How Google ranks local results: relevance, distance and prominence
By Hamza Rivera, updated
Short answer: Google says local results are mainly based on relevance, distance and prominence. Relevance is how well a profile matches the search, distance is how far the business is from the searcher, and prominence reflects things like links to the business and its reviews. Google also says you cannot pay for a better local ranking.
Local rankings look random from the outside. Google's help page on the subject is short and names three factors. This page walks through them and what an owner can and cannot change.
If you want the profile checked against these three factors, see our Google Business Profile optimization.
The three factors
- Relevance. Google describes it as how well a Business Profile matches what someone is searching for. Google says complete and detailed business information helps it understand the business and match it to searches.
- Distance. How far each business is from the person searching. If the searcher has not shared a location, Google uses what it knows about where they are.
- Prominence. How well known a business is. Google describes prominence as how well known a business is, and says it depends on information from across the web, including how many websites link to the business and how many reviews it has.
What you can change
Distance is not in your hands. Relevance and prominence partly are. Fill in every field on the profile, pick accurate categories, keep the address and hours correct, and keep collecting honest reviews. Google says businesses with complete and accurate information are more likely to show up in local results, and that more reviews and positive ratings can help.
What you cannot change
Google says there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. Google says there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking, so be wary of anyone who promises one. Our page on the local pack and organic results explains where each one appears.
Why two searchers see different results
Because distance is one of the factors, the same search from two places can return different businesses in a different order. That is also why a rank checker run from your office tells you little about what a customer across town sees.
Where to go from here
If you want the profile, reviews and website reviewed against relevance and prominence, we can do that. See our Google Business Profile optimization service. Passieon is an independent agency and is not affiliated with Google.
Sources
- Business Profile Help: Local ranking factors (relevance, distance, prominence), read November 11, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What are the three local ranking factors?
Google names relevance, distance and prominence as the main factors for local results.
Can I pay Google for a better local ranking?
No. Google says there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking.
Do reviews affect local ranking?
Google says more reviews and positive ratings can help a business's local ranking, and that review count is part of prominence.
Does my website matter for local ranking?
Google lists the number of websites that link to a business as part of prominence. Its page gives no other website guidance.
Why do I rank differently from different places?
Distance is a factor, so the searcher's location changes which businesses show and in what order.
Does a complete profile help?
Google says businesses with complete and accurate information are more likely to show up in local results.
Want this done for your site? See what our Google Business Profile optimization page covers, or read the client results.
Read next
- Google Search Console: the first things to check on a new site Verify the right property, then read Performance, Page indexing, Security issues and the alerts. What each report tells you, based on Google help pages.
- Google Business Profile vs website: which one matters for local search? The profile and the website do different jobs in local search. What Google says about each, and why a local business needs both.
- Google Business Profile posts: types, how long they last and the rules Updates, offers and events, how to schedule them, and the 6 month archive rule. What Google says, and what it does not say about ranking.