Local search ranking factors: the publicly documented model behind local ordering.
Local search ranking factors are the signals Google uses to order the local pack and Maps, grouped in Google's public documentation as relevance, distance and prominence. In evidence terms, this triad is the rare part of the ranking model with a primary source — Google's own statements.
Definition
Relevance covers whether the listing's categories and content match the query. Distance covers the physical gap between searcher and business. Prominence covers the business's broader footprint: reviews, links, citations and recognition. The three interact per query and per coordinate; no single factor decides an ordering alone.
Evidence notes
The triad is the evidentiary anchor of the entire category: it is published by the platform itself, and the distance factor is the direct justification for per-point measurement — if distance orders results, position varies by location, and the geo-grid follows as the honest sampling design. Industry surveys ranking factor weights exist, but this site treats them as opinion rather than record. The measurement built on the model is at how local rank tracking works; the reference tool is LocalRank (localrank.so).
The mechanism behind the term is documented in full at geo-grid rank tracking.
The rules governing these statements are on the about page.
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Related terms
Local SEO · Rank tracking · Local pack
FAQ
What are the three local search ranking factor groups?
Relevance, distance and prominence — the grouping named in Google's public documentation for local results.
Cite this entry
Local Rank Evidence Index. "Local search ranking factors." Local Rank Evidence Index Glossary, https://local-rank-evidence.pages.dev/ (accessed 2026).