📄 Article
✓ Link checked
Free
Intermediate
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.
Local Search Ranking Factors 2026
From whitespark.ca by Whitespark Research report
- Choose the most specific primary category, then add secondary ones.
- Quantity, rating and recency of Google reviews all sit in the top factors.
- Set accurate hours: being open when someone searches helps.
