According to its official help, Google ranks local businesses on three criteria: relevance (does your business match the search?), distance and prominence (reviews, links, online presence). You cannot change the distance; the rest can be worked on.
1. Create your Google Business Profile
It is free, and it is what makes you appear on Google Maps. Fill in everything: exact category, opening hours, service area, real photos.
Example: a bakery that chooses the category “Bakery” rather than “Shop” and lists its Sunday opening hours has a much better chance of appearing for “bakery open Sunday”.
2. Use your customers’ words
Your website must say clearly what you do and where: “Plumber and heating engineer in Thann, serving the Thur valley”. Your customers type “boiler leak”, not “maintenance of thermal equipment”.
3. Identical contact details everywhere
Name, address, phone number: exactly the same on your website, your Google profile, directories and Facebook. An old number lying around creates doubt, for Google as much as for your customers.
4. Ask for reviews and reply to them
Google states that the number of reviews and the rating count in local ranking. Ask for a review after each successful job, for example with a QR code on the invoice. Reply to all of them, including criticism, calmly and factually.
5. A website that works well on a phone
Local searches are often made in the car or in the street. Your number must be callable with one tap, and your address visible without searching.
How long does it take? A well-completed profile can appear within a few weeks. Reviews and prominence are built over several months.
Source: Google Help, “Tips to improve your local ranking on Google” · Accessed 26 September 2026.