Google Maps Ranking Factors: What Google Says and What Experts Rank
Google says it ranks local results on three things: relevance, distance and prominence. It does not publish the individual signals. The closest thing to a public ranking of them is the Local Search Ranking Factors survey, which Moz used to publish and Whitespark runs today.
The short answer
- Google's three factors: relevance (how well a profile matches the search), distance (how far the business is from the searcher) and prominence (how well known the business is).
- Paying does not help: Google states there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking.
- Survey top three for the local pack (2026): primary Google Business Profile category, distance from the searcher, and keywords in the business name on the profile.
- Reviews in the survey: a high Google rating ranks 6th, the number of Google reviews with text 9th and review recency 11th of the local pack factors.
- It is opinion, not Google data: the survey scores what experienced local SEO practitioners believe matters. Google does not confirm or rank individual factors.
What Google says it weighs
Google's Business Profile help page Tips to improve your local ranking on Google names three factors. These are its own definitions.
Relevance
"Relevance is how well a Business Profile matches what someone is searching for." In practice that is decided by what your profile says you are: your categories, your description, your products and services, and what customers write about you.
Distance
"Distance refers to how far each business is from the customer who's searching." When the searcher does not share where they are, Google says it uses what it knows about their location. A fixed-location business cannot change this one.
Prominence
"Prominence means how well-known a business is." Google says this is based on "info like how many websites link to your business and how many reviews you have," and states plainly: "More reviews and positive ratings can help your business's local ranking."
Two more statements on the same page matter. "Businesses with complete and accurate info are more likely to show up in local search results," and "There's no way to request or pay for a better local ranking on Google." On replies, it says that replying to reviews "shows that you value their feedback"; it does not say replies change rank.
That is the full extent of what Google publishes. It does not list individual signals or say how much any of them weighs. Everything more specific than this, on any site including ours, is someone's analysis or opinion.
The Local Search Ranking Factors survey (the "Moz" survey)
If you searched for the Moz local search ranking factors, this is the survey you mean. David Mihm started it in 2008 as a yearly poll of local SEO practitioners and later handed it to Darren Shaw of Whitespark. Several older editions were published on moz.com: Mihm's archive links the 2013, 2015 and 2018 results there. Current editions are published by Whitespark.
The latest is the 2026 Local Search Ranking Factors report, published on 6 November 2025. Whitespark invited 47 local search experts to score a long list of possible factors for their effect on the local pack and Maps, on local organic results, on conversions and on AI search visibility. Each factor gets a combined score; a higher score means more contributors rated it as important.
Read the scores for what they are: the informed opinion of people who rank local businesses for a living, not measurements from Google. They are most useful for comparing factors with each other, and least useful as precise weights.
The top local pack factors in the 2026 survey
These are the 15 highest-scoring factors for local pack and Maps rankings, with the survey's own names and scores, and the Google factor each one is closest to, in our own grouping.
| Rank | Factor (survey wording) | Score | Closest Google factor (our grouping) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Primary GBP Category | 227 | Relevance |
| 2 | Proximity of Address to the Point of Search (Searcher-Business Distance) | 225 | Distance |
| 3 | Keywords in GBP Business Title | 223 | Relevance |
| 4 | Physical Address in City of Search | 213 | Distance |
| 5 | Business is Open at Time of Search (Business Hours) | 189 | Relevance |
| 6 | High Numerical Google Ratings (e.g. 4-5) | 181 | Prominence |
| 7 | Address Is Showing on GBP (Not SAB) | 176 | Distance |
| 8 | Additional GBP Categories | 173 | Relevance |
| 9 | Quantity of Native Google Reviews (w/text) | 170 | Prominence |
| 10 | Proper Placement of the Map Pin | 165 | Distance |
| 11 | Recency of Reviews | 164 | Prominence |
| 12 | Proximity of Address to Centroid | 157 | Distance |
| 13 | Click-Through Rate from Local Pack/Maps Search Results | 156 | Prominence |
| 14 | Sustained Influx of Reviews Over Time (rather than bursts) | 154 | Prominence |
| 15 | HTML NAP Matching GBP NAP | 153 | Prominence |
Two patterns stand out. Most of the top of the list is either Business Profile data (categories, name, hours, address, map pin) or distance. And four of the top 15 are about reviews, which is where the next section looks closer.
