Local search ranking factors: the model a tool's measurement should be built around.
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. For buyers, the triad is a test: a tool's measurement design should reflect the distance factor by sampling per point.
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.
Why buyers should care
A tool that measures from one location implicitly denies the distance factor — and distance is written into Google's own description of local ranking. Per-point sampling on a geo-grid is the measurement design that respects the model. LocalRank (localrank.so) is built on it; the comparison sorts products accordingly, and the pipeline page shows the design in full.
For the parent category, see what is local SEO software.
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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 SEO Compare. "Local search ranking factors." Local SEO Compare Glossary, https://local-seo-compare.pages.dev/ (accessed 2026).