Google's Local Ranking Factors: Relevance, Distance and Prominence
By Clay Lawrence, Review Harvest · · 5 min video
The short version
Google says local ranking comes down to relevance, distance and prominence. In its updated tips page the prominence section is shorter, drops the specific wording about citations and directories, and says that more reviews and positive ratings can help your local ranking. To act on it, fill out your Google Business Profile completely, make your website say the same thing, list your service areas, get reviews every week, and build local backlinks and citations.
Do this, in order
- 1
Fill out your Google Business Profile to the max
Relevance is how well your profile matches what the customer searched for. Fill in every section, with all your services and keywords, so Google knows exactly what you do.
- 2
Say the same thing on your website
Use clear headings in your H1 and H2s that state what you do and where you are located. Keep it consistent with your profile.
- 3
Add your service areas
You cannot control where the customer is when they search. What you can do is add location-based pages for the areas you serve, so Google knows what you do and where you do it.
- 4
Run a review campaign, then keep reviews coming every week
Google's page says more reviews and positive ratings can help your local ranking. Steady five-star reviews each week show Google you are still in business and still doing a good job.
- 5
Build local backlinks
Join the Chamber of Commerce and sponsor local events. Spending about 200 dollars to be part of the Chamber of Commerce is worth it for a locally relevant backlink.
- 6
Keep building citations
Google removed the specific citation wording from the page, but its new text still mentions links, and before and after ranking reports show citations still help.
- 7
Look at who ranks on the first page in your area and do what they do
There is what Google says ranks a business and what Google actually puts at the top. Most of the time, copying the businesses on the first page will serve you better than following Google's wording.
What are relevance, distance and prominence?
They are the three factors Google says determine local ranking.
- Relevance is how well your profile matches what the customer is searching for. A pressure washing business is very relevant to a search for pressure washing in its area. It is not going to show up for pizza.
- Distance is how close you are to the person searching.
- Prominence is how well known the business is. Google bases it on information like how many websites link to your business, which means citations and backlinks, and how many reviews you have.
What did Google change?
Google rewrote the prominence section of its page of tips for improving local ranking. The old version had specific wording about web links, citations and directories, plus offline examples. The new version is shorter, has less SEO jargon, and puts the weight on reviews. It says more reviews and positive ratings can help your business’s local ranking.
What changed is the wording on Google’s own page. It now states more plainly that reviews are part of prominence.
What should you do about each factor?
Relevance: tell Google exactly what you do. Fill out your Google Business Profile to the max, with every service and keyword. Then make your website match, with clear H1 and H2 headings. Everything should be consistent: you do this, you are located here, these are your other services, these are your service areas.
Distance: add your service areas. Proximity still matters and you cannot control where the customer is. If they do not share their location, Google uses what it knows about it. Location-based pages for the areas you serve are how you tell Google where you work.
Prominence: double down on reviews, links and brand awareness.
- Run a review campaign.
- Build local backlinks. Join the Chamber of Commerce, which runs about 200 dollars, and sponsor local events.
- Keep adding citations.
Are citations dead now that Google removed the wording?
No. One theory is that Google took out the specifics because citations were working too well. The new text still mentions links, and ranking reports from before and after adding citations show they help.
Should you do what Google says or what ranks?
Do what ranks. There are two sides to this: what Google says will rank you, and what Google actually puts at the top. Look at the businesses on the first page in your area and do what they do. That will normally serve you better than Google’s wording.
Why does review recency matter?
A large number of reviews is not enough if they are old. Consistent five-star reviews every week tell Google you are still in business and still doing a good job, and it is a strong way to rank above competitors. Review recency looks likely to be one of the biggest ranking factors in 2025.
Common questions
What are Google's local ranking factors?
Google names three: relevance, distance and prominence. Relevance is how well your profile matches what the person searched for. Distance is how close you are to them. Prominence is how well known your business is, based on things like how many websites link to you and how many reviews you have.
What changed in Google's local ranking guidance?
Google shortened the prominence section of its tips for improving local ranking. The older version had specific wording about web links, citations and directories, along with offline examples. The new version removes most of that and emphasizes reviews, saying more reviews and positive ratings can help your local ranking.
Do Google reviews help local ranking?
Yes, and Google says so on its own page: more reviews and positive ratings can help your business's local ranking. Getting them consistently matters too. Five-star reviews arriving every week show Google that you are still in business and still doing good work.
Do citations still matter for local SEO?
Yes. Google took the more specific citation wording out of its page, but the new text still mentions links, and ranking reports taken before and after adding citations show that they help.
How do you get local backlinks?
Join your local Chamber of Commerce and sponsor local events. Paying about 200 dollars for a Chamber of Commerce membership gets you a locally relevant backlink, and those are very important.
Should you follow Google's ranking advice or copy what ranks?
Look at what ranks. Google's guidance tells you what it says matters, but the businesses on the first page in your area show what it actually rewards. Most of the time, doing what they do will serve you better.