Where reviews rank
Google says more reviews and positive ratings can help. The survey splits "reviews" into many separate factors, and they do not all score alike. Local pack and Maps ranks, 2026 edition:
| Rank | Review factor (survey wording) | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | High Numerical Google Ratings (e.g. 4-5) | 181 |
| 9 | Quantity of Native Google Reviews (w/text) | 170 |
| 11 | Recency of Reviews | 164 |
| 14 | Sustained Influx of Reviews Over Time (rather than bursts) | 154 |
| 36 | Keywords in Native Google Reviews | 117 |
| 38 | Quantity of Native Google Ratings (no text) | 116 |
| 42 | Positive Sentiment in Review Text | 112 |
| 43 | Quantity of Reviews with Photos | 111 |
| 122 | Presence of Owner Responses to Most Reviews | 70 |
| 182 | Keywords in Owner Responses to Reviews | 28 |
What this means
- Rating, count and recency sit near the top. So does a steady flow of reviews over time, which the survey scores above bursts.
- Keywords inside customers' reviews rank 36th for the local pack. They matter less to rankings than is often claimed, though what customers write still helps people choosing between businesses.
- Owner responses to most reviews rank 122nd for the local pack, and keywords in owner responses 182nd. Reply because customers read replies, not to move rank.
The same survey also scores factors for conversions (whether searchers pick you once they see you). There, a high Google rating is the top factor and review recency ranks 7th, which is a good reason to keep reviews coming even where rank barely moves.
Factors you can and cannot change
Mostly fixed
Distance from the searcher, and whether your address is in the city being searched.
Your business name. Google's guidelines say it "should reflect your business's real-world name" and that "including unnecessary information in your business name isn't permitted", so adding keywords to it breaks the rules even though the survey rates the factor highly.
Within your control
Primary and additional categories, accurate hours, a correct map pin and complete profile details.
How many customers you ask for a review, and asking steadily rather than in bursts.
Your website's name, address and phone matching your profile.
This page explains the factors. If you want the order to work through them in, read our step-by-step guide to ranking higher on Google Maps.
Frequently asked questions
What are the main Google Maps ranking factors?
Google names three: relevance (how well a Business Profile matches the search), distance (how far the business is from the searcher) and prominence (how well known the business is, which Google says includes how many websites link to it and how many reviews it has). Google does not publish the individual signals behind them or their weights.
Is the Moz Local Search Ranking Factors survey still published?
The survey continues, published by Whitespark. David Mihm started it in 2008 and handed it to Darren Shaw of Whitespark; several older editions appeared on moz.com. The 2026 edition was published on 6 November 2025.
What is the number one Google Maps ranking factor in the 2026 survey?
The primary Google Business Profile category, with a score of 227, just ahead of the distance between the searcher and the business (225) and keywords in the business name on the profile (223). These scores reflect expert opinion, not data published by Google.
Do reviews affect Google Maps ranking?
Google says more reviews and positive ratings can help a business's local ranking. In the 2026 survey a high Google rating ranks 6th, the number of Google reviews with text 9th and review recency 11th among local pack factors.
Do keywords in reviews help Google Maps ranking?
The 2026 survey ranks keywords in Google reviews 36th of the local pack factors, well below rating, review count and recency. Google does not say whether it uses them.
Can I pay Google for a better Maps ranking?
No. Google's help page states that there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking on Google.
Sources & References
- Tips to improve your local ranking on Google- Google Business Profile Help(Accessed: )
- 2026 Local Search Ranking Factors- Whitespark(Accessed: )
- Local Search Ranking Factors (survey history and archive)- David Mihm(Accessed: )
- Guidelines for representing your business on Google- Google
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