Bottom Line Up Front: Google's local search algorithm considers hundreds of signals. But not all signals are created equal. After analyzing 500+ local business profiles and tracking thousands of ranking changes, we've identified exactly which factors move the needle.
The Three Pillars of Local Rankings
Google evaluates local businesses on three core factors:
Relevance
How well you match the search
Distance
How close you are to the searcher
Prominence
How well-known/authoritative you are
Pillar 1: Relevance (30% of Rankings)
Relevance is about matching what the customer is searching for.
Primary Category (Critical - 10%)
Your primary category is the single most important relevance signal.
✅ Good:
- General Contractor
- HVAC Contractor
- Plumbing Service
- Electrical Contractor
❌ Bad:
- Business
- Contractor (too vague)
- Home Services (too broad)
Pro tip: Choose the most specific category that accurately describes your main service.
Business Description (5%)
Use all 750 characters. Include:
- Services you offer
- Areas you serve
- Years in business
- Certifications/licenses
- What makes you unique
Bad example (100 characters):
“ABC Construction - General contractor in Seattle”
Good example (750 characters):
“ABC Construction is a licensed general contractor serving Seattle, Bellevue, and Tacoma since 2005. We specialize in kitchen remodeling, bathroom renovations, whole-home remodels, and room additions. Our team of certified craftsmen has completed over 500 residential projects, with a focus on quality workmanship and customer satisfaction. We handle everything from design consultation to final walkthrough, and we're proud to maintain an A+ BBB rating. Whether you're planning a small bathroom update or a complete home transformation, we bring 18 years of expertise to every project in King and Pierce County.”
Services Listed (5%)
List every service you offer with detailed descriptions.
Example for a general contractor:
- Kitchen Remodeling
- Bathroom Renovation
- Basement Finishing
- Room Additions
- Deck Construction
- Window Replacement
- Siding Installation
- Flooring Installation
- Drywall Repair
- Interior Painting
Each service should have a 300-character description with keywords.
Service Areas (5%)
Define every city/area you serve (up to 20). Don't just list your city - list all surrounding areas too.
Example:
Attributes (3%)
Select all relevant attributes:
Website Content (2%)
Your website should have:
- Location pages for each city you serve
- Service pages for each service
- LocalBusiness schema markup
- NAP matching your GBP exactly
Pillar 2: Distance (20% of Rankings)
You can't control where customers search from, but you can optimize for it.
Physical Address (15%)
Google prioritizes businesses physically located in the search area.
Can't change your address? Optimize for surrounding areas:
- •List all service areas
- •Create location-specific content
- •Get reviews mentioning nearby cities
- •Build citations in surrounding areas
Geo-Grid Optimization (5%)
Google doesn't rank you the same everywhere. You might be #1 in your immediate area but #8 three miles away.
Solution: Optimize your geo-grid
- Get reviews from customers in different areas
- Create content targeting surrounding cities
- Build citations with various addresses
- Encourage customers to mention their city in reviews
Pillar 3: Prominence (50% of Rankings)
This is where most of the ranking power comes from.
Reviews (25% - Biggest Factor!)
Reviews are THE most important ranking signal.
What matters:
Quantity (10%)
- Total number of reviews
- Competitive benchmark: 100+ reviews
- Elite level: 200+ reviews
Quality (8%)
- Average star rating (minimum 4.0, target 4.5+)
- Review text length (longer = better)
- Keywords in reviews (customers naturally mention services)
Velocity (4%)
- Reviews per month (target: 15-25/month)
- Consistency over time (steady is better than bursts)
- Recent reviews (within last 90 days)
Diversity (3%)
- Reviews from different customers (not all similar)
- Various services mentioned
- Different locations mentioned
Google Posts (8%)
Active profiles rank higher. Period.
What Google wants to see:
- 8-12 posts per month (2-3 per week)
- Mix of content types (updates, offers, events, products)
- Posts with photos/videos (better engagement)
- Posts with clear CTAs (call, book, visit)
Post types that work:
Photos (7%)
Photos drive engagement, and engagement drives rankings.
Targets:
- 100+ total photos minimum
- 200+ for competitive markets
- Add 10-20 new photos per month
Photo types:
Pro tips:
- •Name files with keywords before uploading
- •High resolution (1000px minimum)
- •Good lighting and composition
- •Show your face (builds trust)
Q&A Activity (3%)
An active Q&A section signals relevance and engagement.
How to optimize:
- Seed 10-15 common questions
- Monitor for new questions weekly
- Respond within 24 hours
- Include keywords naturally in answers
Citations (4%)
Citations are mentions of your business (NAP) across the web.
Target: 30-50 high-quality citations
Priority directories:
1. Major:
2. Industry:
3. Local:
Critical: NAP must be EXACTLY the same everywhere.
Website Authority (3%)
Google considers your website's authority.
Signals:
- Domain age (older = better)
- Backlinks (quality over quantity)
- Website speed (faster = better)
- Mobile-friendly (required)
- SSL certificate (https)
Secondary Factors (That Still Matter)
Engagement Signals (Not Quantified, But Important)
Google tracks how people interact with your listing:
- Click to Call: Customers calling from your GBP
- Clicks for Directions: People visiting your location
- Website Clicks: Traffic from GBP to your site
- Photo Views: Customers looking at your photos
- Messages: Direct messages through GBP
More engagement = better rankings (virtuous cycle).
Response Time
Fast responses improve rankings:
Business Hours
Keep them accurate and up to date:
- Regular hours
- Holiday hours
- Special hours (COVID, etc.)
Pro tip: Being open more hours can help (especially weekends).
Booking/Appointment Links
Having a booking button shows you're tech-forward and increases conversions.
The Ranking Factor Hierarchy
If you only have time to focus on a few things, prioritize in this order:
Tier 1 (Do These First):
Tier 2 (Do These Next):
Tier 3 (Do These Eventually):
Common Myths (Debunked)
Myth: “I need to stuff keywords in my business name”
Truth: “This violates Google's guidelines and can get you penalized.”
Myth: “More photos is always better”
Truth: Quality matters. 100 great photos > 300 mediocre photos.
Myth: “I should respond to reviews with keyword-rich text”
Truth: Natural, personalized responses are better. Google detects keyword stuffing.
Myth: “I need thousands of reviews”
Truth: 100+ reviews at 4.5+ stars is enough for most markets.
Myth: “Paying for ads will help my rankings”
Truth: “Google Ads don't affect organic rankings (confirmed by Google).”
The 80/20 of Local Rankings
Focus on these 20% of factors that drive 80% of results:
Generate 20+ reviews per month (most important)
Post 2-3 times per week (shows activity)
Upload 100+ photos (builds trust)
Complete your profile 100% (every field filled)
Build 30+ citations (establishes authority)
Do these five things consistently and you'll outrank 90% of competitors.
The Bottom Line: Google's algorithm is complex, but the strategy is simple: Be relevant → Choose the right category, list all services. Be prominent → Get reviews, post regularly, add photos. Be consistent → NAP identical everywhere, active profile. Focus on the factors that matter most. Ignore the noise. Rankings will follow.
Ready to Dominate Local Search?
We implement these exact ranking factors for contractors in Pierce County. Most clients reach top 3 within 90 days.