Google Business Profile

How to rank higher on Google Maps

Google ranks local results mainly on relevance, distance and prominence, and says there's no way to pay for a better ranking. You improve the parts you control: a verified, complete, accurate profile, reviews you reply to, and a business people link to.

6 steps

  1. Step 1: Verify your profile if it isn't already. Google says verification makes you more likely to appear in results.
    1 day
  2. Step 2: Open Edit profile and complete every relevant field: address or service area, hours, special hours, category and attributes.
    30 min
  3. Step 3: Choose the most specific primary category that describes what your business is, and add services that match what people search for.
    15 min
  4. Step 4: Add photos and videos of your work, premises and team, and keep adding new ones over time.
    20 min
  5. Step 5: Reply to your reviews, good and bad, and keep asking every customer for one, not just the ones you expect to be happy.
    15 min
  6. Step 6: Earn links and mentions from local groups, suppliers and press that point to your business.
    ongoing
  7. Arrived: A complete, active profile has its best chance at relevance and prominence. Distance is fixed, so you'll still rank lower for searchers far away.

Checked 13 Nov 2026 · source: support.google.com

The three things Google weighs

Google’s own explanation of local ranking is short. Results are mainly based on three factors:

  • Relevance: how well your profile matches what someone searched for. Detailed, accurate information helps Google understand what you do.
  • Distance: how far you are from the searcher, or from the location in their search. If they haven’t shared a location, Google uses what it knows about them.
  • Prominence: how well known you are. Google says links to your business from other websites and the number and rating of your reviews feed into it.

That’s the whole public model. Anyone claiming to know a secret formula is guessing beyond what Google publishes.

What you can move, and what you can’t

Distance is fixed by where you are. A dentist on the east side will rank lower for someone searching from the far west side, and no profile edit changes that. Don’t try to fake it with extra addresses or virtual offices; Google’s guidelines make those ineligible, and getting caught costs far more than a few places in the list.

Relevance is mostly in your hands. Pick the most specific primary category that describes what the business is. Add the services you offer in plain words. Write a description that says what you do and where. Fill in attributes. Each one gives Google more to match against a search.

Prominence grows slowly. Reviews count, by number and rating. So do links and mentions from other websites: your trade association, a local paper, a supplier’s dealer list, a community event you sponsored. Google also says replying to reviews shows you value feedback and can help you stand out.

Things that don’t help

  • Paying for position. Google states there’s no way to request or pay for a better local ranking.
  • Stuffing the name. “Joe’s Plumbing Best Emergency Plumber Denver” breaks the name rules and can get the profile suspended.
  • Extra profiles. One per business. Duplicates get hidden.

Ranking low or not showing?

If you can’t find yourself at all, that’s a different problem from ranking low. A missing profile usually means it isn’t verified, has edits under review, is suspended, or is new, and Google says new businesses can take up to a month to appear. Fix visibility first; ranking work does nothing for a profile Google isn’t showing.

If it doesn't work

  • You don't show at all, not just low: that's a visibility problem, not ranking. Check verification, suspensions and edits waiting for review.
  • You rank well at your shop but not across town: distance from the searcher is one of Google's three factors and you can't change it.
  • You're tempted to add keywords to your business name: Google's guidelines say unnecessary information in the name can get the profile suspended.
  • A company offers guaranteed top spots for a fee: Google says there's no way to request or pay for a better local ranking.

Questions owners ask

Can I pay Google to rank higher on Maps?

No. Google's ranking page says there's no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. Anyone selling a guaranteed top spot is selling something Google says doesn't exist, so spend that money on the business itself.

Do more reviews help me rank?

Google says prominence is influenced by the number of reviews and their ratings, along with links from other websites. Replying to reviews also helps you stand out. Ask every customer the same way, and never offer anything in return.

Will adding my city to my business name help?

Don't. Google's guidelines say your name should match your signage and that unnecessary information in the name isn't permitted and could result in suspension. A suspended profile doesn't rank at all.

Why do businesses farther away rank above me?

Google weighs relevance and prominence alongside distance. A business that better matches the search, or is better known, can outrank a closer one. Google also says that if a searcher hasn't shared their location, it uses what it knows about where they are.

Sources

Checked 13 Nov 2026. When the platform changes its process we update this page and log it in What changed.

Related fixes

Written by Ellis Marr (a pen name) · Checked 13 Nov 2026 · How we check