How Google Decides Which Local Businesses to Show: A Plain-English Guide
How Google ranks local plumbers, HVAC, and contractors in Maps and organic results. A plain-English guide to the factors you can control.
When someone searches "plumber near me" or "best HVAC company," Google shows some businesses and hides others. The businesses that show up get calls. The ones that don't might as well not exist online.
Whether you call it plumber SEO, HVAC SEO, or just "showing up when people search," the basics are the same.
Understanding how Google makes these decisions isn't just for marketers. It's essential knowledge for any local business owner who wants customers to find them. And despite what some SEO agencies would have you believe, the basics aren't that complicated.
The Two Places Google Shows Local Businesses
When someone searches for a local service, Google typically shows results in two distinct areas:
The Map Pack (Local Pack)
That box with the map and 3 business listings? That's the Map Pack. It appears for searches with local intent and pulls from Google Business Profile data.
Getting into the Map Pack is valuable—it's highly visible and shows your reviews, hours, and phone number right on the search page.
Organic Results
Below the Map Pack are the regular organic results—the traditional list of website links. This is where your website content matters most.
Many businesses focus only on the Map Pack, but organic results can actually drive more traffic for informational searches like "how much does a new roof cost."
You want to show up in both.
The Three Factors That Determine Local Rankings
Google has stated that local rankings depend on three primary factors. Let's translate them from marketing-speak to plain English:
1. Relevance: Do You Match What They're Searching For?
What it means: Does your business actually offer what the person is looking for?
How Google determines this:
- The categories you select in Google Business Profile
- The services you list
- Keywords on your website
- Content that addresses the specific search
What you can do:
- Choose accurate, specific categories in Google Business Profile
- List all your services clearly on your website
- Create content about each major service you offer
- Use the words customers actually use (not industry jargon)
Example: If someone searches "emergency furnace repair," your business needs to clearly communicate that you offer emergency furnace repair—in your Google profile, on your website, and ideally in content that addresses furnace emergencies specifically.
2. Distance: Are You Close Enough?
What it means: How far is your business from the person searching?
How Google determines this:
- Your business address in Google Business Profile
- The searcher's location
- Your stated service area
The reality:
- You can't change where you're located
- But you can clearly define your service area
- Content mentioning specific areas you serve can help
What you can do:
- Accurately list your address and service area
- Create content relevant to the specific areas you serve
- Don't try to fake a location—Google catches this and penalizes it
Example: If you're a roofer based in one part of town, you might not rank well for searches from the opposite side of a large metro area. That's physics, not something you can hack.
3. Prominence: Are You a Trusted, Known Business?
What it means: How well-known and reputable is your business?
How Google determines this:
- Number and quality of Google reviews
- Reviews on other platforms
- Links from other websites to yours
- Online mentions and citations
- Website authority and content quality
- How long you've been established
What you can do:
- Actively request reviews from satisfied customers
- Respond to all reviews (positive and negative)
- Build relationships that generate backlinks
- Create genuinely helpful content that earns links naturally
- Maintain consistent business information across the web
Example: A plumber with 200 five-star reviews and mentions on local news sites will outrank a new plumber with 5 reviews, even if distance and relevance are equal.
Why Content Matters for Local Rankings
Here's where content marketing connects to local search:
Content Establishes Relevance
When you create in-depth content about furnace repair, Google understands that you're relevant for furnace repair searches. One service page isn't enough—comprehensive content proves expertise.
This is exactly why effective content plans focus on high-intent queries like "[service] [city]" and related problem searches that real customers use. When our free Month-1 content packs are built, they start with an automated LLM site review plus local market research to identify these exact search opportunities—the ones where your prospects are actively looking for help.
Content Builds Prominence
Quality content earns links from other websites. It gets shared. It demonstrates that you're an authority in your field. All of this feeds into prominence.
Content Captures More Searches
People don't just search "HVAC company near me." They search:
- "Why is my AC blowing warm air?"
- "Furnace making weird noise"
- "How much does a new HVAC system cost?"
Each of those searches is an opportunity for your content to appear. And when it does, you've captured someone early in their decision process.
The Role of Google Business Profile
Your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is foundational for local search. Here's what matters:
Complete Every Section
- Business name (exactly as it appears in real life)
- Address and service area
- Phone number
- Website
- Hours
- Categories (choose the most specific ones that apply)
- Services offered
- Business description
- Photos (lots of them—real photos of your work)
Stay Active
- Post updates regularly
- Respond to reviews promptly
- Add new photos periodically
- Answer questions in the Q&A section
Get Reviews
Reviews are massive. Not just the number, but:
- Recent reviews matter more than old ones
- Responses show you're engaged
- Specific reviews mentioning services help relevance
- Steady flow beats one-time review push
What Google Can Tell (That You Might Not Realize)
Google is sophisticated. Here's what it probably knows:
Behavioral signals:
- Do people who click your result stay on your site or immediately leave?
- Do they call you or fill out forms?
- Do they visit your competitors afterward?
Consistency signals:
- Is your business name, address, and phone number consistent everywhere online?
- Has your business information changed frequently (a red flag)?
Content signals:
- Is your content original or copied from elsewhere?
- Does it actually help people or just stuff in keywords?
- Do other sites link to you naturally?
You can't fake signals. The best strategy is to actually be a legitimate, helpful business—and then make sure Google knows about it.
Common Myths About Local Rankings
Myth: Paid Ads Help Organic Rankings
They don't. Google Ads and organic search are separate systems. Paying for ads doesn't boost your organic rankings.
Myth: You Can Trick Google With Keywords
Keyword stuffing stopped working years ago. Google can read content like a human now. Write naturally.
Myth: More Citations = Better Rankings
Citation quantity used to matter more. Now it's about quality and consistency. A few authoritative citations beat hundreds of spammy directory listings.
Myth: Proximity Is Everything
Distance matters, but it's not the only factor. A highly prominent business with great reviews can outrank a closer competitor with weak presence.
The Practical Steps
If you want to rank better in local search, here's the priority order:
Foundation (do these first):
- Claim and complete your Google Business Profile
- Ensure name/address/phone consistency across the web
- Get your website basics right (mobile-friendly, fast loading, clear service pages)
Growth (ongoing):
4. Actively request reviews from customers
5. Respond to every review
6. Create content about your services and common customer questions
7. Build relationships that generate natural links
Advanced (after basics are solid):
8. Analyze which content drives traffic and double down
9. Monitor competitors' strategies
10. Test and optimize continuously
The Bottom Line
Google's local ranking algorithm isn't a mystery you need to decode. It's three core factors: relevance, distance, and prominence.
Relevance means being clearly about what people search for. Distance is largely fixed. Prominence is where most of your effort should go—building a reputation that Google (and customers) can recognize.
Content marketing fits into this by building relevance (demonstrating expertise), capturing searches (appearing for questions your customers ask), and building prominence (earning links and engagement).
There's no shortcut. The businesses that show up are the ones that deserve to—and make sure Google knows about it.
Want to see what this looks like for your business? Get a free magic-link preview with a complete Month-1 content pack and a 12-month calendar snapshot, tailored to your services and service area using an automated site review and local research. No audit upsell, no agency retainer—just content you can publish.
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