What Google is actually looking for on your Business Profile
Google isn’t mysterious. It’s pattern-based.
Google states that local rankings are based on three things: relevance, distance, and prominence.
You can’t control distance. Most businesses under-optimize the other two.
What those signals actually mean
Relevance is about whether your business clearly matches what someone is searching for.That starts with the right primary category, but it doesn’t stop there. It’s reinforced by accurate descriptions, real photos, services that match intent, and consistent language across your profile.
Prominence is about trust and activity over time.Google favors businesses that look real, current, and engaged. Profiles that are updated, reviewed, responded to, and maintained signal care. Inactive profiles quietly stall.
Distance is fixed. Relevance and prominence are earned.
Why the basics matter more than people think
Most businesses don’t have a visibility problem because they lack content.They have a visibility problem because the basics are quietly broken.
Outdated hours matter more than missing descriptions.Unanswered reviews matter more than keyword stuffing.Real photos taken by the owner matter more than stock images.
When information is inconsistent, Google hesitates.When a profile looks neglected, Google stops pushing it forward.
This isn’t punishment. It’s alignment. Google wants to rank businesses that serve users well.
Why most advice misses the point
You don’t need a 50-item checklist.You need a few key things identified and fixed first.
Most guides focus on optimization tricks instead of accuracy and activity. But long-term visibility comes from showing up consistently: responding to reviews, keeping hours current, posting occasional updates, and maintaining clean data across platforms.
Google rewards businesses that act like they care about their presence because that usually correlates with good customer experiences.
What actually moves the needle
Start with control and accuracy:
- Claim your profile so Google isn’t relying on user-submitted data
- Make sure hours, phone number, and address are correct everywhere
- Use the right category and services
Then build trust signals:
- Add real photos
- Respond to reviews
- Stay lightly active
These signals compound quietly over time. One fix helps. Consistency builds momentum.
Why consistency beyond Google matters
Google doesn’t look at your profile in isolation.
Conflicting information across Apple Maps, Yelp, and other listings creates friction. When details disagree, trust erodes — for users and for search engines.
That’s why consistency across platforms is one of the first things we check.
The point
You don’t need to dominate search results.You need to be visible when someone nearby is searching for what you offer.
If you want the fix list instead of the theory — what’s helping, what’s hurting, and what matters first — that’s exactly what the audit produces.