Are the 11 signals an official Google ranking list?

No. Google officially frames local ranking around three factors: relevance, distance, and prominence. The 11 signals are a practical checklist local SEO practitioners use to organize the profile details that feed those three factors, and it is how ProfileBoost structures the work on your profile.

Which of these signals can I actually control?

Distance is proximity-based and cannot be changed. The rest come down to how complete and accurate your profile is: primary and additional categories, services and products, hours and attributes, photos, posts, reviews, citations, and consistent business facts.

What does ProfileBoost's $399 optimization include?

A one-time, done-for-you optimization of your Google Business Profile completed in 5 business days, with citation cleanup included rather than billed separately. You send one manager invite, and you get a written summary of every change we make.

Can ProfileBoost guarantee a specific ranking position?

No. Search ranking is determined by Google's systems and depends on many factors, so no one can honestly guarantee a position. ProfileBoost optimizes the controllable profile fields and backs the work with a 30-Day Improvement Guarantee.

What happens after the profile is optimized?

You can stop after the one-time $399 optimization, or add monthly upkeep at $149/mo for posts, photos, and review prompts that keep the profile active so it does not go stale. Monthly upkeep is optional and you can cancel any time.

What are the 11 ranking signals Google uses for local business profiles?

Last updated August 2026

Quick answer

Google does not publish an official 11-signal list. It explains local ranking through relevance, distance, and prominence. The 11 signals are a practical checklist for controllable profile details: categories, services, products, hours, photos, reviews, NAP consistency, citations, posts, and review prompts. ProfileBoost fixes those fields so Google and AI answer tools get clearer facts.

1Primary category: Choose the single category that best describes what the business mainly does.
2Additional categories: Add secondary categories only when they match real services the business offers.
3Services and products: Name the offers customers search for, with clear descriptions and optional prices.
4Hours and special hours: Keep regular hours, holiday hours, and temporary changes accurate.
5Photos: Use real, recent photos that show the place, work, team, products, and customer experience.
6Reviews and prompts: Make review volume, replies, and requests compliant, steady, and easy for real customers to use.
7NAP and citations: Keep name, address, and phone consistent on the profile and across important directories.
8Posts: Use posts for timely offers, updates, services, and proof that the profile is active.

The three-part ranking model

Google's public guidance explains local ranking in terms of relevance, distance, and prominence, not a numbered 11-signal list. Distance is largely fixed by where the searcher and business are. Relevance and prominence are where the profile work lives: categories, services, products, reviews, photos, posts, and consistent business facts help search systems understand what the business does and whether the listing looks trustworthy.

Category and offer signals

The primary category is the strongest profile-level relevance choice you control. Additional categories, services, and products fill in the rest of the business model. A profile for a plumber, med spa, restaurant, or home-service company should name the real services customers can book, not leave Google or AI tools to infer them from a thin description.

Completeness and freshness signals

Regular hours, special hours, recent photos, posts, and an accurate services/products list make the profile easier to trust before someone calls. They also give AI search tools like ChatGPT and Google AI answers more specific facts to cite when a customer asks which nearby business offers a service.

Trust and consistency signals

Reviews, compliant review prompts, name/address/phone consistency, and local citations support the prominence side of the model. ProfileBoost checks the profile and the public business facts together because a complete listing can still look weak when directories, categories, or review flows contradict it.

Where ProfileBoost fits

ProfileBoost is a done-for-you cleanup for the 11 controllable signals: categories, services, products, hours, special hours, photos, review readiness, NAP, citations, posts, and review prompts. The one-time setup is $399, finished in 5 business days, and includes citation cleanup plus a written summary of every change. You send one manager invite, never your password. Monthly upkeep is $149/mo if you want posts, photos, and review prompts kept current after the cleanup.

Frequently asked questions

Are the 11 signals an official Google ranking list?: No. Google officially frames local ranking around three factors: relevance, distance, and prominence. The 11 signals are a practical checklist local SEO practitioners use to organize the profile details that feed those three factors, and it is how ProfileBoost structures the work on your profile.
Which of these signals can I actually control?: Distance is proximity-based and cannot be changed. The rest come down to how complete and accurate your profile is: primary and additional categories, services and products, hours and attributes, photos, posts, reviews, citations, and consistent business facts.
What does ProfileBoost's $399 optimization include?: A one-time, done-for-you optimization of your Google Business Profile completed in 5 business days, with citation cleanup included rather than billed separately. You send one manager invite, and you get a written summary of every change we make.
Can ProfileBoost guarantee a specific ranking position?: No. Search ranking is determined by Google's systems and depends on many factors, so no one can honestly guarantee a position. ProfileBoost optimizes the controllable profile fields and backs the work with a 30-Day Improvement Guarantee.
What happens after the profile is optimized?: You can stop after the one-time $399 optimization, or add monthly upkeep at $149/mo for posts, photos, and review prompts that keep the profile active so it does not go stale. Monthly upkeep is optional and you can cancel any time.