Many businesses work hard to get more reviews but forget the profile they belong to. If it is out of date, you lose visibility however satisfied your customers are.
What Google says
Google says local results are mainly based on relevance, distance and prominence. Relevance is how well your profile matches a search, and Google asks for complete, detailed business information. Businesses with complete and accurate information are more likely to appear in local results; incorrect details may keep a profile out of relevant searches. More reviews and positive ratings can improve local ranking.
What experts think matters most
In Whitespark's 2026 survey of 47 local SEO experts, Google Business Profile accounted for 32% of the weight for map results, and reviews 20%. The highest-scoring individual factor was the profile's primary category. These are expert assessments, not figures from Google, whose algorithm remains private.
Checklist for an up-to-date profile
- Correct primary category and relevant additional categories
- Correct opening hours, including holidays
- Services with short descriptions
- Correct phone number, address and website
- Recent photos
- Replies to reviews
Why you need to keep checking
Opening hours, services and phone numbers change. Google also adds profile features from time to time. Businesses that do not keep up can fall behind competitors that do. A simple routine is to review your profile once a month.
Do it yourself, or ask for help
You can do this yourself. If you would rather ask for help, contact us and we can look at what needs to be done.
Google My Business is now called Google Business Profile.