Key points
- Three factors decide it: relevance, distance and prominence
- You cannot change distance, so work on the other two
- Your primary category is the strongest relevance signal
- Rank should be measured across your whole area, not from your office
How Google picks the three
Google states that 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 searcher. Prominence is how well known and trusted the business is, judged from reviews, links, listings and your website.
What you can control
Choose the most accurate primary category, list every service, keep hours and contact details exact, add real photos often, and answer every review. Make sure your name, address and phone number match everywhere they appear online. Then give Google a website with a dedicated page for each service.
A first checklist for getting into the pack
- Verify the profile and confirm the pin is on the right building.
- Set the most specific primary category, then add true secondary categories.
- List every service with a short description, and keep hours exact, including holidays.
- Add new photos of real work every week.
- Ask every customer for a review and reply to all of them.
- Link the profile to a page on your site that covers the same services and area.
Expect the pack to change by neighborhood. The goal is to turn more of the map green over time, which is why we measure coverage with a geo-grid instead of quoting a single position.
How to tell if it is working
A single search from your own office is misleading because distance favors you there. A geo-grid scan checks your rank from dozens of points across the service area. Our IDENTICO case study shows one going from red to green across Miami.
People also ask
Why doesn't my business show up when people search its exact name?
Usually because Google either can't tie your profile to your business as a clear entity, or it has confused you with another business with a similar name and sometimes merged the two. Open your profile's share link on a signed-out phone: if it opens your profile, strengthen your name, phone and website signals; if it opens another business, it's a data problem to escalate with proof.
Read the full answer: Why doesn't my business show up when people search its exact name? →
Will Google support help if my business stops ranking?
No. Google Business Profile support won't investigate why a live profile dropped in the rankings, and Product Experts say so directly. Support does act on profile problems: suspensions, verification, ownership, rejected edits and reviews or listings that break the rules. Check first whether your profile is live and findable by name; if it is, the drop is yours to diagnose.
Read the full answer: Will Google support help if my business stops ranking? →
Can inconsistent business listings get a Google Business Profile suspended?
Yes, it can contribute. Google doesn't list directory mismatches as a suspension reason, but when your name, address or phone on Yellow Pages, BBB or your own website disagree with your profile, a real business looks like a fake or hijacked listing. That's how profiles end up reinstated and then suspended again. Fix your website and registration first, then correct the directories, then appeal.
Read the full answer: Can inconsistent business listings get a Google Business Profile suspended? →
Why does only one practitioner at our office show up on Google Maps?
Because Google's local filter usually shows only one of several listings that share an address and a category. It isn't a penalty, and the other listings still exist; they're hidden for that search. Agents, advisors, lawyers and instructors at one office trip it most. Different primary categories, direct phone numbers, genuine suite numbers and each listing's own reviews reduce it.
Read the full answer: Why does only one practitioner at our office show up on Google Maps? →
Should each practitioner in a practice have their own Google Business Profile?
Only the practitioners people search for by name, and only if each is public-facing and reachable at the practice during set hours. Google allows individual profiles for doctors, dentists, lawyers, financial planners and agents, but listings at one address are often filtered, and each needs its own reviews. Give listings to key practitioners, make each distinct with its own category and phone, and keep everyone else on the practice listing.