How Google Decides Which Local Businesses Show Up First
When someone searches “interior designer near me” or “architect” + location, the businesses that appear at the top of Google—and especially in Google Maps—aren’t there by chance. They’re being selected based on signals that help Google decide which options are most relevant, trustworthy, and useful for that specific search.
At a high level, local rankings are driven by three factors:
Relevance
Relevance measures how closely your business matches what someone is searching for. Google looks at your business category, listed services, website content, and how clearly your profile explains what you do.
The clearer and more specific this picture is, the easier it is for Google to confidently surface your studio for the right searches.
2. Distance
Distance reflects how close your business is to the searcher. While you can’t control where someone is standing, strong profiles tend to appear across a wider geographic area—while weaker ones are shown only very locally.
3. Prominence
Prominence is where most of the real opportunity lies. It reflects how established and credible your business appears online, based on signals such as:
Reviews (quality, consistency, and recency)
Accuracy and consistency of your business information across the web
Mentions on relevant local or industry sites
Engagement and completeness of your Google Business Profile
Supporting signals from your website
None of these are especially complicated on their own—but aligning them correctly is where most businesses struggle.
Why Moving Up the Rankings Matters
Local visibility compounds quickly.
Studies consistently show that:
Businesses appearing in the top 3 local results capture the majority of calls, form fills, and direction requests
Moving from the middle of the page into the top results can result in a meaningful increase in inquiries, often measured in multiples rather than percentages
Even a one- or two-position improvement can expose your business to significantly more qualified searchers
In short: better positioning doesn’t just mean more views and clicks—it usually means better projects and more consistent inbound demand.
The Hidden Challenge
Google doesn’t publish a checklist. Many ranking signals are indirect and cumulative, meaning progress rarely comes from fixing one thing in isolation. The biggest gains typically come from tightening alignment across your listing, your website, and your broader online presence.
This is why studios doing excellent work can still remain under-represented in search—while others quietly dominate their local market.
The Takeaway
Ranking well locally isn’t about hacks or shortcuts. It’s about making your business easy for Google to understand and easy for clients to trust.
When that alignment improves, visibility tends to follow—and with it, a noticeable lift in inquiries and opportunities.
