How to rank higher on Google Maps

According to Google’s tips to improve your local ranking (opens in a new tab), local results are mainly based on three factors:

• Relevance: how well your Business Profile matches what someone searched for. Complete, detailed business information helps Google understand you.
• Distance: how far your business is from the person searching. If they don’t share a location, Google uses what it knows about where they are. You cannot change distance.
• Prominence: how well known your business is. Google says this includes signals such as how many websites link to you and how many reviews you have. More reviews and positive ratings can help.

Google also states there is “no way to request or pay for a better local ranking on Google.” Any honest plan improves those signals; it does not buy a fixed position.

The local pack or map pack is the cluster of local businesses Google shows with a map for many near-me and city searches. Your Google Business Profile feeds that pack. A stronger, verified, up-to-date profile gives Google clearer information to match you to those searches. Showing in the pack still depends on relevance, distance and prominence for each search.

Start with the basics Google itself lists:

1. Verify your business. Google says verification tells it you are authorized to represent the business, so you are more likely to show up in search results (local ranking tips (opens in a new tab)).
2. Keep information complete and accurate. Name, address (if customers visit), phone, website, hours (including special hours) and category should match the real business. Google says businesses with complete and accurate info are more likely to show in local results; inaccurate info can keep you out of relevant searches.
3. Choose the right primary category. Your category should match what customers actually search for (for example “Roofing contractor”, not a vague label).
4. Add attributes that fit you, such as parking or Wi-Fi when they apply.
5. Stay consistent. Use the same name, address and phone on your website and other listings. 62% of consumers would avoid a business if they found incorrect information online (BrightLocal, Local Business Discovery & Trust Report 2023 (opens in a new tab)).

If your profile is missing, suspended, duplicated or unverified, fix that before you worry about fine-tuning. Our guide Google Business Profile not showing covers claim, create and visibility issues using Google’s help pages.

Google links reviews to prominence: more reviews and positive ratings can help your local ranking (Google, answer 7091 (opens in a new tab)). Reviews also help customers choose you. 97% of consumers read reviews for local businesses, and 54% check the business’s website after reading positive reviews (BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 2026 (opens in a new tab)).

Ask for reviews the way Google allows: invite genuine feedback, use Google’s review link or QR code, reply to reviews, and never offer payment, discounts or free goods for a review, a changed review or removal of a negative one (Tips to get more reviews (opens in a new tab); Maps UGC policy (opens in a new tab)). Our guide How to get more Google reviews walks through a compliant ask and a private alert path for unhappy customers.

Photos and videos help customers see what you offer. Google encourages adding them on the same local-ranking help page. Use real photos of your work, team and premises, not generic stock images.

Your website is part of how people trust you after they find you, and Google mentions websites that link to your business as part of prominence. Keep your name, address, phone, hours and service area identical to your Business Profile. Put clear contact details where visitors can find them: 85% of consumers consider contact information and opening hours important when researching local businesses (BrightLocal, Consumer Search Behavior 2025 (opens in a new tab)).

A slow or empty site can still lose the visitor you just earned from Maps. Our guides What a local business website should include and How fast should a small business website load? cover the content and speed basics.

• Paying for an organic local position. Google says you cannot request or pay for a better local ranking.
• Changing the searcher’s location. Distance is outside your control.
• Fake or gated reviews. Incentives and selectively asking only happy customers for public reviews violate Google’s policies and can lead to review removal or profile restrictions.
• Creating duplicate profiles for the same business. Duplicates can stop a profile from showing (Google on duplicates (opens in a new tab)).