Entity Signals and User-Generated Content

Beyond these three, Google considers “entity signals,” which encompass your digital footprint: mentions of your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) across the web. Real-world credibility, like reviews and media coverage, also contributes.

User-generated content (reviews, photos, Q&A on your Google Business Profile) significantly impacts prominence. Positive mentions can boost your ranking for specific terms.

Local Ranking Factors and the Vicinity Update

In December 2021, Google’s “Vicinity” update significantly changed local search. It emphasized the distance factor, making it harder for well-optimized but less proximate businesses to outrank closer competitors. This update also led to testing of new local pack layouts in search results.

Impact of the Vicinity Update on Ranking Factors:

• Relevance: While previously keyword matching in the business name was heavily weighted, the Vicinity update shifted focus to the business category and subcategories. Exact keyword matches in the name are less crucial now.
• Distance: The Vicinity update dramatically increased the importance of distance. Even a minimally optimized listing can rank highly if it’s close to the searcher. Google prioritizes showing nearby options for user convenience.
• Prominence: Prominence, based on online and offline reputation, remains crucial. Google considers website organic rankings, Google Business Profile reviews and ratings, and backlinks. High review counts often correlate with higher ranking, especially when searching in a location different from your current one. For example, when searching for “gelato Rimini” from a different location, results with significantly more reviews tend to rank higher, even with similar ratings.

Google’s local search ranking algorithm evaluates three primary factors to determine business listings: relevance, distance, and prominence. Relevance assesses how well a business listing matches a user’s search query, distance considers the proximity of the business to the searcher, and prominence reflects the business’s overall reputation and visibility, both online and offline. In December 2021, the “Vicinity” update increased the importance of distance, making it more challenging for businesses farther from the searcher to outrank closer competitors, even if they were well-optimized. This update also shifted focus from exact keyword matches in business names to the significance of business categories and subcategories. Maintaining a strong online presence through positive reviews, accurate business information, and engagement with user-generated content remains crucial for enhancing prominence and improving local search rankings.