Ranking factors are simply the things Google are looking at to decide who ranks where in SEO. So if the more positive reviews you have, the higher you rank, then “positive reviews” is a ranking factor.
Google don’t tell us what the ranking factors are, so the truth is that no-one knows comprehensively what causes one website to rank above another. There is also a lot of volatility in search results, as things change for lots of different players, Google makes constant algorithm updates, and possibly shakes up the rankings periodically to give some new websites higher rankings and see if users prefer them.
When SEOs do things that we think has worked, we’ll post about it on SEO communities, blogs, webinars, etc. When other SEOs post and say they have done the same thing and it has worked for them, then we have a broad consensus of a particular action being a local ranking factor, and build it into our strategies. So there is a general agreement on what works, even if SEOs disagree on the relative importance of each factor.
In this guide is an explanation of the various factors that rank businesses locally, but it would also be a good idea to Google “local SEO ranking factors” and compare what different people say to see where there is agreement and disagreement. Remember as well that companies are biased towards their tools, so if a link-building company does a blog on local ranking factors, link-building will appear higher up on the list than it should.
I’ve tried to indicate the relative importance of each factor below, but don’t be deceived: they are all important. Really the importance is based on whether you can rank without them. If you’re not close to the searcher (5/5) it doesn’t matter how well your website is optimised (3/5) because you’re still not going to rank.
Similarly, local knowledge content (2/5) is a key part of our strategy, but scores low because you need to optimise your website (3/5) and create pillar content (3/5) before local content has any value.
Importance: 4/5
Having the name of your service and location in your GBP name is a large ranking factor. The primary category you choose is also one of the biggest factors in whether you show up for search.
See our complete guide to Google Business Profile.
Importance: 5/5
There’s little you can do about this, but how close you are to the search location is also key. Which makes sense, it’s a local search after all.
Incidentally, the age of your GBP and website is also a factor as Google prefers longer-established businesses. Nothing you can do about that, either.
Importance: 3/5
Having good, recent reviews for your business and replying to them promptly also helps ranking. If you can diversify your review platforms and not just have them all on Google, this can also help.
There is debate in SEO about whether having your keywords in your Google Business Profile reviews benefits your SEO. Most people will tell you it doesn’t, but it does. There was an osteopath near where I used to live who ranked for back pain despite not having a website and back pain not being mentioned in the Google Business Profile. Google returned the result with the phrase “back pain” highlighted in the reviews – known as a local justifier.
Importance: 3/5
Keep your GBP complete and up to date. Be sure to use services to include your more niche keywords.
Importance: 4/5
One that is easily overlooked but an important ranking factor. If the searcher has typed in “Coventry Dentist”, you are more likely to be returned for that search if not just your GBP, but also the landing page the GBP points to on your website, is optimised for those terms.
Of course you can’t optimise it for every possible service, but you can have other pillar content pages for each service, and link to them from the homepage with the appropriate anchor text.
Importance: 3/5
Next up is how well your website is generally optimised, which we covered in Important On-page SEO Tags.
You’ll also want to ensure your website has your name, address and phone number (known as NAP) on every page, has clear links to your social media profiles, and has your GBP map embedded on most pages.
Importance: 3/5
This means having a page for each term you want to rank for, optimised for that particular term. That could be a service, like “chiropractor” or a condition, like “neck pain”. We’ll cover this in a future guide.
Importance: 2/5
Local knowledge content, particularly including custom maps, embedded directions and locally relevant links, can increase your SEO reach and make Google rate you as more relevant for the area.
Importance: 2/5
It’s now well accepted among SEOs that factors such as average time on page and whether the page is the search end point (i.e. does the user click the back button and keep looking or do they find what they want on your site) are significant ranking factors, despite Google’s advice to the contrary.
To give yourself the best chance with behavioural factors, ensure your website is engaging, that people can find the information they need easily, and that you have plenty of calls to action to encourage bookings.
Importance: 4/5
The quality and quantity of other websites linking to yours determines your domain authority. The higher their own domain authority, the more good the link will do you.
Link building is a whole industry in its own right, which we’ll come to in future guides.
Importance: 3/5
Listings on business directories such as Yell or Just Landed is still a factor, and you should typically aim to build at least 30-50.
Importance: 3/5
Having links from other local sites is a big factor and generally worth more than sites which are not local- or niche-relevant. This could be from the local council, sponsorship, local press articles, or partnerships with other local organisations.
Use this information to plan out your local SEO activities or to understand what your agency is doing for you.
Some things you might find easier or harder due to your budget, inclination and network. For example if you’re good at writing then content creation will come more naturally to you, but if you’re new in the area and just opened up then finding links from local partners might be harder. Focus your efforts on your strengths and consider outsourcing the rest.
If you have more questions about SEO, we’ll be happy to help. Feel free to reach out, come and ask a question in Free Webinar Friday, or book a free strategy call.
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