more reviews and positive ratings can improve it. A steady flow of recent, genuine reviews beats a burst of twenty from two years ago. Ask every customer, make it easy with a direct link or a QR code, and reply to every review. Our guide to getting more Google reviews without breaking the rules covers how.
Get mentioned where it counts. Local business associations, chambers of commerce, sponsorships, local news and genuine "best of" lists in your area all build prominence. One link from your local business association is worth more than dozens from directories nobody visits.
Keep your details identical everywhere. Same name, address or service area, and phone number on your website, Google, Bing Places, Apple Business Connect, Yelp and industry directories.
Keep your website strong. Google says your position in regular web results also counts toward prominence. A fast, clear website with real content about your services helps your map ranking too.
