Key takeaways
- Google ranks local results by relevance, distance and prominence. You control relevance fully and prominence partly. Distance you cannot change.
- The primary category is the single most important choice on the profile. Pick the most specific one that is true.
- Complete, accurate and active beats clever. Hours, services, photos and review replies all count.
- Never buy or filter reviews. The FTC rule on fake reviews applies to small businesses too.
How does Google rank local businesses?
Google says local results are based mainly on relevance, distance and prominence. Relevance is how well your profile matches the search. Distance is how far you are from the person searching. Prominence is how well known your business is, online and offline. Google also states that you cannot pay for a better local ranking.
Those three words come from Google's own page with tips to improve your local ranking. The practical meaning: fill every field that makes your profile relevant, earn the reviews, links and mentions that make you prominent, and accept that distance will always favor the business closest to the searcher. This checklist is the local part of the method I describe on the SEO consultant home page.
1. The basics: name, address, phone and hours
- Business name exactly as on your sign and registration, without keywords or cities added.
- A real address where you meet customers, or the address hidden if you only work at their location.
- A local phone number that is answered during the listed hours.
- Website link to the most relevant page, usually the home page or the location page.
- Regular hours, plus special hours for holidays, set before the holiday arrives.
- Verification complete. An unverified profile is not fully under your control.
All of this follows Google's guidelines for representing your business. Breaking them is the fastest way to a suspension. If that has already happened, read what to do when your profile is suspended.
Which category should you choose?
Choose the most specific primary category that completes the sentence “this business is a”. Google's example is choosing Nail salon instead of Salon. Then add only a few additional categories for real departments or main services. Categories are not keywords, and adding one for every service can confuse Google and customers.
Google's category help page uses a grocery store with a bakery and a deli: the primary category is Grocery store, and Bakery and Deli are additional. Before choosing, search your main service on Maps and look at the primary category of the businesses in the top three. If they all share one, that is a strong signal of what Google considers relevant.
2. Services, products and description
- Every service you actually sell, listed with a short, plain description.
- Products or menus where the profile supports them, with prices if you publish them anywhere else.
- A description that says what you do, for whom and where, in normal sentences.
- Attributes that are true for you, such as languages spoken or accessibility.
3. Photos and updates
- Logo and cover photo that match your website and signage.
- Real photos of the outside (so people recognize the door), the inside, the team and the work.
- New photos regularly, not 40 on day one and nothing after that.
- Updates (posts) for offers, events, seasonal services and news, linked to the right page.
Google lists adding photos and keeping information complete among its own tips. In my experience, a profile that looks cared for converts better too: people choose the business that looks open and active.
How should you handle reviews?
Ask every happy customer, reply to every review, positive or negative, and never buy, write or filter them. Replies should be short, specific and calm. The FTC rule on fake reviews bans fake testimonials and incentives conditioned on a positive or negative sentiment, and review suppression through threats or intimidation.
The FTC final rule on fake reviews and testimonials also covers reviews written by owners or managers without disclosing the connection. A simple system works best: a short link or QR code, a message after each job and a weekly reply routine. If your profile shows questions from the public, answer them with the same care as reviews.
4. Service areas for businesses that travel
- Address hidden if customers do not visit you.
- Up to 20 service areas, by city, postal code or region.
- Overall area within about two hours of driving from your base.
- Hybrid businesses (a showroom plus home visits) can show the address and add service areas.
These limits come from Google's guide to service areas for service-area and hybrid businesses. Keep in mind that service areas describe where you work. They do not make you rank everywhere in them, which is why service-area businesses also need city and service pages on their website.
The checklist at a glance
| Item | Ranking factor it helps | How often to review |
|---|---|---|
| Name, address, phone | Relevance and trust | Every change of business data |
| Primary and extra categories | Relevance | Every 6 months, or when competitors change |
| Services and description | Relevance | Every quarter |
| Hours and holiday hours | Customer trust | Before every holiday |
| Photos and updates | Prominence and conversion | Every month |
| Reviews and replies | Prominence | Every week |
| Service areas | Relevance for service businesses | When you add a city |
What results can a well-kept profile produce?
Results depend on competition and distance, but a complete, active profile usually gains visibility. Across 383 dealerships I measured, the average profile grade rose from 78.8 (C) to 91.9 (A). A dental clinic in Medellín reached 56 top-3 positions on the Maps grid, up 115% in three months.
A Maps grid checks your position from many points around your location, so it shows where you win and where you disappear. It is the best way to see the effect of distance for yourself. The dealership numbers come from the same team work described in the car dealership SEO case study.
How often should you update your profile?
A light monthly routine is enough for most small businesses: new photos, one or two updates, a check of hours and services, and replies to every review each week. Twice a year, review your categories against the top competitors. Large edits to name, address or category should be rare and planned.
Your profile works best when your website backs it up. Add LocalBusiness schema so the site and the profile say the same thing, and build service pages for what you sell. If you run a trade business, see my approach to home services SEO, or for a clinic, dental SEO.
Want a second pair of eyes? A local audit starts at $450 and is part of my local SEO service. Check the pricing or book a free diagnosis.
Frequently asked questions
Do keywords in the business name help?
They can look like a shortcut, but they break Google's guidelines and put the profile at risk of suspension. Use your real name.
How many categories should I add?
As few as possible: one specific primary category and a few additional ones for real departments or main services.
Can I pay Google to rank higher in Maps?
No. Google states there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. Ads appear in separate, labeled spots.
Should I reply to negative reviews?
Yes. A calm, short reply that offers to solve the problem helps the next reader more than silence.
Do service-area businesses need a website too?
Yes. Service areas describe where you work, but city and service pages on your site help you rank beyond your immediate area.
Sources
- Business Profile Help, Tips to improve your local ranking on Google
- Business Profile Help, Guidelines for representing your business on Google
- Business Profile Help, Manage your business category
- Business Profile Help, Manage your service areas for service-area and hybrid businesses
- Federal Trade Commission, Final rule banning fake reviews and testimonials (August 14, 2024)