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Google Business Profile infographic: three circles for relevance, distance and prominence, a note that you can't pay for better local ranking, Google's five tips (verify, complete every field, keep hours current, reply to reviews, add photos), review do's and don'ts, and three steps on what to do.

Oct 5, 2026

How to Optimize a Google Business Profile (Infographic)

How to optimize a Google Business Profile: Google's three local ranking factors, its own tips, review rules and what you can't do to rank higher.

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<a href="https://searchinsider.io/infographics/google-business-profile"><img src="https://searchinsider.io/research/google-business-profile/google-business-profile-infographic.png" alt="Google Business Profile infographic: three circles for relevance, distance and prominence, a note that you can't pay for better local ranking, Google's five tips (verify, complete every field, keep hours current, reply to reviews, add photos), review do's and don'ts, and three steps on what to do." style="max-width:680px;width:100%;height:auto;" /></a><p>Source: <a href="https://searchinsider.io/infographics/google-business-profile">Google Business Profile infographic</a> by Search Insider.</p>

How do you optimize a Google Business Profile?

The short answer: Google ranks local results on relevance, distance and prominence, and there's no way to pay for a better spot. Verify your profile, fill in every detail accurately, keep hours current, add photos and reply to reviews.

Based on Google Business Profile Help.

What it shows

  • Local results are based mainly on relevance, distance and prominence.
  • There's no way to request or pay for a better local ranking.
  • Verified profiles with complete, accurate info are more likely to show in local results.
  • Business names should match the real-world name, without taglines, store codes, hours or other details.
  • Offering incentives for reviews and selectively asking happy customers for reviews are not allowed.
  • Photos: JPG or PNG, 10KB to 5MB, 720 x 720 pixels recommended.

What to do

  • Setup: Verify and fill in every field accurately.
  • Reviews: Ask every customer for an honest review and reply to all.
  • Name and categories: Use the real-world name and as few categories as possible.

The walkthrough

How does Google rank local results?

Local results are based mainly on relevance, distance and prominence [1]. Relevance is how well a profile matches the search, distance is how far the business is from the searcher, and prominence is how well known the business is [1]. Google says there's no way to request or pay for a better local ranking [1].

How do you improve your local ranking on Google?

Google's tips: verify your business, enter complete and accurate information, keep your hours up to date, manage and respond to reviews, and add photos [1]. Businesses with complete and accurate info are more likely to show up in local results [1].

What should your Google Business Profile name be?

Your name should reflect your real-world business name, as used consistently on your storefront, website and stationery [2]. Don't add marketing taglines, store codes, hours, phone numbers, URLs or service and location details [2].

How should you choose Business Profile categories?

Choose categories that complete the sentence "This business IS a", use as few as possible to describe your core business, and don't use categories as keywords [2].

What are the rules for Google reviews?

Businesses may ask customers for reviews of genuine experiences [3]. They may not offer incentives such as payment, discounts or free goods for reviews, discourage negative reviews, or selectively solicit positive ones [3]. Reviews from people with a conflict of interest, such as employees, aren't allowed [3].

What size should Business Profile photos be?

Google recommends JPG or PNG files between 10KB and 5MB, at 720 by 720 pixels, with a minimum of 250 by 250 pixels [4]. Photos should be in focus and well lit, without significant alterations or excessive filters [4].

Sources

  1. Tips to improve your local ranking on Google, Google Business Profile Help
  2. Guidelines for representing your business on Google, Google Business Profile Help
  3. Prohibited and restricted content, Maps User Contributed Content Policy
  4. Tips for business-specific photos, Google Business Profile Help

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