How does Google Business Profile ranking work?

Google ranks local businesses on three broad factors it publishes openly: relevance (how well your profile matches what someone searched for), distance (how close you are to the searcher), and prominence (how well-known and active your business is, including review count and quality). You can't change a searcher's distance, but you directly influence relevance and prominence by completing your categories, services, description and attributes, and by earning and responding to reviews. No one can guarantee a specific position — Google's algorithm decides — but a complete, accurate, active profile gives it far more to work with.

Relevance

Relevance is about matching the search. Your primary category, additional categories, services with descriptions, and business description are the main levers. A profile that clearly states what it does — in the specific terms customers use — is relevant to far more searches than a sparse one.

Distance

Distance is how far each result is from the location of the search (or the location named in it). You can't move, but accurate address, service-area and hours information makes sure Google places you correctly and shows you when you're open.

Prominence

Prominence reflects how established and active a business appears: the number and rating of reviews, how recently you've posted and added photos, and the consistency of your name, address and phone across the web. Steady activity and review velocity signal a real, current business.

What we cannot promise

Ranking is determined by Google's algorithm and depends on many factors outside anyone's control. ProfileBoost optimizes every signal you can influence against Google's published best practices; we cannot and do not guarantee any specific ranking position.

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ProfileBoost for your industry: Restaurants & Cafes · Contractors & Trades · Home Services

ProfileBoost optimizes your profile against Google's published best practices. Search ranking is determined by Google's algorithm and depends on many factors; we cannot and do not guarantee any specific ranking position.