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Local SEO basics: how Google picks who shows up nearby

When someone searches for a plumber or a repair shop nearby, Google says three things decide who shows up. Only some of them are in your hands.

Written October 7, 2026, from the sources listed at the bottom. Where a rule comes from Google, Google's page is the final word.

What Google says it looks at

  • Relevance: how well your Business Profile matches what the person searched for. Complete, detailed information helps.
  • Distance: how far you are from the person searching. You can't change this.
  • Prominence: how well known your business is. Google says links from other websites and the number and rating of your reviews both count.

Google also says, in so many words, that there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking.

What's in your hands

  1. Verify your Business Profile.
  2. Keep your information complete and accurate: address or service area, hours including holidays, and the right category.
  3. Reply to reviews.
  4. Add real photos.
  5. Make your website say clearly what you do and where, with a page for each service.

What to ignore

Google's own starter guide says it doesn't use the keywords meta tag, that stuffing keywords into a page is against its spam policies, and that keywords in a domain name have hardly any effect. It also says there is no word count to aim for.

How long it takes

Google says a change can take effect in a few hours or take several months, and suggests waiting a few weeks before judging whether it helped. Anyone promising a ranking by a date is guessing.

For repair shops specifically, see local SEO for auto repair.

Sources

This guide is general information, not legal advice.

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