When a customer searches for services in their area, Google Maps is increasingly the first place they find your business. Your listing, also known as your Business Profile on Google (formerly Google My Business), determines whether or not they call you. In this article, we explain what determines your listing's position, what changes have been made to your profile in recent months, and which actions have the greatest impact on your visibility on Google Maps. You'll also find a list of mistakes that businesses make that limit their reach, along with tips on how to measure your results. Local SEO starts here!
What determines the position of a business card in Google Maps?
Google officially lists three factors that determine the ranking of local results: relevance, proximity, and recognition . Relevance determines how well a profile responds to a search query – the more precisely you describe your business, categories, and services, the easier it is for the algorithm to match your company to relevant searches. Proximity is the distance between your business location and the user's current location, and you have no control over this. Recognition reflects how well a company is known – it includes factors such as the number of reviews and the number of websites that link to you.
This division organizes the entire strategy. Instead of getting distracted by dozens of small actions, it's worth asking: Is what I'm doing increasing the relevance or recognition of my profile? You build relevance primarily within the listing—through categories, descriptions, and service listings. Recognition is primarily built outside of it—through reviews, mentions, and links. This approach is the foundation of effective local SEO . Map positioning can't be bought or manually adjusted—it can only be built by working on the relevance and recognition of your profile.
Maps, local packs and AI responses – where customers see your business
Visibility on Google Maps actually means being present in several different places. The first is the Maps application itself, where users browse the area or enter a specific service. The second is the local pack—a set of three business cards with a map that appears above the classic search results for local queries. This is the most prominent space—customers see the name, rating, opening hours, and call button before they see any website.
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Where does AI get information about your company?
AI-generated answers—both in search and on Maps itself—draw information directly from your profile data, reviews, and business page. If these sources are incomplete or contradictory, the AI may misrepresent your business or omit it from recommendations.
Profile verification – a prerequisite that is easy to forget
An unverified listing doesn't compete for rankings. Until Google confirms that the business exists at the address provided and that you manage it, the profile remains invisible in local results, and you can't respond to reviews or post updates.
Video verification has become standard for most new business cards . You record a short video with your phone that shows the company's surroundings, signage, or other signage, along with proof of access—for example, opening a door with a key or logging into company equipment. The recording is then sent for manual review, which typically takes several business days. Google has tightened its procedures due to counterfeit business cards, so the process can be demanding, but you only have to go through it once. You don't choose your verification method yourself—the system assigns it automatically, and the old method of sending a code by mail was discontinued for most companies in 2026. Before you begin any optimization activities, make sure your profile is verified—without it, the remaining steps will be ineffective.
Business card elements that have the greatest impact on positioning
How to improve your visibility on Google Maps from your profile page? Start with the four areas that matter most.
Main category and additional categories
Your primary category is the strongest single relevance signal. Choose a category that's as narrow and specific as possible—for example, "pizzeria" instead of "restaurant." Secondary categories allow you to include other services without diluting your core business.
NAP details and opening hours
The NAP is the name, address, and phone number. These must be real and identical to those on the company website. Don't include keywords or a city in your name—Google considers this a violation and may suspend your profile. Also update your opening hours before the holidays, as customers who encounter closed doors rarely give you a second chance.
Company description and list of services
In your description, you have 750 characters to explain what you do, for whom, and in what area. Naturally incorporate the keywords your clients use – forcing them in won't help, as the description isn't a direct ranking factor, but it helps the algorithm and users understand the scope of your offerings. Complete the list of services and prices separately.
Attributes, photos and videos
Attributes further define the offer: payment methods, facilities for people with disabilities, a garden, and parking. Add photos regularly and only your own – authentic shots of the interior, team, and project inspire greater confidence than images from stock photos. A complete profile is the easiest advantage to gain, as most competitors only partially complete it.
Customer reviews – the strongest signal you can influence
Reviews have a dual effect: they convince customers and boost profile recognition. It's not just the number and average rating that count , but also their consistency – a steady flow of reviews throughout the year tells the algorithm more than a one-off flurry after a promotional campaign. Content also matters – when customers describe a specific service in their own words, they reinforce the relevance of the listing to search queries about that service.
Ask for reviews after your collaboration ends and respond to all of them – thanking them for a positive review takes only a moment, and a substantive response to criticism shows future readers how you treat your customers. Since the end of 2025, reviews can be posted under a pseudonym, so you won't be able to attribute each one to a specific person – so respond calmly and substantively. Buying reviews and posting them from fake accounts can result in a penalty from Google. If you suspect someone is deliberately lowering your rating, learn how to report fake reviews . Systematically collecting and responding to real reviews is the single most effective action in SEO.
The Questions and Answers section is gone – what replaced it?
