Google ranks local results on relevance, distance and prominence, so work on the first and the last. Verify your Business Profile, choose the most specific primary category plus relevant secondary ones, and fill every field: hours, services, products, attributes and photos. Whitespark's 2026 survey of local SEO experts ranks primary category, distance from the searcher and keywords in the business name as the top three factors, but adding keywords that are not part of your real name breaks Google's guidelines and risks suspension. Keep your name, address and phone identical on your website and in directories. Earn a steady flow of Google reviews with text and reply to them; review count, rating and recency all sit in Whitespark's top factors, and being open at the time of search ranks fifth, so keep hours accurate. Add a page on your site for each service and city. Rule: Google says no one can pay for a better local rank, so work on category, reviews and accuracy.
Part of SEO on eChai Explore.
7 resources, 7 link-checked.
Google's own guidance on what decides where a business shows in local results: a complete, verified profile, accurate hours and category, photos, and responding to reviews.
From support.google.com by Google 5 min
The long-running survey of local SEO experts on what ranks a business in Google's map pack. The 2026 top factors are primary category, distance from the searcher, keywords in the business name, a physical address in the city and being open at the time of search.
From whitespark.ca by Whitespark Research report
The rules every Business Profile must follow on name, address, category and hours. Breaking them is the commonest reason profiles get suspended.
From support.google.com by Google Help page
The official page on verification: phone or text, email, live video call, video recording or postcard, with Google choosing which methods your business gets.
From support.google.com by Google Help page
A current walkthrough of local SEO beyond the profile: consistent name, address and phone across listings, local pages on your site and review work.
From backlinko.com by Backlinko Guide
Google's page on generating a review link or QR code from your profile, with where to use it: receipts, thank-you emails, the end of a chat and a printed code in store.
From support.google.com by Google Help page
BrightLocal's annual survey of how consumers read local reviews. The 2026 edition finds 97% read reviews, 74% only care about reviews from the last three months and 47% will not use a business with fewer than 20 reviews.
From brightlocal.com by BrightLocal Research report
The same ground, over in Build your online store, our D2C track.
How founders actually use AI for this, over in Content Creation.
The same ground, over in Own the story, our GTM track.
