When people search for a business near them, they see local results on Google Maps and Search. If they search for “pizza place” on a phone, they’ll see nearby pizza places. Google tries to show the kind of place people want to go to.
To make your business show up higher, use Google Business Profile to claim and update your business info. Learn more about how Google finds business information for search results.
How to improve your local ranking on Google
Update your business info so more people find it
If you search for your business but don’t see it, make sure your business info on Business Profile is correct, complete and engaging.
Tip: To edit business info for 10 or more locations at once, you can create a bulk upload spreadsheet.
Enter all your business info
Important: Make sure you keep your info up to date as your business changes.
Google shows the best results for each search. Businesses with complete and correct info are easier to find. Provide info like your:
- Physical address
- Phone number
- Category
- Attributes
Verify your locations
Verify your business locations so people can find them on Google Maps and Search. Learn more about verification.
Keep your business times right
Manage & answer reviews
Add photos
Add in-store products
How Google picks local ranking
Google finds the best places for you by looking at how close they are, how good they are, and how well known they are. For example, Google might think a place far away is more likely to be what you’re looking for than a closer one, so it shows the farther place first.
Relevance
Distance
Prominence
How well-known a business is called its prominence. Some places are better known in the real world, so search results try to show this in local ranking. Famous museums, landmark hotels, or well-known store brands will likely show up higher in local searches.
Google also uses information about a business from the web to decide prominence. This includes links, articles, and directories. More reviews and better ratings can help your business rank higher. How well your website shows up in searches also matters, so good SEO practices are important.
Tip: You can't ask or pay Google to rank your business higher. We keep the ranking system confidential so it's fair for everyone.