For years, standard advice was to manually add questions and answers to your listing to control your message and sneak in keywords. This tactic is no longer viable. In early November 2025, Google disabled the "Questions and Answers" API and began removing it from public profiles in December.
The successor is Ask Maps – a feature based on the Gemini model that generates answers to user questions in real time, using profile data, reviews, photos, and website data. The difference is fundamental – you no longer write pre-written answers and don't see what customers are asking. Currently, the feature is only available in the United States and India, but the direction is clear, and it's worth preparing in advance. The only available control is the quality of the sources the AI uses: a complete profile, up-to-date data, and an extensive FAQ section on your website. The algorithm now writes answers about your company – you only decide how good the data it uses is.
Signals outside the business card – website, catalogs, local links
Why is NAP data consistency so important?
Recognition is also built beyond the profile itself. Consistency of NAP data across the web is key: the same information must appear identically on a company's website, in industry directories, and on social media. Discrepancies make it difficult for the algorithm to confirm a company's identity and undermine trust in the profile.
The second pillar is a website optimized for the region—with the city name in titles and content, an embedded map, and the LocalBusiness tag from Schema.org , which organizes location and opening hours data. The third pillar is links from local sources : city portals, partner websites, and event reports in which the company participated. Such links demonstrate a real presence in a given market more strongly than links from random websites. If you want to go through these steps yourself, we've outlined them step-by-step in our guide to DIY local SEO . The listing, website, and online mentions must tell the same story—data consistency is a signal that Google rewards.
How to check if positioning in Google Maps is effective?
The profile dashboard provides performance statistics that demonstrate the real impact your listing is having on your business. You'll find the number of impressions in search engines and Maps, a list of search terms that lead users to your profile, and specific actions: phone calls, driving directions, and clicks leading to your website.
A single reading doesn't tell you much – observe monthly trends and compare similar periods, as traffic fluctuates seasonally in many industries. The search query list indicates whether a profile is appearing for phrases consistent with its offering; if branded queries dominate, it's a sign that you're just building visibility for service-related terms. Immediately check for sudden drops in views – changes made to the profile or a verification issue are often the cause. It's also worth periodically entering your keywords in incognito mode to see who occupies the local pack in your city – positions vary depending on the district.
Mistakes that reduce the visibility of your business card
A map position can be lost not only through inaction. Some companies limit their visibility through errors that are easily corrected. The most common include:
- adding keywords or the name of the city to the company name, which may result in the profile being suspended,
- duplicate profiles of one point, between which opinions and ranking signals are dispersed,
- outdated opening hours and contact details,
- ignoring opinions, especially negative ones,
- a profile left unchanged for many months – without new photos, updates or replies.
Where to start after reading this article?
Each of these issues can be fixed in a few hours, but if neglected, they can ruin months of work on your profile. Reviewing your business card with these five points in mind is the first thing you should do after reading this.
Frequently asked questions about Google business card positioning
The video recording is then submitted for manual review, which typically takes several business days. You don't choose your verification method; the system assigns it automatically, and the former email code method was phased out for most companies in 2026.
No. Google considers this a violation of its policies and may suspend the profile. The name, address, and phone number must be real and identical to those on the business website.
Ask Maps, a Gemini-based feature, generates real-time answers based on profile data, reviews, photos, and website. Google disabled the "Questions and Answers" API in early November 2025 and began removing it from public profiles in December. For now, Ask Maps is available in the United States and India.
You have 750 characters at your disposal. Naturally incorporate keywords your customers use—the description isn't a direct ranking factor, but it helps the algorithm and users understand the scope of your offering. Complete the list of services and prices separately.
Yes, they boost profile recognition, one of the three factors in local ranking. It's not just the number and average rating that count, but also consistency—a steady flow of reviews tells the algorithm more than a one-time flurry after a promotional campaign. Content also matters: when a customer describes a specific service in their own words, it strengthens the profile's relevance to search queries about that service.
In the profile panel, you'll find performance statistics: the number of search engine and Maps impressions, a list of search terms that led users to your profile, and specific actions—phone calls, route maps, and page clicks. Monitor monthly trends and compare similar periods, as traffic fluctuates seasonally in many industries.
Summary
The above article covers the following topics:
- The three factors of local ranking: relevance, distance, and recognition, and which of these you can influence.
- Where the customer sees the business card: Maps, local pack and AI-generated responses.
- Profile verification is a requirement for participation in local results, with video recording being the current standard.
- Profile elements with the greatest impact on ranking: categories, NAP data, company description, and photos and attributes.
- The role of customer feedback and the principles of obtaining and responding to it.
- The "Questions and Answers" section has disappeared and been replaced with the Ask Maps feature.
- Signals outside the business card, measuring effects in profile statistics and the most common errors that reduce visibility.
